"The new
Jaguars are nothing but Fords." This is a hard one to dispel. Those
of you who follow what Jaguar has been doing since Ford took over know
that only the new X-Type is Ford based. The current XJ series dates back
to the British Leyland days and was actually designed by the same team
who did the Bedford trucks. The current XK series is a wholly Jaguar
design, done under the auspices of the Ford regime. The S-Type is also
wholly Jaguar, though it has been pirated for the Lincoln LS. Let’s
keep the facts straight. As near as I can determine the forthcoming
aluminum XJ will be all Jaguar. Let’s spread the facts and squelch the
misinformation.
Working on an E-Type I’d like to pass along a technique for
working on an E-Type engine that I learned many years ago. The
accompanying photos really say it all, this sure is a back-saver.
Make sure you get ramps that grip the pavement. Mine always slid so I
took the arc welder and put a bunch of tack welds on the bottom and more
on the ramps so the tires could get a better grip if I used them on the
rear wheels.
Antifreeze Got an e-mail recently from Brian Vaughn who has a
’89 XJS. His question concerned DexCool, an extended life antifreeze
used in most GM vehicles and available on the aftermarket from Texaco.
All the manufacturers are looking for a long-term antifreeze because
they know people don't change it regularly. GM's Dex-Cool has a bad rap
because some people claim it turns to jelly after four years. I have a
'97 GM product that had Dex-Cool. I changed it when I had to install a
new waterpump at 75,000 miles. I don't get involved in the controversy
over antifreeze except to say that antifreeze is like oil. It needs to
be changed regularly. No matter how good it is it additives wear out and
it gets contaminated.
The XJS is a particular can of worms when it comes to antifreeze because
it is all aluminum, but has lots of steel and cast iron exposed to
coolant. These engines have been known to self destruct from
electrolysis if they are not run regularly at normal operating temp and
don't have their anti-freeze changed every two years.
My advice is to change your antifreeze on an annual basis and use a good
quality antifreeze with a comprehensive list of corrosion inhibitors.
Some people mix with distilled water instead of tap water. I'm not sure
if this is better. Some people use an additive like Conklin's SAFE. It
can't hurt, but I'm not sure it does any good if the system is otherwise
maintained properly.
Replica Lightweight John Harleman, who is building a killer
E-Type that will be featured soon on this website passes along a link
that you should checkout if you’re an E-Type buff.
checkout the Our Cars link) and spoke to Dick Maury, who runs their
rebuilding department. He says that Dextron and Type-F have the same
viscosity and either will work fine in the Jag racks. In answer to the
question "is power steering fluid better" he said no, save
your money. Does anyone have any info or experience to the contrary? I
had a great conversation with Dick and he told me of his experiences in
modifying the Jag rack for more road feel. He does not recommend messing
with the pressure limiting valve or the pulley size of the pump to
reduce boost. He says the spool needs the 1100 psi to work properly and
if you reduce the pressure enough to reduce the boost you could end up
with sticky, unresponsive steering. He modifies racks by putting a
thicker torsion bar in the tower. The torsion bar links the steering
column to the spool valve. The thicker the bar the more effort it will
take to move the valve. This is what Walkinshaw did on the XJRS. Jaguar
lists (or listed) a sport rack that gives greater steering effort. If
you want to increase effort on an E-Type rack you are on your own
because the E-Type uses a longer torsion bar. I’ve never disassembled
a tower and can’t find a picture of one in any of my manuals. Does
anyone out there have an exploded view of the tower, or an old tower
they would donate to me so I can disassemble and document it with
pictures and specs?
Stripping paint Those of you who do your own body work are
probably familiar with 3M’s Clean and Strip disks. They are great for
getting into low spots and corners where conventional sanding disks
can’t reach. Did you know that 3M has a more aggressive disk? It’s
purple. Costs about the same, $9.
Essential tools If you’ve got a compressor you probably have an
air ratchet. They are really handy for reducing hand fatigue and
speeding up a job. I’ve had a 3/8ths drive ratchet for years, but
it’s big and clumsy and won’t reach in a lot of places. I’ve
always coveted the Snap-On ¼ inch drive, but at $150 it was a luxury I
couldn’t afford. Harbor Freight has a knockoff of the Snap-On which
they call their Professional series. It’s just as powerful as the
Snap-On, weighs the same and is only a ½ inch longer. Price, about $34.
So far it’s been reliable and with sockets available to 9/16ths for
the ¼ drive it’s very versatile.
On the subject of ratchets, Dick France showed me the neatest
3/8ths-drive ratchet I’ve ever seen. It’s a ratchet-less
ratchet that must have a one-way roller clutch inside. To reverse
direction you push the square drive through to the other side and turn
the ratchet over. The advantage? You can make minute movements and start
your pull at any position. This ratchet has absolutely no identifying
marks on it. Dick thinks he bought it years ago at Post Tool for $20.
Does anyone know its identity? Where can I get one? Dick won’t part
with his.
Essential tools for the road I pride myself on traveling
prepared, but each time I or someone else has a breakdown I discover
there’s something missing from my tool kit. A few weekends ago at
Benbow I found I had no channel lock pliers in my kit and I really
needed a pair. Big hose clamps were also missing and thanks to Tom
Brunner and his motorhome tool kit those were supplied. I’d like to
publish a recommended list of tools and supplies you should carry,
depending on the model Jag you drive and I’d like you help. Please
send you inputs to
