My 99 XK8 daily driver had a very slow coolant leak (cup per week for months)and belt / pulleys started squeaking like crazy. Finally found the drip from the loose hose clamp but now the squeaks!! Pulled the belt and no sqeaks when running. Spun or turned all the pulleys with the following results. Belt tensioner pulley seems a little tinny so that will get replaced. Idler arm seems fine but that will get replaced also. Belt is like brand new (replaced with engine 3K miles ago) but still suspect I guess from all the coolant leaking. Alternator and power steering seem fine, but AC pulley makes a very faint continuous scraping sound like a brake rotor being spun with very slight pad drag after you install new brake pads. It also seems to have as much as a mm of inside /outside play - not always but about one out every three times I turn it I can induce a very slight amount of play.

I could sure use some advice on:

1. How the heck to reinstall the belt and should I replace it?? I might be able to wedge that tensioner with a heavy screwdriver but I could sure use anybody's pet technique. I understand there is a tool but can I get it cheap anywhere?

2. Any luck with the aftermarket pulleys or tensioner? Can I replace just the pulley on my tensioner?

3. Does this AC pulley sound like it could be the culprit? Are they a bear to replace?

If I could learn how to reinstall the belt easily I could try things individually, but if that belt is a pain I probably need to do everything in one fell swoop...

Really Appreciate the Help!

 

Replacing the belt is simple, it is a matter of removing the tension from the belt and remove the belt from one of the wheels and the rest is simple. As for changing the tensioner with an aftermarket tensioner that is not a problem. If you do that you should replace the idler at the same time. I replaced all three on my car without removing the fan housing under a flashlight but if you elect to do so you should cover the radiator with a cardboard to prevent damage also wear gloves. As for the tool for the tensioner I used a socket with a breaker bar. No special tools!

This link for the tensioner and belt

http://jagrepair.com/BeltTentioner.htm

This link for the removal of the fan housing

Jaguar thermostat housing 4.0 xk8 4th photo down

I hope this helps

 

After the tensioner pulley is retracted, you will find hole in which to insert a pin and hold it under tension in place. After the belt has been put back on, the tensioner is again retracted and the pin removed. Voila.

 

Thanks guys!! This demystifies the tension relief process which I had been all over the site searching for. Of course upon dissasembly I found that the plastic thermostat housing leaks if I lean on the coolant hose - looks like the top half of the engine needs to come off to replace it with one of the metal ones...

 

The manifold can stay on. Here is a thread about how to change the T-Stat housing.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...44/#post104849

 

Thanks again! I also visited the pictoral link and ordered my metal Stat housing kit, tensioner and pulley from Jagbits. There are no gaskets in the kit for the Stat or the housing interface. Are these not necessary / reuse old??

 

Do not reuse the old "O" rings. My kit came with new one

 

If you have a tinny squeaking noise, probably the idler near the alternator, if it is still plastic, you will need to replace it, you can't get the bearing out as the pulley is moulded around it...... Very common..

 

OK I installed the new aluminum T-stat housing, idler pulley, belt and tensioner/pulley and she purrs like a kitten! The bent end of my 8mm wrench was 1 1/8" long and would only remove one of the rear housing base bolts (with the locking needle nose, etc. recommended). Needed to be another 1/4" long for leverage. With 3 of the 4 bolts out I was able to carefully slide a wood chisel under the base plate and break off the housing (the plastic is semi embrittled after 12 years). It was easy to remove the remaining bolt with a full wrench after the housing was broke off. If I did it again I would consider just removing the two front housing bolts and breaking the old plastic housing off carefully a piece at a time with a good set of pliers to expose the rear bolts. I would still need the bent wrench to tighten the rear bolts, and i did swipe two of the 1/4" shorter T-stat cover bolts and used them for the rear of the T-stat base. I forgot to grind a screwdriver slot in the heads, as recommended, but an extra long set of bent needlenose pliers sped things up, but couldnt produce enough torque to loosen or fully torque the bolts.

 

What you need is a Metric Crowfoot Wrench Set but finding a set the includes 8mm is difficult and hardly worth the price when you will only use it one time. This set is 10mm – 19mm from Sears Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
It was not a problem for me to bend a wrench and move on.

 

Also, the Jagbits AL T-stat housing kit did come with all new gaskets. I used the Black hi temp RTV on everything and nothing leaked. The $13 Gates pulley was not as wide and had raised edges so i went for the $80 smooth wide idler pulley - spun a lot smoother and worked. If you lean on the plastic Bleed tube to the coolant expansion tank it will break ($20). It would have been easier if I could remove the black rubber fuel rail crossover hose but I was nervous and left it alone.

 

Did you replace the belt, tensioner & pulley with or without removing your fan assembly?

 

I removed the fan assembly. I wouldnt if I did it again, but I had some extra time waiting for my parts to arrive. Also I was trying to better evaluate the A/C, Alt, Water Pump,and P/S pulleys as I couldnt believe that much noise was coming out of the belt and Idler Pulleys. Could easily have been misleading, as the A/c pulley felt the worst and was fine.

 

So removing the fan assembly is optional and not necessary?

 

In my opinion you are correct for an XK8. I would definitely try to replace the belt and pulleys without pulling the fans. It is tight in there but IMO do-able (plus the fans are really a two person job...). I have big forearms and can barely reconnect the fan connectors, but I believe I could get a wrench on both the pulleys and also replace the belt. I also removed the coolant crossover manifold to replace the T-stat housing and I think it appears to be in the way a lot more than it is...

 

I really can't understand why everyone is so against removing the fan assembly? I get it if all you are doing is changing a supercharger belt on a XKR, but if you are doing all other kinds of pulley and T stat work, it makes life so much easier.

I dunno, perhaps it is because I do it often I have a knack of knowing how to do it easy, but once you have removed the top hose from the rad it is very simple.