Hello

I am new on here and the nicer weather in the UK this week has me starting to sort out a Mark 2 I bought as a lock down impulse. It is a 1962 3.4 auto. The auto meant my wife would drive it and 3.4 appealed because I consider it the sweetest of the longer stroke XK engines and the least stressed at high revs. It has 70k miles and 2 previous owners. The panels all looked straight, the interior was excellent. What I liked is it was unmolested, still had mechanical fan, original un-pitted steering wheel, awful old dynamo etc. But the oil pressure stays steady at 40 and the temperature gauge stays at 70 so it is reassuring. It pulls well and is pleasant to drive despite the primitive old auto box.

I found the carb leaking petrol after a run and found the carb diaphragms brittle and split. So I replaced them and went about a general tune up. I have found access on the carburettor side of the engine really restricted and wonder about replacing the large round paper element with individual K & N types. The aim is to improve access, because taking off the cowling between the air filter and the carburettors is needed for any form of access and it is such a pain to do, 1/8 turns of bolts you can hardly get a spanner to.

Hence I am wondering about putting K & N type filters on. I know they claim to improve performance but a friend fitted them to an XJ6 years ago and had the opposite effect. So I wonder if members have any experience/advice.views to offer. My main worry is I don't like to spoil the original look, obviously I would keep the old bits. It wouldmake maintenance easier.

One other thing. I found the starter inhibitor didn't work and the car would start with the selector in gear. Is the inhibitor switch in the gearbox or on the selector leaver on the older models?

Paul

 

Hello Paul.
Just take the "Pancake" air cleaner off to gain access.
I remove the cowl that is held in with two bolts to both carbs.
I have a 1/2 wrench that I have ground down to get on the heads.

Once this is all off, it creates better access then having the K&N filters.

It's a Jaguar, you can expect it to be a challenge here and there.

Can't advise you on the inhibitor switch.

 

K&N Filters are awful. All they are, are rock catchers & maybe the odd bolt. Especially when the oil content drops.

The good filters they sell are made for them by Mann + Hummel of spun polyester. Note made in Germany.

Use Genuine Jaguar pleated paper air filters. Or another premium brand.

 

Cass will help you with your Auto starting inhibitor. He should be on tonight. Latest tomorrow.

 

if the Neutral Safety Switch i/ Inhibitor is the same as the one in the 1963-1968 S type automatics, then it will be mounted to the steering column and operated by the Shifter.

Depends on the transmission you have. If you have the DG250 transmission, then the above is most likely.

If a more modern transmission, then it will be mounted at the transmission itself and a lot easier to adjust.

 

Removing the large aluminium casting on the inlet to the carbs is a bit painful. It requires a small 1/2 inch AF ring spanner and some patience (I removed mine a couple of days ago for a friend to look at the throttle mechanism). However, it's nothing compared with some of the jobs you're yet to meet. The Mk2 has a big engine in a small engine space. To be honest, my biggest objection to the air cleaner system is aesthetic: it hides the cam covers.

 

On the early cars with the DG250 auto box which yours will be being 1962 the inhibitor is in the dash behind the steering cowl. Very easy to get to if you remove the steering cowl. From 1966 ish they changed to the BW35 auto box in the 420 and from 1967 ish they changed to the BW35 on the 340 and 240 and S type. The inhibitor on the BW35 box is screwed into the side of the gearbox and there is an inspection panel on the passengers side of the gearbox tunnel under the carpet which allows access.

 

Please remember that the original alu. casting may be a bit of a challenge it is also a safety device. Properly attached with the drain tubes in place it prevents a potential disaster from carb. overflow issues.

 

The Aluminium plenum with it's drain tubes is indeed a safety device.

 

Thanks for helpful suggestions about the air filters, I will stick with the pancake. Taking the filter off is a piece of cake, it is the cowling/chamber connecting it to the carbs that is a royal pain. I used a small ring spanner and lots of patience. I really cannot see how a socket however ground would get in there.

Yes i have the heavy old cast iron DG250 and I have located the inhibitor under the dash. I hope to check out the wiring tomorrow afternoon, I noticed the reverse light does not work so I suspect that might be related to the same he problem.

Paul

 

Did someone say socket, I said wrench, a box end 12 pointed wrench ground down to easily fit on the head.
The rear one is the PITA, but I find that once it's lose, I can get my hand in there to remove it, but I have long skinny fingers and wrists.

Once the cowl is off, clean up the threads so you can easily thread it by hand.

 

Ah, you mean a ring spanner Yes I found one but will look out for one I can put a bend in, a curve might give me a whole 1/4 turn.

I did get it off without dropping the bolts or gasket, and put it back with clean threads as suggested after a little tune up.

 

do not disconnect the wiring at the switch, it is the adjustment of the round switch that you need to deal with.

the switch has a forward and backward adjustment as well as a rotational adjustment in relation to the shifter positions. When you said "no reverse lights", I knew it was an ajustment issue.

I suggest you place the shifter in reverse and rotate the switch until the reverse lights come on. (rotational).

Second to that comes the adjustment of the gears so it only starts in Park and Neutral. (forward or backwards).

 

Thanks Jose.

I discovered the switch had been bypassed. I think previous owner must have assumed the switch faulty. I discovered a small rubber bush in the whole where the actuator fits had broken up. If I wiggled the switch lever around the slack I could make the reverse light come on. So I found a suitable rubber bush from my junk box and refitted the switch adjusting as you described. All working nicely now.

 

excellent! Those switches rarely go bad.They have a rubber grommet where the connecting rod from the shifter arm engages the switch lever and the rubber desintegrates with age.

 

I remember over on the Jag-Lovers E Type mailing list ( when it was just email!) on the of the guys there had a small racing team and used the Ford 1600 engines. One season he campaigned two cars and built the engines identically. He recorded all the dimensions of the machined parts and then built the engines. The only difference was one ran a quality paper filter ( I think Wix brand) and the other ran a K&N. The K&N was prepared and maintained according to the directions.

At the end of the season he tore down the engines and measured everything again. Apparently the bore wear was visible to the naked eye of the K&N engine, while the engine with the paper filter was still within tolerance for wear and was still serviceable. His quote was that a K&N only kept out "boulders".

 

I might post a comparative wear diagram. Let me think about it. It's damaging.

 

On the subject of the starter inhibitor switch in the MK2 with DG250 transmission Paul 211 also mentioned the reverse light was not working.

Both the starter inhibitor and reverse light switch are in the one housing although they have entirely different functions and are two separate switches.
I have sorted out completely new wiring harnesses being fitted to a couple of MK2 cars.as well as others where the steering column was removed for maintenance
There is an ERROR in all of the MK2 workshop manuals in the connections to this switch.( I have 3 different manuals)
If you use the wiring diagram for connection to this switch you will end up with the most awful fault situation which will leave you scratching your head! eg starter working when reverse selected etc.
The simple fact is that 2 of the connections shown are incorrect.
The switch tab labelled 3 should be 2
The switch tab labelled 2 should be 3
Cheers

 

Indeed there is Bill, and this error is carried to the S type service manual. This is why I wrote "do not disconnect the wires" to the author of this thread, just in case the wiring had already been sorted.

I fought with this issue myself when I got my S type back in 2004. Thinking the switch was bad, I replaced it only to end up with the same problem until I figured it was the wiring.

 

Jose
One has to wonder how this wiring error was allowed to be continued. My MK2 manuals range from 1961 t0 1967. Surely it would have been picked up over the 5 year span
Most interested that it carried o to the S type
Cheers