By Jerry Nuijen

Don’t forget that Jaguar got its start as SS Cars, making special bodies for other British marques, such as Standard. From the Standard flathead six the engine of the SS100 evolved, thanks to an overhead valve head designed by Harry Westlake. Jaguar, like all British makes, purchased its electrical components from Lucas. Bearings, axles, transmissions, steering racks, taillights, and interior appointments such as instruments, switches, and armrests were shared with other British cars. My ’73 E-Type came with armrests from a Bedford truck. We all know that Jaguar used GM automatic tranmissions and air conditioning components until recently. Are the Ford components in the S-Type and the new X-Type somehow inferior to the GM and Lucas parts of yore? I don’t think SO!

What we really have here is a failure on Ford’s part to put the correct spin on what has been happening. I’ve never seen a Lincoln LS advertisement mention that its V-8 engine was designed by Jaguar. And how nice it would be for owners of the new European Mondeo to know that the engineers at Jaguar tuned the suspension on their car.

Jaguar is a world class name. Jaguar engineers are second to none when it comes to engines and suspensions. Why not reclassify some of the Ford chassis engineers as Jaguar engineers and gain the right to say that Ford Taurascort or that Lincoln Town Navigator has a Jaguar designed engine, a Jaguar tuned rear suspension, or a Jaguar engineered unibody?

Essential Tools One of the handiest diagnostic tools is the vacuum gauge. Everyone knows how a compression gauge can tell a lot about the internal condition of an engine, and a few people know that a leakdown test can go the compression gauge one better, but the vacuum gauge is largely ignored today. Vacuum tests are easier to perform than compression or leakdown tests because you don’t need to remove the plugs. There are four basic tests I do with the vacuum gauge. After you find a suitable vacuum connection on the intake manifold (modern cars tend to have a lot of them):

1. Crank the engine with the throttle closed and fuel and ignition disconnected. If all cylinders are functioning properly the gauge will pull 5 to 10 inches of Hg and the needle will fluctuate in a steady, even pattern. Any irregularites in the pattern indicates (a) bad cylinder(s) and you need to do a compression check.
2. While cranking the engine pinch the PCV hose closed (or disconnect and block if you can’t pinch it). The vacuum should increase. If it doesn’t the hose is blocked or the PCV valve or orifice isn’t functioning properly.
3. Reconnect fuel and ignition and run the engine at idle. You should see a steady 17 to 22 in Hg. If the vacuum is low or pulsating you have mechanical, ignition or fuel feed problems.
4. Note the vacuum at idle. Increase engine speed to about 2500 rpm. The vacuum reading should increase. If it decreases and continues to drop there is a restriction somewhere in the exhaust system (probably that potato in the tailpipe).

A basic vacuum gauge can be purchased at Kragen or other quality auto parts outlets for about $25. Since most are made in Taiwan you can expect years of accuracy and dependable service (for some reason my tongue is stuck between my incisors and my mucus membrane). If you must have American made, Snap-on sells the best for $150 and that includes a fuel pressure gauge and lifetime warranty.

Non-essential Tools Ever had a stubborn bolt in a difficult to reach place? Wished that you could apply more torque to it but there was no space to use a longer handled wrench or ratchet? There is a tool for you! It’s called a torque multiplier. Basically it trades distance for force by using a gear reduction head on a ratchet. In some cases these heads are stackable. If you stack a 4X head on another 4X head the bolt receives 16 times any force you can apply. Some mighty multipliers even use electic motors because, with a 70 to 1 ratio, they need so many turns of the handle that a human hand would lose patience. Torque up to 12,000 ft-lbs is available at the flick of a switch and a wrist. The cost? $300 to $10,000.

WARNING! Airbags and ABS brakes need to be properly deactivated before working on or near. Did you know that an airbag can be triggered up to one hour after the ignition has been turned off? Most airbags have a storage circuit in them so that if the power is somehow cut in an accident they can still be deployed. There are several different designs so the factory manual should always be consulted, but generally the rule is: turn off the ignition, disconnect the negative cable of the battery and wait as long as possible before working on or around the bag. According to the aftermarket manuals I consulted the minimum time for discharge of the activation circuit is 1 minute. Also, never use a meter to probe the connectors on the airbag (why would you want to?)

Why would you need to work around an airbag? If you need to replace the column ignition switch or turn signal switch you have to pull the steering wheel, which means the airbag has to come off. Some cars require removal of the steering wheel to work on the instrument cluster. Sometimes you need to work behind the passenger-side dashboard to fix rattles or part of the ventilation system. The list goes on and on. Boy, are modern cars complicated!