In my 99 XK8 i have noticed lately that i had a oil leak somewhere in the bottom of the engine. Tonight... i was over at my fathers house after a long drive and after a short time visit i noticed there was a small puddle under the passenger front side. That is when i realized that it was not really coming from the engine. So i took it home and was looking around the manifold and had to remove the air filter... well.. not only was the enclosure (bottom) cracked - it had a good bit of oil inside. Looks like it has been happening for a while when examining the filter. I know this is not good... but can someone lead me to what is failing in the engine to pour out thru the air intake???

 

First guess is that your Nikasil engine is failing and blowing oil by the rings and through the tube from the valve cover to the air duct.

Compression test probably in order. Not a pretty sight. For more information than you wanted on this subject check out the FAQ sticky above under 'Nikasil'.

 

Try these easy cheap fixes before you have a coronary...clean the part load breather orifice with a small drill bit like 1/8". Take off the air intake tube and clean oil out of it and air box, install new filter, clean throttle body. Change oil and add 1 and 1/2 bottles of v8 engine restore<<<thats the name in the auto parts store. To replace 1 and 1/2qts of oil. You should do this each oil change. It will greatly improve ring seal and therefore result in reduced blowby and oil vapor being pumped up into the air filter housing.

 

Not good for me!!! Brutal ... thanks for that fix and I will try that this weekend. The car runs great besides storing oil in the air box. Test Point...I have read Nikasil and will be checking on the engine code tonight. I would have to assume though that my engine IS the Nikasil lined cylinders and my question is ... am i looking at new rings or can i get the steel lining put into the cylinders? Or just sell the car??? .... Naaaa! I love the car too much to sell it. I will get it fixed somehow!

 

Hope the engine restore helps. Sooner or later the engine is going to have to be replaced but that is true with any car. Most cost effective solution is a used engine from a comparable vehicle. While the car is still preforming why not casually shop for a direct swap, low mileage, steel sleeved engine so it does not have to be done on an emergency basis.

$2500 or so plus $1000 for labor.

Search for JTO and give him a call.

 

From what I understand Brutal’s Engine Restore does work and it is a good application for this situation.

 

Is rebuilding THIS engine an possibility?

 

Yes, but notice that I used the words 'cost effective'.

 

If replacing it is necessary then replacing it with steel is the right way to go.

 

if you get to this point down the road, no. Testpoint's recommendation is the next step, if, you get there. Putting steel liners is not any old machine shops day to day work. It really must be sent to someone that specializes in it. There are to many issues with boring and installing liners. Ive even seen issues with people that do it all the time, occassionally a liner drops, leaks, etc...plus finding pistons, rings etc is another issue all together. If you really want to go the rebuilt route, then contact ken at motorcars. They rebuild them all day long. Theyre about $5k ish is i remember correctly with exchange.

 

Fan-freakin-tastic!.... I still love the car... but she sure is testing me with this! Thanks guys!

 

Try the Eng Restore first and see what you have. Brutal’s suggestion do the cheap fixes first is the right thing to do and see what takes place. This will give you the time to get your thoughts and parts together.

 

I like the words "IF YOU GET THERE". I will be hoping that doing the engine restore for ALL oil changes keeps her running for a long time. I will definitely have to change some driving habits...lol. I know the harder i push.. the more it pushes out... so I will just let her purr down the road... ( okay.. maybe one or two romps a month??) Will still be keeping any eye out for engine that I can get for her that has STEEL liners. Brutal.. what years will fit into my 99?

 

'99 through '02 XK, 99 through '03 XJ but lopping off the Nikasil the engine serial number needs to be after August '00 (0008181043).

 

At this point I would change the oil from 5w30 to 10w40 or higher. What do you have to lose?

 

also all the "replacement" steel linered engines we did back then had grey oil pans not black. So if you find an early 1 with a grey oil pan, that was a replacement from jaguar

 

Okay, I took it down to my REGULAR mechanic and we pulled off the tube and there was a exhaust coming out of it. I do have "blowby" I discussed all that we have chatted about here and he was thinking that I can add a tube to that line and run it down underneath the car and just let it vent that way. Of course, closing off the entry to the air cleaner. I think i will do that to keep it from getting any bad stuff to my air cleaner. He was hesitant on adding the ENGINE RESTORE to this because it might clog other things that i don't want to be clogged. Now, being that he is NOT a Jagman... i still need some of your re-assurance of what i need to do and if the new outlet i would create is OK!! Oh yeah, besides all of this my air cleaner BOX is warped and cracked and i need to find a new one. Any ideas???

Again.. thanks to everyone here for help all the time. I can't wait until I can be as seasoned as some in here to give others help. With this car.. shouldn't take long!!! lol

 

engine restore clog???
please....... I wouldnt recommend without personal use and experiance. its not a stop leak...and yes smoke is blow by past the rings, and yes there are other things to stop the oil vapor, but do the engine restore first

 

I will change oil and add the Engine Restorer this weekend... thanks Brutal... Is running a tube from the hose that comes out of the valve cover and directing it down under the car to vent acceptable?? Or deemed unnecessary if using the ENGINE RESTORER?

 

Make sure you clean the part load breather orifice like Brutal suggested. Mine was completely clogged and I had oil in the breather tube and a soaked air filter. Cleaning out everything fixed it and it's been fine for over 4000 miles with no more oil showing up. I think the guy that had the car before me might have panicked when he saw the oil in there and that's why I got the car for such a deal.