Bummer. Had the latch hoses replaced a short while ago, but now the top moves sluggishly, I have low hydraulic fluid at the pump and a puddle on the ground right in front of the RH rear wheel.

I assume I have a poor connection or broken hose at the ram. Can the experienced crew tell me the best way to open up for a peek at the ram connections? Do I have to remove rear seat and trim to see the hydraulic ram?

Thanks!

 

Hi.

Yes, you have to remove the rear seat to see the rams. Fairly easy though.
Two bolts at front bottom of seat squab, lift out takeing care at seatbelt anchors.
Two more bolts at lower seat back, remove and lift seatback straight up.

 

if it is right in front of the rear wheel, I would also check the connections at the pump (outboard side).

 

Check your rams first chances are you have one or both leaking.

 

Thanks guys! Seems like a pretty straightforward job, so I'll roll up my sleeves. Any tips on where to order new hoses?

Gus: Do you mean that there is a chance that the leak could come from poor seals in the ram itself, rather than the hoses?

 

Yes - the leak could be the ram or the hoses, and as Gus said check the hose connections on the back of the hydraulic pump - I had exactly your symptoms and my leak was from a burst hose at the pump.
I replaced all my hoses with upgraded components from Top Hydraulics(contact details are on Gus's website). It's not a difficult job but it is time consuming.

 

Well, opened it up for a looksee. The rear seats, side & top trim, cross brace and speaker cabinet had to be removed to get at the ram. Not hard, but many layers. (And found that the guy who previously replaced the latch hoses broke the speaker bottom bracket when he did the job. Annoying, but hard to prove. Tip: remove the brace before trying to remove the speaker)

Wet all over from hydraulic fluid. Seeping rather than leaking, so no obvious failure point, but the old hose appears to be disintegrating - the outer skin of the hose is just flaking off all over the place. The hose is wet also a bit above the ram, so it seems a fair bet that it is the actual hose itself that is breaking up and leaking through. A bit odd, as I have not seen any references on the forum to such leaking. Also strange that it wouldn't be a more major leak if it is the hose that is the culprit. The connections at the pump are fine; no problem there.

However, the hose needs replacement anyway, so I will start with that and see if the leak goes away.

What do you think; should I service the rams while stuff is apart, or is this not usually needed?

 

The hoses give way at the crimp onto the threaded fittings and the skin flaking off is normally a sign they're on their last legs. The lift rams don't seem to give too much trouble from what I read on the forum - it's the latch ram that is more problematic. Either way, Top Hydraulics also list ram repairs but they are in the USA so could be awkward for you given your location. There again, the world's a small place these days.

 

Checked for hoses with my local Jaguar dealer. Suffice to say that the hunt goes on for alternatives.. They wanted about USD 1300 just for the main ram hoses, and didn't have them in stock anyway..

SNG Barratt perhaps?

 

Hi.

Original Jaguar hoses are not known to last very long. Maybe the company Tess could make you some new. I have also included links to two US companies
http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/ehttp:/
www.jaguartoprepair.com/n/

 

Thanks Øystein. I was also thinking about Tess, but they are usually more heavy duty.

Top Hydraulics rule though! (thanks Batroute!) Interesting that it is better, quicker and cheaper to have hoses shipped from US to Europe.

 

Cabriolet Hydraulics in Bradenton Fla is also another good source for the hoses

 

Status update: I took the interior apart [they did an excellent job hiding the hoses and rams behind just about anything inside the car - now it feels like I have more Jaguar in my workshop than in my Jaguar..] and found that the hoses are indeed shot, but so are the seals in the rams. I also realized after a more thorough search on the forum that the rams and ram hoses are more problem prone than I first thought. So, wrong heading on that first post..

Got the upgraded hoses from Top Hydraulics before I realized that I needed the rams as well. Top Hydraulics refurb rams, but two times cross-Atlantic shipping didn't sound tempting, so called SNG Barratt for the rams.

I am VERY impressed by SNG Barratt!!! I ordered the rams on Wednesday, they got them from Jaguar on Thursday and then shipped by UPS to me. Arrived in Norway today Friday, just two days after I called them. Price much less frightening than I had feared, and they shipped the right parts (I was holding my breath on this, as the ram fittings were changed halfway through 2000). Good going!

Now I finally have all the pieces and am looking forward to putting them back together in the weekend.


A bit annoying that the latch hoses were replaced by PO some months ago, using OEM hoses. Guess that will be my ongoing worry when operating the top, but it just seems a bit daft to replace fresh hoses. Does anybody know if the seals in the latch cylinder are prone to leak like the main rams? Should I consider replacing that as well now that I am at it?..

At least I am getting to know the car!

 

Yes - the top latch seals are known to be problematic and again can be replaced by modified components more robust than the originals. That said , it appears by observation that cars in hotter climates have more problems than those in cooler climates - no science in this - just observation. Whether that's the heat or that(perhaps) the top is cycled more in hotter climates - who knows. TBH if it was my car I'd leave the latch ram and just enjoy the car - the top hoses are more likely to give out but as you say they've been replaced recently so should be OK.. Rumour has it that the later OEM hoses supplied as spares are better than some originals. If the latch ram gives out you're not really duplicating the work you're doing at the moment.

 

What he said.

Glad you're well on your way! I also ended up replacing my rams with remanufactured ones (but from TH). You'll be pleased soon.

 

Thanks - just what I needed to hear to stay sane!..

 

Thanks for all the help so far!


The swap is progressing, but I need a tip: The tip of the ram is attached to the top mechanism by a thick pivot pin, but I don't manage to see behind the pin and figure what's holding it in place. Should it be forced out, or is there a ring, clevis pin or similar holding it in place from the back? Help appreciated!

 

Ah; never mind - figured the clip. Thanks anyway!..

 

What a messy job! Swapping the rams and hoses probably took me six hours, with the majory of the time spent on cleaning up the oily mess and tidying up after previous work done by the shop. It is the kind of work I wouldn't trust a shop to have the patience and tidiness to do well. Not difficult; just a lot of dismantling and cleaning.

Happy I tackled it, and even more happy the top now works like a dream and we can enjoy the beautiful weather!

 

The top on our XK8 failed due to the failure of the hydraulic hose(s). I have read through the thread on the hose and cylinder replacement but I don't see how to operate the top to get it out of the way to access the top latch, etc... I tried to remove the brown support plate but even after removing all the screws, it seems to be secured to the top by the latch that is closed.

Do you operate it manually to turn the latch to the open position by turning the manual crank counter close wise or clockwise and do you need to close the needle valve on top of the pump by turning it counter clockwise or clockwise before performing the manual operation?

Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated.