2003 Jaguar XK8 convertible — shop says top hydraulic lines need replacement (interior trim removal).

Anyone done this recently? Cost? Replace all lines or just leaking ones? Shop recommendations in Miami or Florida?

Thanks!

 

this is one of the most common issues, but why is he saying that, do you have a leak.

 

The line burst in the trunk. Now roof not operable. Shop that diagnosed it says that they’ll take about 6 hours of labour ($185 per hour) plus rhe part ($575).
Make sense?

 

It would be a real good time to have the rams and front latch rebuilt, good chance one or the other is already leaking.
A company in the Northwest called Top Hydraulics is good but a little research and one in Florida is very capable.

 

Definitely check out Top Hydraulics - they have all the hoses, rams, pumps etc. that you would need. I have used them to rebuild my top latch piston and they claim to have a way to install their new hoses without all of the interior trim disruption. I've never tried it, but it's worth a shot.

 

I just had the entire system done on my 2002 XKR earlier this year. Rams, pump and all lines after lots of internet research and talking to other Jag owners. Top always was a bit slow opening and closing and latch finally started leaking at fitting. Used Top Hydraulics. Had them rebuild my parts rather than core swap to avoid possible fitment issues. Both Top Hydraulics and my mechanic also said that if I can afford it, its better to do it all at once than piecemeal as the stock hoses do not compare to current material specs, they don't take the heat in Florida very well and are just old.. Talk to Top Hydraulics about their lines vs stock. The work was done at European Performance and Repair in Vero Beach, Florida, They do very good work, stand behind it and are my shop of choice for general and performance work on my XKR. They have extensive experience with hydraulic top repairs on Jags, Mercedes, BMW, etc. and understand high-end Euro cars and their owners. Shop is always clean, they take the time to explain repairs and are just nice guys. Best Eurocar focused shop I've found. Top now opens and closes as it should and no more leak. No issues afterwards with the work or follow-up needed. My advice is if you're going to keep the car and can afford it, do the whole system.

 

one of the first things I did to my 2003 xk8.
New lines from top hydraulics. And top latch.
you need to pull al interior. Old lines are tie wrapped all the way along. Under drivers seat. Under consul. Under rear seat. Over right wheal arch and in trunk. You need to lift left side of front carpet. Follow one of the utube videos about it by “To The Garage.”Be careful about the rubber trim and plastic trim, on top of the windshield frame. There are four screws, two are easy, two will be hidden under the rubber trim. I did it myself and I took about seven hours. No leaks now.
when you see the he old lines, with all the black covering flaking off. You will do them all. Expensive but worth it.

 

[QUOTE=MikeGriese;2890962]Definitely check out Top Hydraulics - they have all the hoses, rams, pumps etc. that you would need. I have used them to rebuild my top latch piston and they claim to have a way to install their new hoses without all of the interior trim disruption. I've never tried it, but it's worth a shot.[/QUOTE

I’d like to know how they suggest doing this job without removing all the interior.

 

@Franca83 I used Cabriolet Hydraulics out of Sarasota when I had to replace my hydraulic lines https://cabriolethydraulics.com/

 

[QUOTE=dfbender;2891029]
From what I have read in other posts, they provide an adapter to connect new hose to old and just pull hose through to the coupling, disconnect old and then connect new to the rams

 

Considering how the old hoses degrade, I can only imagine the what will get left behind doing it the "pull through" way.

I could never live with that.



But if you are going to pay someone to do it then it is more than likely a tech would not be that concerned with cleanliness vs expediency.

When I did my 2004 it took me about 8 hours to do the latch lines alone. The lines to cylinders took about same when I did those later (also in my thread). But I did my best to remove all traces of the old lines, something a paid service may not focus on so much.

 

Given the length, serpentine routing and myriad clamps for the lines from the pump forward to the latch I don't see how pulling new lines through the interior would be at all possible, It would seem that only the lines to the rams might be able to be pulled.

 

It will only work if you have already cut all the tie straps.
the only place that the coupler will work is down the A pillar at the front of the door. Still has tie straps holding the pipe. You still have to cut them.
even under the carpet are tied, and you have to cut them. Also to do the job properly, you will have to tie them again. To hold them in place. Where you want them.

 

I had my hoses replaced in Feb/Mar with Top Hydraulics replacements, and also my top latch. I used the core swap/rebuild service with TH too. They were easy to deal with. The owner who mentioned that they have a way of reducing the interior disruption is correct; they supply a "pull tool" and instructions for using it to help pull the lines through partway, the waya electricians pull wires. I don't know the details because I didn't do the work. My shop charged me 8 hours of labor for $1,100 and the parts were a total of $1K. My mechanic, who has been around a long time, did not recommend replacing the rams preemptively, as they are not hard to access, and you know if they leak because you'll see a drip of hydraulic fluid on the ground near the rear wheel, but it won't mess up the interior the way the hoses and latch do. I got lucky; my latch was leaking, just a bit, and instead of the green shower, it was just weeping slightly down the black plastic trim in front of the door sill plate, that curves up toward the dashboard. So it let me know without making a mess. I didn't hesitate to do the hoses too, even though they weren't leaking, because evidence is pretty overwhelming that they will at some point. Everything works now. I don't worry about the rams, and they are not expensive. The hoses are the big job. The pump is of course quite accessible but it has no issues. We did change the Pentosin; that's standard with this job. If your shop has done this before, and they generally have a good reputation, it should go fine.

 

Only the rear seat and left front seat need to be removed.
The right speaker box removed gives access to the cavity into the boot area.

 

I had the infamous green shower also. Same recommendation for me, top hydraulics. Sent out my rams and latch, probably took two weeks to get back. Thousand dollars for the entire set up. Removed the complete interior carpet ,seats routed the lines just like they’re supposed to be, not that hard. Little bit labour-intensive, but I got to clean the carpets work on the seats and do a good overall cleaning and reinstall it on my time with no mistakes. Roof works great