I recently won this auction: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...r-xk8-coupe-4/

And am having the car shipped. I do not know the status of the tensionsers but with 116k miles I'm figuring that I'm going to at least have to check, and likely replace as there's no current evidence that they've been done. I believe that with renting the tools and buying the primary, secondaries and the chain and assorted consumables it's going to run me close to $2,000 plus my time.

I was recently browsing to see options, and found This car: available locally.

Mine is a 1999. This is a 1998

Mine has 116k miles and no knowledge of tensioner replacement, this one has 85k miles and has the tensioners replaced. For about the same price as doing the tensioners myself, it looks like I could pull an entire transmission and engine with 30k fewer miles PLUS the tensioners done, and swap it into the car I just purchased.

Of course the last time I did an engine swap was in 1994 where I swapped a Chevy small block into a Toyota FJ40. There were like 8 bolts and 10 wires to reconnect so this will likely be a much larger and more complex undertaking.

So what are people's thoughts? Just to the tensioners (primary and secondary) and chain on the 116k motor in the car and drive it (Approx $1500)

or buy a $2500 (though would try to get for $2k) car and pull the transmission and motor and swap it in then sell off whatever other parts I can from the donor?

How hard is it to get a motor and transmission out of one of these things and drop a new one in?

I am assuming that a 1998 motor and a 1999 motor are the same and everything will just plug right into place.

Mike

 

Ooops messed up the link to the donor car, but here's the description (It's damaged on the front end)

"The engine has been gone thru to replace chain tentioners and upgraded parts / new water pump and thermostat tower (aluminum) New shock tower mounts and oem bilstein shocks in front. Transmission rebuilt less than 5,000 miles ago. New ceramic front brakes and semi rear brakes. new motor mounts. Car runs and drives great."

It seems like a no brainer for about the price of just the parts to do the tensioners myself - esp if I can swap over the ceramic front brakes, new motor mounts, etc, etc.

 

I'm speaking out of school on this. But I have done my share of engine swaps in other cars. Do you have a lift available? These were designed to drop engine/trans out of the bottom as an assembly. If you can do that, I don't think the swap will be all that bad. If not, I think I'd stick with replacing the tensioners.

 

In model year 1999 engine changed from an AJ26 to an AJ27. Looked at the pics on BaT of your car. You definitly have an AJ27. I think an AJ26/27 swap is possible but I believe some changes have to be done. Seems changinging tensioners easier option. Sure there is a thread on this. Video link shows the differences:

 

Thanks - I just read something about the engine differences and I'm definitely a bolt turner, not an in depth issue finder so looks like this particular motor wouldn't be a good swap candidate.

 

Why is the cost of doing tensioners and chains going to be $2000? You can buy the tools from ebay for $40 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/195239152589) and the other parts are a few hundred dollars.

If you think the second car is a better bet, just keep that and sell the first one.

 

Last I saw the parts (chain, tensioners, seals, etc) as a kit was around $900 with tax. Add the tools. Add whatever else may go wrong here or there, new oil, coolant, and so on and I was looking at $1500 - $2000 (but estimating high to make the swap sound better in my head).

 

This is what a local shop is saying the parts costs would be:

1 HTK 100 Timing Chain Kit $1,107.60
1 NCA 2127AC Timing Cover Gasket-OuterOuter $50.82
1 AJ8 3699 Timing Cover Gasket-InnerInner $47.49
1 AJ8 3300 Water Pump Gasket $32.73
1 AJ8 3698 Crankshaft Seal-Front $68.22
1 VS50397 Valve Cover Gasket Set $152.53
8 7957 Spark Plug $65.20
1 AJ8 2856 VVT Solenoid Seal $45.88

Total - $1,570.47

labor is another $1500 or so...

 

Those are rip-off prices! They're quoting over a thousand dollars for a kit that you can buy for $265! https://www.ebay.com/itm/134524208356

 

Many people have just changed the secondary tensionsers using the zip tie method:-

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ion-how-37415/

It isn't difficult to do yourself, no special tools are needed other than plenty of sockets, extensions and swivels and costs practically nothing for two new tensioners - its certainly cheaper and easier than swapping an engine.

 

Note that if you go with the motor change, you will also need to take at least the ECM and some of the wiring across, since the AJ27 has fully-variable valve timing, whereas the AJ26 is simple on/off.

Otherwise, beware that most of the full tensioner kits come with the chain guides/slippers designed for the later morse primary chains. They are not correct for earlier cars. The part numbers you would need are NCA1998AB and NCA2025AB up to engine # 0108122359.

 

At 116k miles I think I definitely want to do the primaries, secondaries, and the chains and guides...