When I was working on the underbelly of the beast, I found this bracket. Not sure what its for, but its just above the oil pan to the left of the oil filter. The car runs perfect and I don't see any wires or parts dangling from around this area.
TIA,
Bruce

 

I think it holds a plastic air baffle that guides air to cool the backside of the alternator. I will try to get some pics of the piece I am referring to. I suspect you are missing the whole piece as it greatly inhibits the view you took your pic from. Jac

 

I would Appreciate it Jacsun

 

So I held my phone under the car aiming up. The blue is my oil filter. The first pic is the beginning of this baffle/air dam. The end of it is to the left in the pic (left is the front of the car in both pics) and is just under the radiator. You can see in the second pic how, as the car is going forward, it channels air into that squarish opening in the piece (on the right side of pic 2) and how the piece goes directly under the air filter. Ultimately the air is channeled up behind the alternator which sits just above that area. I think the plastic piece is held up on that end by the two bolts you see in your pic. Someone may have wanted to avoid dealing with it on an oil change and trashed it.

 

It is in "Parts file 2" here on the forum, page 60. I tried to get an image in the attached. It is actually 2 pieces. Both called "Alternator cooling duct" 1 and 2. Looks like there were 3 versions of it over time.

 

I think this is it, expensive plastic!

 

Even more expensive plastic:
Jaguar Parts - Direct JPLV Porsche Parts.com

The lower half is cheaper though (woohoo): http://www.gaudinjaguarparts.com/par...&siteid=214626

 

Oh good.... It really surprises me at how much they charge for some of these SEEMINGLY inexpensive parts....what a racket

The thing is.....I may really need it

Thanks all for your input,
Bruce

 

I question to what degree the plastic alternator cooling duct is actually required. When I did my initial oil & filter change on my wife's XK8 last spring, I discovered the duct was missing. Bought one from our local dealer for about $37 and grumbled about paying so much for a piece of milk jug-quality plastic. Installed it since I shelled out the money for it, but given its open design, I doubt if it winds up directing a great deal of airflow to the alternator even at high speeds....

I continue to remove and reinstall this duct at every oil & filter change simply because I bought it. But there are so many XKs running around without this flimsy piece of plastic in place, and we almost never read any reports here of failed alternators. My recommendation? Save your money for something else....

 

When I first brought my car home it was broken and just hanging. I epoxied a reinforced backing piece on it and bolted it in, but it does not look very effective at directing air.

 

Mine is missing too and my alternator did fail. But there was almost 100k on the clock with the original alternator. I'm taking those odds and still have not installed the lower cooling duct (the top piece is in place).

 

That settles it then....I'm going to buy a bag of weed

Thanks guys!

 

Never even knew there "was" a lower duct (it looks more like a ramp or shield). The upper duct looks like it would get the job done alone. From the thread I guess it's not a Hi-Pri item. Maybe I'll stumble on one in a junk yard someday.

Thanks guys