Sold 1992 XJS V12, MoTd, 91K - £SOLD!

[brickwall]

This is nice. This is very, very nice.

[Junkman]

WCPGW?

[Bear]

So it's been a VERY long time for updates. I needed a battery, and I needed to get into the engine stuff so getting a battery seemed like a low priority, but having realised the CX was carrying the battery I needed it seemed silly not to try. The car had dust from sitting in the garage and needed a rinse down - it's impressive how well the tyres have remained inflated etc.

 

Anyway, battery on, dump a load of deionised water into the cooling system and fire up. Fires up like... well. I can only assume like new. Flick, purr. No fuss. Wait for steam from back, no steam, but the bonnet is open and there's a fountain.

 

Pull the car out into the light, rinse off the dust, and...

 

 

 

 

Back into the garage...

 

 

And let's see what lurks where the fountain was.

 

 

So. The head gasket may or may not be duff - I'm thinking not, from how the car starts - but theres a pipe union from the thermostat housing to the overflow/balancing pipe that has seemingly cracked in the water pipe and come out. It dumps the coolant incredibly quickly via this hole.

 

Now on the hunt for a waterpipe or thermostat housing to fix it with, then the radiator can be reverse flushed and checked for silt, then the car can be refilled, carefully and properly - and we'll see where it goes from there. If you look to the left of the sensor and above the pipe I'm holding, you can see the hole where the union would have been installed and water coming out of it.

[Skizzer]

Good luck.  I start hyperventilating whenever I open the bonnet of mine, so definitely have my fingers crossed for a swift, simple and inexpensive outcome for you.

[michael1703]

How many miles drive to your nearest garage with a head gasket tester?

 

It would be gutting to strip it when you aren't sure you need to

[xtriple]

It looks like you could be the luckiest bastard on the planet! No hgf is a definite WIN of epic proportions

[Bear]

Today involved a bit more checking. Removed the metal pipe from the rubber hose, and found it was completely intact, not cracked or broken as I had thought. Cleaned, checked, and then got a drift to tap it into the water pipe - theory being if I whack it too hard I needed a new housing anyway if the pipe didn't seat.

 

Tried to remove it with pliers. Wouldn't move.

Reconnect balance pipe, refill water slowly. Raise front of car on a slope, more water. Start car. Let water settle. Caps on. Let car run. No leaks. Let car sit. No leaks. No steam from exhaust. Temperature sits bang in the middle. Let it sit until oil is up to temperature (idle pressure from full 8 down to the centre point on the gauge). Still no steam. Still no obvious leaks.

Took it for a drive. Seems okay. So, going to book MoT and see what happens

 

What I haven't done yet is rev too high. I should do, to see if the pipe pops out.

 

 

 

 

[The Moog]

Fingers crossed... a lucky escape although I would be lying if I diidnt admit I would love to see a pictorial adventure of HG change

[purplebargeken]

Wow, fingers crossed for you on an industrial scale. 

[mat_the_cat]

 

(hopefully)

[Bear]

Last night I took it for a cheeky drive around the village. No overheating, no problems, up to 60 and no glitches.

 

 

Well, apart from the standard issue horrors...

 

 

So it went for the MoT today...

 

 

Emissions, amazingly, spotless...

 

 

You can maybe see where coolant sprayed under the bonnet.

 

 

And...

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

Obviously, it's a BL-era Jaguar design, with extra Ford-era faffery, that hasn't been on the road for well over a year.

 

 

So.

 

Back to the

 

 

Road, once I've insured & taxed it.

 

Need to get two new coolant pressure caps, swap proper coolant into it, replace a cracked mirror glass (advisory) and then somehow get the confidence that it's not going to blow up.

 

Also it needs a chin spoiler I think.

[Eddie Honda]

Well done on the MOT.

 

(When is the floor due to drop out?)

[Bear]

Well done on the MOT.

 

(When is the floor due to drop out?)

 

 

3-4 years, I think. Sills are good, subframe mounts excellent, rear valances a lot of surface rust (needs bumpers off and attending to), arches good, inner wings good, scuttle has a couple of small bodges commensurate with age and typical Jaguar ownership.

[DeeJay]

When are you spraying yellow?

[Bear]

I'm not - in fact I'm about to reduce the amount of yellow - too many cars and life is getting complex, so the 406 V6 coupé will be up for grabs very soon indeed.

[billyboy406v6]

Now go and buy some lotto tickets, see how far that lucky streak is running. Not jelous at all !!!!!!

[Bear]

Insurance done - swap from 406. No additional cost, same grouping...

[purplebargeken]

Well pleased for you but also rather gutted for poor Pete who lost a shedload on it.

 

At least it lives!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Nice work on de test but fuckinell, those Yank spec quad headlamps look as offensive as ever. 

[Bear]

Well pleased for you but also rather gutted for poor Pete who lost a shedload on it.

 

At least it lives!

 

 

Well, wait until it hits the road properly - it may yet throw up a cause for the water pipe escape! We're not out of the woods yet.

 

It's missing the lower spoiler at the front. That's quite important for high speed cooling and stability.

[Bear]

Nice work on de test but fuckinell, those Yank spec quad headlamps look as offensive as ever. 

 

I like them. Plus they're really bright

[Bear]

Obligatory. 30 miles down now...

 

Amusement. The idling/tests burned through £30 of fuel...

 

[Bear]

100 miles down - leak from a lower hose! Time to get investigating

[Liggle]

The idling/tests burned through £30 of fuel...

 

So worth it! Nice car, do love an XJS

[Bear]

When it's behaving, I like it.

 

Then I remember this:

 

 

And yeah, I reckon the cooling system needs going over, and the timing chain is a little noisy. Not deathrattle noisy, but audible.

[LC Torana]

the timing chain is a little noisy. Not deathrattle noisy, but audible.

Would attention to oil grade, and cleaning out engine breathers help with that a bit?

[Bear]

Would attention to oil grade, and cleaning out engine breathers help with that a bit?

 

 

Possibly. They do have issues with tensioners occasionally, but I'm more inclined to suspect just "car sat for ages, give it fresh oil and filters"

 

Lower hose has split - found the leak. Garish red silicone, or traditional black rubber... may as well do the lot rather than just replacing one and waiting for the rest to follow.

[purplebargeken]

Traditional black rubber

[Bear]

After all that, I found a place doing classic black silicone - not cheap, but probably well worth it!

[purplebargeken]

That sounds like a perfect compromise, yes, not cheap but absolutely well worth it. Should be fit and forget.