Cool, cool, cool, cool. I have a few questions now.

1. What's the easiest method to remove the harmonic balancer pulley bolt on these cars? Long breaker bar and starter method?
2. What about putting it back on?
3. I have to replace the bolt, correct?
4. Can I use any harmonic balancer pulley removal tool that I can buy or rent at autozone, or does it have to be a specific Jaguar tool?
5. This seems like it would be a good opportunity to upgrade the supercharger lower pulley. Is that a worthwhile upgrade on the 4.2 XKR?

 

I have the same leak. Did you find your leak? Was it the VC gasket?

Thanks

 

Resurrecting a 5 year old thread is unlikely to get you a response. Suggest you either start a new thread or PM your question to whoever you are asking.

Cheers

 

The leak was from the timing cover gaskets.

 

Looking for a short cut. Got lucky.

 

Thanks

 

You’ll need several specialized tools that most people don’t already have.

First, a crankshaft pulley locking tool specific to these cars is required. While the locking tool itself can be purchased on Amazon, most aftermarket versions are not deep enough for the XKR. Because the XKR’s harmonic balancer sits deeper, you will need an additional extension that is not normally included in aftermarket kits and is not readily available on its own. In my case, I had a machine shop fabricate the extension.

You will also need a harmonic balancer pulley puller. Many locking tool kits include one, but a universal Y-shaped puller can also be used. Make sure that you don't thread the pulley puller bolts into and through the timing cover. The cover is thin and fragile, and can be easily damaged with these bolts.

For reference, the tools I used—and the custom extension fabricated for my car—are shown in the photos below, with labels indicating their respective lengths and depths. In short, an XKR requires approximately 3.6 inches (≈92 mm) of total depth to clear the harmonic balancer pulley when using the locking tool. This clearance is required for both removal and installation.

To remove the crankshaft bolt, you will need a very long breaker bar, and possibly a cheater pipe. You’ll want at least ~4 feet of leverage to crack the bolt loose. The crank bolt is extremely tight (approximately 236 ft-lb, if memory serves). There isn’t sufficient space to use a powerful impact gun unless the radiator is removed—which in turn requires evacuating the A/C system—so a breaker bar is the practical approach.









Because of the amount of disassembly involved, make sure you have all necessary replacement parts on hand before starting. I strongly recommend genuine Jaguar parts, as aftermarket gaskets and seals are often inferior unless explicitly noted otherwise. At a minimum, plan to replace:

• Crankshaft seal (Corteco is OEM and acceptable)
  
• Harmonic balancer seal (O-ring style) — use genuine Jaguar
  
• Inner and outer timing cover gaskets and O-rings — genuine Jaguar
  
• Valve cover gaskets, including bolt sealing rings and spark plug tube seals
  
  • Use genuine Jaguar for the 4.2
    
  • Fel-Pro is acceptable for the 4.0
    
• Crankshaft pulley bolt — this is torque-to-yield and MUST be replaced
  

While you’re in there, it’s also a good idea to consider replacing:

• Idler pulley
  
• Belt tensioner
  
• Serpentine belt
  
• Supercharger belt
  

For reassembly, you’ll need a crankshaft seal installation tool. A large socket or a properly sized PVC pipe can work as a substitute if needed. You will also need a torque wrench and a torque-angle gauge to properly tighten the new crankshaft bolt.