Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted July 23, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 23, 2018 About a year ago, I indulged myself in my sickest fantasies and got myself an XJ40 Jaguar. Was planning on getting a later (post 1990) 4.0L one, but this one came up for sale closer to home at a reasonable price, so instead I ended up at the other end of the spectrum (oh there's a spectrum involved here) and got a pretty early (around Jan/Feb '87, production started in Oct/Nov '86) 3.6L Sovereign, complete with 80s funk digital dash. She's fairly solid/tidy, haven't done many km's in her due to being busy as fuck at work, study and home DIY, but have sorted out a list of things to sort out. Only major work done so far has been replacing the water pump, due to it leaking all the new coolant I placed into it out of its weep hole. Other issue I have at the moment is that I think the alternator is playing out, as I'm having charging issues, so need to look into that more. Pics for thread (yes, I know the chrome arch covers are gross as fuck and I shall remove them in time, just afraid of what lays under them). 23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted July 24, 2018 Author Share Posted July 24, 2018 As mentioned before, having some charging issues, righto, so here's the voltage reading on the dash I'm getting across the alternator with the engine warmed up (fuck I love that 80's funk dash, has really grown on me) And on a multimeter And here is the reading when the lights are on I'm doing some internet searches and so far given the symptoms it seems that the alternator may be on the way out, keen for any advice in this area (discussion thread here), before I shell out for a new alternator or have the current one refurbished, cheers. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 Fuck me it's been ages since I posted here, in that time I've had a few hoons in the Jag, but sadly she needs a bit of time off the road for some TLC. She failed a WOF around 10 months back on two items, play in the steering rack and soft brakes. There are some shims /spacers that apparently take up the slack in the steering rack, I installed those soon after the WOF failure, but haven't had a chance to test her on the road yet. The second one has proved more annoying, I have tried bleeding brakes several times, but no joy. The pedal has been going to the floor if I sit on it, this made me think it could be an issue with the master cylinder, so had a crack with a rebuild (will post pics), but again, no joy. Next plan is to check the flexible hoses and make sure it's not them (that said, I bet they old af and should just be replaced regardless). Also, while she is off the road, I will tackle some rust on her, namely around the front of the sills and around the rear windscreen. Have taken the plunge and have got myself a little 135amp mig welder and will have a punt. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted February 25, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 25, 2020 Here's the master cylinder rebuild: I won’t go into great depth of each step, as they are quite well covered by various workshop manuals (I referred to the Haynes manual, as well as the instruction from the rebuild kit for guidance). Here is the master cylinder in place in the car, of course to do the rebuild we need to remove it. To remove it, disconnect the brake lines from the master cylinder (I used some plastic bags and tape to cover the ends of the lines), but before doing so, remove as much brake fluid as possible from the reservoir (I used a syringe). To provide better access to the line in the middle of the master cylinder, I removed the power steering reservoir (only two bolts), that made life a lot easier. Then you remove two nuts attached to the brake booster and it should come away. Don’t forget to disconnect the brake fluid senor wiring. And here is the removed master cylinder and reservoir. Also, I thought I’d put a photo up of the kit box, just in case anyone is interested, also has the supplier’s details too. To remove the reservoir from the master cylinder, the holding pin needs to be removed (referring to the photo below, it’s in the bottom of the ‘V’ of the reservoir outlets). I found this extremely stiff and took quite a bit of effort from using a hammer to knock it out, you’ll also need a dowel or screw driver etc with which to tap it through the master cylinder casing and finally remove. My advice would be is take your time. The reservoir should then pull away with a bit of effort from the rubber grommets on the inlet ports (which in turn need to come out too). The next step is to remove the two pistons within the master cylinder, these are held in place by a pin that passes through a slot on the primary piston and through to the other side of the cylinder casing. The Haynes manual notes that a magnetic should be used, but the image shown isn’t very clear/easy to understand (well to me at least). To access the free end of the pin, you need a magnet that can fit into the inlet port, I did not have such a magnet (I tried a magnetic tipped screw driver, but this wasn’t strong enough). Not really wanting to get off my arse and buy a suitable magnet, I improvised, borrowing one of the magnets on the wardrobe door lock (the type that you screw into the top of the door and other in the door frame) and ‘attaching’ one of my socket drill bits to it. This worked nicely. With the pin removed, a gentle tap of the master cylinder on some wood and the pistons came out. Here is the disassembled master cylinder (note in this photo the piston locking pin is missing). As you can