Having removed the heads in a hunt for a coolant leak in my newly acquired 1997 XK8 and ... located it at the thermostat, the adventure has lead me to look at the Octopus pipe MJA6728AC.
I noticed a small area on one of the T-junctions of the pipe that wasn't perfectly sealed and am considering replacing the pipe as I can access it easily now, and will not be able to once I've put everything back together again.
However, I have encountered the Norma connection which I think is a Normaquick V2 (but I'm not sure).
Seems like it should be straightforward when I look at the diagrams of the connector (attached).
But I can't yet work out how to undo it and am wary of breaking it.
Does anyone have experience of this connector and advise please?

 

The connector on the RHS (UK drivers side) has a locking ring than needs to be released by sliding, IIRC, towards the rear of the car. The connector should then pull off the metal pipe (4 below), which has a raised ring near the join. In practice, it may well fall apart when you get to it due to cooking over the cat for years.

The connector on the LHS has a pair of 'ears' that clip onto the tee-piece (6 below). These can also fall off. I'd recommend changing this tee at the same time - it's one of the few inexpensive parts. NNE3944BA



Be sitting down when you ask the price of the octopus

HTH,
Mike

 

Thank you Michael, thats very clear and I'm looking forward to interpreting it on the car tomorrow.
The picture you posted doesn't look like the octopus pipe on my 1997 XK8, maybe it's a later version?
Ive seen the price and I'm looking at about £90.
Ive also seen some US sites that charge an eye watering amount!
Thanks for answering.

 

Hi martinrichard,
The octopus isn't shown on the pic:- just the valley hoses, etc. which the octopus connects to at 4 and 6.

The octopus out of the car looks like this (post by Daro31):

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...9/#post1636357

You can see the clip with the 'ears' on the right hand side, and the one with the locking ring on the other.

It's a much easier job for you with all the head stuff out of the way - watch out for the zip tie that's cunningly hidden in the trans tunnel when you pull the old octopus out.

£90 is about what I paid two or three years ago from the dealer.

Good luck,
Mike

 

I understand now.
I've already encountered a few zip ties, I didn't think that they were original Jaguar specifications. That's for the advise, I'll watch out.
Thank you!
martin

 

Hi Michael, yes it did fall apart, the plastic aged and the steel rusted, but still watertight.
Until now!
The "ear" side was better and came apart cleanly.
The hose looks remarkably good for 20 years of use but I think I'll replace it.
(Otherwise I would really kick myself if it failed in the next year!)
Thanks for the tip about the T-piece NNE3944BA I'll splash out at £2.33.


For reference, if anyone else is reading this; on the R side Norma joint, when it comes apart, all of the plastic stays with the rubber hose and the metal is left bare.
This is probably obvious to everyone except me!

 

I would replace it. I know it's a tad pricey, but definitely easist while everything is out of the way. I have my 14 year old one still hanging on a nail in the barn (I've no idea why I kept it) and it looks fine - but...

No, it isn't obvious how the RHS connector works until you have it in pieces. I guess the design team had been on the red the night before they thought that one up...

Happy plumbing,
Mike

 

...and prices will skyrocket.
I will frame mine and see if I can sell it to the Saatchi Gallery.

 

Michael, what did you do about the clips?
Use the old ones or buy replacements?
and if so, screw-type (Jubilee) clips or the original type?
So many questions......sorry!

 

The octopus comes with new metal clips, so you'll be fine. I quite like that type as it allows for expansion.

I'm working on the other end at the moment; oddly, the new lower hose also came with clips but not the others, so I'll re-use the clips for the bypass & top hoses. Others replace them with jubilee or similar, but I had no leaks on the valley hoses with the original clips.

Mike

 

Great, thank you
and Happy Plumbing to you too!

 

Here's what I did:
Octopus hose leak, the $5 option https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...option-151462/

 

Thank you Ophitoxaemia
In the end I did something very similar.
What a rubbish idea to put that weird Norma Connector on.
Completely unnecessary!

 

What a rubbish idea to put that weird Norma Connector on.
Completely unnecessary!

I suspect that if you were working on the production line trying to mate a complete front drive-train assembly including engine with a complete fitted bodyshell moving past you at around 3 mph, you would have been grateful for two 'quick-fit' norma connectors rather than two jubilee worm-drive hose clamps.

You were not really worried about what some owner might have to struggle with about 18 years later !!

 

True, but, what a palaver I've had with it!
Being so relatively complex (I would dare to say 'over-engineered') has made it fragile compared to a simple connection.
Still, I won't begrudge our car workers a bit of ease.

 

I've had a chronic slow seep at one of the Norma connectors that my local guy first tried to fix cheaply with a new o-ring or something--didn't work. The leak was not really serious but just annoying. So I bit the bullet and had the guy replace the octopus hose (or as he calls it the spider hose). Cost was about $500 for parts plus labor. Lucky thing I decided to replace it since it was not really the connector that was bad but the hose itself. It had deteriorated at the connector and the overall hose had seen better days-not a surprise with a 10+ year old car.

Doug

 

Does anyone know how to remove the octopus connector on the right side? the one with the green plastic? i suppose i could just break it off and hope that the one on the new hose just pops on butid rather take a correct approach. the one on the LH was easy but this one has me stumped

 

I ended up cutting that off. The coolant has a tendency to glue it stronger than the plastic is.

There's a description and some pics here: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xk8-xkr-x100-17/octopus-hose-leak-$5-option-151462/

 

HEAT GUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Slide the collar towards the back away from the metal pipe and twist/pull the hose to disconnect.(wear gloves because you need to get it uncomfortably HOT)