Okay, got it bought and home this afternoon.

I'm NOT going to even start the engine again until I replace the upper tensioners. If I decide to buy a tool kit, WHICH ONE? Fleabay has a bunch of different ones and there are differing claims as to which actually fit.

What is the preferred source for the tensioners?

One really nice discovery is that my transponder cloning tool will do the XK8 chips -- I hadn't been sure. I've sold a bunch of 8-cut KEYS to people with these, but none were close enough for me to check on the transponders. No9w I know that I can offer the complete service.

 

It's great that you want to replace the tensioners yourself but the fact the you need to buy a toolkit first suggests to me that you will really need someone with some spannering experience to assist you. It's not a difficult job but there are some potential pitfalls and it's one of those jobs can cost you dearly if you get it wrong.

A typical 3/8 inch drive metric socket set will do the job but there is one bolt on the left-hand bank valve cover up against the firewall, at least on RHD models, which can be an absolute pig to remove and I always resort to my 1/4 inch socket set with its tiny universal joint.

Richard

 

If I were you I wouldn't buy anything until you have had a look to see what is already fitted. Take one of the cam covers off (the one without the dipstick) and see what is in there, then make decisions based on what version tensioner is fitted and what condition it is in. If it isn't the latest metal tensioner at a minimum change both sides and take a view as to what else needs to be changed based on condition.

 

Sorry, I meant what SPECIALIZED tool set do I need, specifically for the tensioner job. I've been "spannering" for about 60 years.

 

If you use the cable-tie method I don't think you need anything special. But, as said, check that you actually need to do the replacement first.

 

FO replaced leaking valve cover gasket a while back, and he said that they are plastic. I believe him.

Any particular brand of tensioner to get / avoid? I'm seeing kits with secondary tensioners and chains under $60, and kits with all tensioners, all chains and sprockets under $120 -- are the cheap ones ok?

 

No.

I would get them from SNG Barratt. I believe they have a couple of different brands to choose from, they don’t sell junk.

putting a cheap tensioner in your car and having it fail (it happens) after all that effort is a real kick in the rear.

call Barratt to place your order and tell them you are a forum member. They give a 10% discount to us.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/US/home

Z

 

This is exactly the information that I was after. I've never dealt with Barratt -- my X-Types haven't needed anything too specific -- but looking at their page, I see several different ones, and I'll give them a call to find out which to get. The discount will certainly help.

 

Sone,

Sorry to join your thread late, but you've received a lot of great advice. I want to add that you cannot see the cracks in the plastic chain tensioners without removing them, so don't do what some of our members have done and view what little of the tensioner is visible in situ and decide "they're fine."

If the tensioners are plastic, they are not fine. Here's a pair I removed recently from a 1998 coupe. You can see why they are called "ticking time bombs." The cracks form on the side of the tensioner that is not visible when it is installed. This pair was ready to cause catastrophic engine damage at any moment:




Here's a first-generation tensioner and a third-generation metal-bodied tensioner:



Cheers,

Don

 

The car will have metal tensioners before the engine is started again.

I pulled the air filter assy, and loosened all but one of the right-side valve cover bolts (I have to dig out my 1/4" universal and a 10mm socket), so might get that done tomorrow afternoon after work, to take a look. You have to admire how hard the designers had to work in order to make it ALLLLLLMOST impossible to work on Jaguars.

It has the metal thermostat housing, so I'm hoping against hope that the FO is wrong.

 

It would be crazy for anyone not to change plastic secondary tensioners, especially if they have done the hard work of getting to them. My point about inspecting the secondary tensioners isn't to decide whether or not they need changing, but as an indicator of what the rest of the system is like. When I did mine, the secondary tensioners were almost perfect, with tiny cracks starting in the usual places. However if the secondary tensioners are falling apart, then the rest of the system is probably well overdue for a change also.

A failed secondary tensioner will likely be fatal, which is why everyone is advised to change them. The primary tensioners not so much, which is why the zip tie method was invented in the first place and no doubt saved countless motors in the process.

 

That's interesting. I would be absolutely gobsmacked if any XK8 has had the plastic thermostat tower changed to a metal one but still has the plastic tensioners.

I changed my thermostat tower yesterday but I did the tensioners about 25 years ago. If your car is the reverse of this, I'll bet that it is the only one in existence,

Richard

 

Stand by to smack your gobs. Got the cover off and they're plastic.

 

Consider it done! That is amazing.
Just out of interest, are they the original plastic type with no spring or the second version with a plastic body but with a spring around the metal piston?

Richard

 

Dunno yet. I pulled the covers and determined that they are plastic, but haven't gone any farther until I get the replacements,