see, (an assumed) 33 years have taken their toll on the inlet rubbers. Here is what you receive within the rebuild kit, I used all the new parts, apart from the piston locking pin. The original one didn’t have the chambered edges and I preferred that. I inspected the bore of the master cylinder and couldn’t see or feel (as far as much fingers could reach) anything that jumped out at me as being suspect, so proceeded with the rebuild. Here the secondary piston is being installed, after the primary one. Care should be taken when placing the pistons into the cylinder, the instructions with the kit covered this well, stating that they should be slightly rotated combined with slight up and down movements (don’t want the spring to score the bore etc). Also of course, apply clean brake fluid to the pistons prior to installing them and also note the position of the slot on the primary piston, as to ensure that it lines up with the opening for the pin. And here is the master cylinder rebuilt, just awaiting for the reservoir to be installed. I don’t have a photo of the completed one with the reservoir in place, it must have slipped my mind, as at that point I really fancied a beer! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Did a bit more prodding around. Read somewhere online that leaving the brakes on overnight would work wonders in removing air in the lines, but I have my doubts about that claim, but figured at least it might highlight any weak spots / leaks in the system. The next day I took a look, the brakes were still sinking, but I did find a possible leak/source of the problem: the driver's side front wheel, there was a little bit of fluid there, though this may have came from the bleeding process (as there was an incident where the bleed line came off the nipple). So today, I got the engine warmed up and placed a locking plier at the top of the front driver's side flexible hose. Upon pressing the brake pedal, it felt like to me that there was a bit of improvement, so there's hope yet. Next logical course of action is to get a new set of front flexible hoses (will just do both sides for the sake of argument) and see if that helps things along. Of course in time, it'd just make sense to do the rear as well and remove that potential source of problems completely. Here's hoping I'm on the right track, would be nice to have a drive in the Jaaaaaaaaaaaaag again. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted September 6, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 6, 2020 Brakes still giving my grief, so while browsing online I came across someone selling an apparently NOS accumulator (part No. JLM 11659), it was manufactured in 2000, according to the box. Grabbed it, because it was $50 and figured I might as well give it a punt. So got a chance this weekend to do the swap, removed the accumulator, valve block, pressure/charging switches and mounting bracket (items 1 through to 5 in the diagram below). Here's the old assembly in place: After it was removed (wasn't too hard to remove, just need to jack up the driver's side of the car, just remember to disconnect the electrical plug): Removed the old accumulator, was on fairly snug, so the method I used was to use a rubber faced mallet on the valve block which go it off. Got the new accumulator on, which I noticed was slightly wider in diameter than the old one and that it also had an adapter which went between the accumulator threading and the valve block's. This resulted in a tighter fit in the mounting bracket, but seems secure enough. Here is new assembly (gave it a bit of a clean up): And here it is in place: Topped up the system with fresh HSMO (Hydraulic System Mineral Oil), you can use Penrite LHM in place of the Castrol product. To get it into the reservoir without the Castrol bottle with the special tube, I used a large syringe with a small diameter hose/tubing (approx. 4-5mm) with a 15mm slot cut into the end going into the reservoir, as to allow it to push down the non-return ball and still be able to leave the piping (if you don't do this, all that will happen is that you'll build up a lot of pressure and the syringe end of the piping will pop off and green fluid will go all over the show, trust me, I know lol). With that all being done, I fired her up, wait for her to warm up a bit, checked for leaks etc. Got in, and drove her forwards and applied the brakes....and they seemed a lot better! also the low pressure warning only flashed at the very start when the engine just started (i.e. still building up pressure). So touch wood, the issue has been resolved, though I won't get ahead of myself just yet, as I need to do a road test, which I can't until I'm ready to take her for a WOF. Now the real work begins, as now I have no excuse to put off getting the rear window and fuel tank out, as to get cracking with the rust issues at the rear. I haven't decided if I can be bothered doing the screen removal myself or if I will get a specialist to come to me to do it. Any recommendations? Smith and Smith etc? So that's the latest, hopefully going into summer I will make more progress than I have been able to lately. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted October 27, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 27, 2020 Fun times today, got the rear screen removed. On first sight, it doesn't look as bad as I thought it might have been with regards to rust, but will get the wire wheel out on the weekend and start some proper prodding. