Thread: What have I done...

So, a properly working dizzy cap has made a great difference, as you’d expect. Changed plugs, cap and rotor button. Plugs all looked fine and even but a bit black which confirmed my thoughts it was running rich (you could smell it too).

Checked static timing - a bit of a pain with an electronic module as you don’t get the spark a set of points gives you when doing this, but a faint click can be heard - set it to about 9 degrees BTDC - it was very close to this anyway. Spec is 8 degrees for the low compression engines and 10 for the USA spec high comp engines, so split the difference. 👍

Once these things were all done, killed 2 birds with one stone and pulled the rocker covers to fix slight leaks, and to check tapped clearance (even though I wasn’t go as far as to fix any that were out). Found only one out of spec - number 2 inlet is a tad wide at 0.4mm (spec is 0.3 to 0.35) so that’s probably the one I can hear. PITA of a job to re shim it, so I’ll let it go for now, all the others were in spec soma good clean of the mating surfaces, some hylomar on the new gaskets and hopefully that will keep the leaks at bay from the top end for a week or two... 😉

Pulled the air cleaner assembly off so I could tune the carbs now I was happy with everything else. Front carb was waaaaaaaaay out of whack - blind and deaf Freddy could have heard it. Balanced them by ear and set the mixtures as best I could (will take it in for a proper tune at a place recommended soon) But I got the idle much smoother although not perfect - think I’ve got a small vacuum leak too but couldn’t track it down.

Back together with everything and took it for a test run - gave it a fair bit of stick to burn some oil off the exhaust manifold and to see how it went - and it goes very well. Probably a fraction more power than before but a lot smoother through the rev range and it seems to kick down to second a bit easier now - really had to sink the boot in before. Maybe I’m imagining it, but it ran a bit cooler too - didn’t get it over the ‘N’ in ‘Normal’ which it hasn’t sat at before. Even gave the AC a blast but it was a beautiful ‘Windows Down’ afternoon yestereday - about 28 degrees, very comfortable motoring.

So, think I’m happy enough to take it on a long run this weekend - I’ll report back Sunday night to let you know how it went...

Almost forgot - have seen another Jag just around the corner at times, and yesterday when out for a run, it was parked near a house (the one in the background of the pic is where it lives). The owner was sweeping out his garage so I pulled up behind his and went for a chat - he was only too pleased to oblige me and we spent 20 minutes going over each other’s cars. His is also a series 2 - a couple of years older. He was given it by his son 9 years ago for his 60th Birthday and loves it (Nice Son eh?) 👍

We swapped phone numbers and he’s going to give me a call next time he goes out for a Sunday drive and coffee. 👍

9943FE52-A269-4C26-A472-2F2279CAF162 by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr

Sooooo, what happened on the weekend I don't hear you ask, but I'll tell you anyway.

After spending 3 days working on the Jag going over it all, servicing and tuning it up, it was running beautifully. Took it for a decent run (about 80KM) on Saturday and it didn't miss a beat - got a bit warm through traffic heading home after going to the shops, so checked the viscous when I got home - engine was in the mid 90 degrees - it free wheeled - I suspected as much, but that's fine, as soon as you get going it drops back to the mid 80's. A job for another day.

Sunday arrives, I jump in it and start it up to go fill up ready for when Grey_ghost and missus grey_ghost got here about 11am and we head up to Ballarat for a club activity and evening meeting. Checked gauges - low oil pressure - about 10PSI ... WTF??? It's always sat on 40!

Check over everything, oil leaks, etc. Give the wire on the oil pressure sender a wiggle and I've got 40PSI back - good news, loose wire. Off I go to fill up, and back in the driveway no probs.

GG turns up so off we roar - I got around about 4 corners before the oil pressure gauge dropped to zero... Bugger, I know it's the sender so out again and wiggle some wires and find the top of the sender loose and a drip of oil near the terminal... No good, can't resurrect it this time, so I have to make the decision to either drive it around 300KM not knowing the oil pressure and always being worried about it, or cut my losses and head home for the Hilux...

If I'd done some decent KM in it I would have gone plan A, but never having driven it more than about 80KM in one hit, I didn't want to risk it and be paranoid all day if I'd sprung a leak etc, so a boring day driving the Hilux followed - had a great day with friends, and a great club meeting including home made pizza, but it would have been all the better if I'd been in the Jag - next time...

So, just finished fitting a new oil pressure sender - works great, and also a new viscous hub - turns out an early Range Rover hub is identical - I had an almost new one still on the shelf from when I replaced it on the 3.5 then swapped to the 3.9 only a few months later, so that's a decent saving. Not hard to fit and feels much better, so will see what it's like in traffic next time I'm out. Some say these vehicles have overheating issues and some say they don't. The fan is a huge 12 blade job, so with a new viscous hopefully all should be well - I think most people that encounter overheating don't try and get the coolant system back to proper working order, rather stick a set of thero fans on it and say they've fixed it. Given I've driven it on a 33 degree day on the highway with the AC going and it was fine - ran in the high 80's, I'm guessing overall the cooling package is suitable.

Hopefully that's all I need to do on the Jag for a while and I can just enjoy it, as the 101 is about to get a whole lot done to it - stay tuned on that thread for a bit of a run down there.

hi Gav
love your xj6 classic real gentlemen car sure you will have many great sunday drives
cheers cooee

Put a couple hundred KM on the big Cat today with a run up near Castlemaine with our car club. Was in good company - the car next to mine here is a rare Triumph GTR4 Dove - 1 of only 50 made. Only one was ever sold new in Australia - that’s undergoing a restoration in Melbourne currently. This one was imported and this club member did a ground up rebuild on it.

The Jag ran great although I do need to fix the choke on it now it’s cooling down - wasn’t particularly easy to start this morning. 😇

Where’s the Rangie!?

Was a Skoda in the way... 😉