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted November 15, 2020 Author Share Posted November 15, 2020 Another small update, got the fuel tank out today (decided I should remove that from the car before I start having sparks flying out). The Haynes book of lies said that you should drop the prop shaft to gain access to the two clips on the fuel line connection at the base of the fuel tank, was not keen on this idea, so I gave connections a wee bit of a tug and they came out. Tank has a bit of surface rust on it, so will get the wire wheel out and investigate further. On that note, what's the safest way to do this? after doing a bit of reading online, at this stage I'm leaning towards fill the tank up with water. (Discussion thread here) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted December 28, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 28, 2020 Managed to get some work done on the car over the last couple of days, got the wire wheels out in the boot and surrounding area. Boot floor wasn’t looking too bad (not 100% done brushing back in the photo): Slapped some primer on it (there’s one little rust hole near the drain opening in the spare wheel tray, the cap that sat in there crumbled in my hand lol): There is a bit of rust around where the seal/boot lip runs along near the bumper in the middle, so to get a closer look I removed the rear bumper (came off surprisingly easily, after some of the horror stories I have seen/read about). Was a bit sad to see this rust here, next to the forward bumper support (similar on the other side too), so that’ll need to be sorted: Does anyone know how to get these brackets off? I can see some screws and nuts, but they look fairly rusted on. Likewise, any tips on how to remove the trim here on the C pillar junction, as to finish the survey of the rust in this area: It is a bit disheartening to find more rust, but not surprising, as that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to classic cars. The good news is that there are a few areas which will be hidden once done, so perfect for me to cut my welding/repair teeth on, onwards and upwards. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted September 26, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 26, 2022 Have made some progress on this over the nearly 2 years. Have some some shitty welding, got the fuel tank back in and fired her up (after changing the oil and plugs), fired up first pop. Getting close to the filler and painting part on the rear, then will need to sort out the front end. Thanks for the day off Lizzy, God save the King. 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 Not having a great time with the paint, i don't think it has been matched quite right (left is new paint, right is old. New seems lighter) not sure if it's an issue with the clear coat (have wet sanded and polished). Might try a bit more polishing, but if i get no joy i might just suck it up and take it to a shop. Any recommendations for paint shops in Dunedin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 Had another tilt at it following the helpful advice from others here on the forum, looked better, but not quite good enough, so have decided I've reached the limit of what I can achieve without spending decades on it, so will look to get her to a shop to get it finished. \Might actually get a chance to drive the bloody thing this year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 Have got a painter lined up to finish my amateur hour stuff, but before I commit to pulling the trigger, I just wanted to take a look and see if there was anything terminal around the car. Fuck me, what a balls ache it was to get one guard/wing off Had to remove the bumper (which is surprisingly easy, two bolts and two clip release electrical connectors) Then remove 16 million bolts from the underside of the wheel arch Remove half a dozen bolts along the top of the guard Remove the headlight (to get to two more bolts) Then I had to remove the radiator overflow bottle (which lives within the guard cavity), as to access the two bolts that are behind it But to get proper access to those two bolts, you need to remove the front wheel But we got there in the end Doesn't look like anything is too terminal, but there is a bit of rust at the base of the A pillar, doesn't look too bad from where I am poking, but now need to decide if I get the front screen out too now and get that tackled now while I'm here, or just rust covert it and then address it in a couple of years. Or just get rid of the car. Moral support or tell me I'm an idiot here 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 Other side today. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana_Jones Posted March 11, 2023 Author Share Posted March 11, 2023 Following up from Bing's comment, took a look at the car this morning and noticed a nice big whorey crack on the windscreen. Don't have windscreen cover on the car (classic insurance), $870 apparently to replace from smith and smith. Tempted to bail at this stage and get a newer car lol. Edit: instant windscreen quotes $490, so that's a bit better. 4 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Indiana_Jones Posted June 25, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 25, 2023 Final update, have moved the car on. Given the cost of everything at the moment, combined with my enthusiasm being drained, i knew it was the best thing to do in the long run. Won't be replacing it any time soon, going to sit down and figure out what i want to do next. At this stage I'm leaning towards getting more so back into motorcycles and/or model making (which now my kids are a bit older, is somewhat more an option now), but we'll see. 8 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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