car was not starting. Suspected starter first now the garage guy told but the water on pistons on the left side engine. He have open the car head now in the morning he will open the engine next day. I am so lost as what to do it will cost alot to used motor. Shall I fix this one is guy said he will a company in the morning who check if can repair the block.


Question one are these engines can a warped head or block repaired or straighten plus which parts to change while engine is open.

 

Combine this with the transmission and you are looking at big numbers. I don't know the prices in Dubai but a used replacement engine is going to nail you for at least £4000 and that really is aiming low - typical prices will burn £6k with low milers going for £8k and beyond.

The repair is a difficult one - the only way to fully spec the repair is to pull the engine and tear it down, visible water on pistons is never a good sign but that could have got there when the head was pulled - unless the pistons look steam cleaned, you need to verify it hasn't been hydro locked. The labour alone without parts and machine shop work would be significant and even then you may end up getting a secondhand unit - but then common sense would say you should replace timing chains and such on that. When you have done all that the transmission is still a big dark cloud.

As far as a parts car goes the most value is in the parts that in your case have no value at all compared to if they were known good items.

I sympathise with your dilemna - if I were you and was dependent upon others to resolve I'd put the car away and get another to roll in while I searched for the parts at a good price but that could take time. If it were me I would tear down and fix myself but I don't need the labour on top of everything else. Either way I'd be budgeting £3k to do the job myself and £1200 for the transmission so still a lot of money even without the labour.

Seems to me with the issues that you have presented that the car had these issues before you got it but I don't know what recourse you have with the seller or how such things are handled in Dubai.

 

It is too ask anything from the seller will be just waste of time and efforts. I am going to see in the morning what can be done. I will definitely going to rebuil it but it will remain a big question if it happens again. But meanwhile I will change the timing chain and all but it will be still lot what I can guess. Will still check with my lawyer what can be done with the seller
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If you do the job right it should not happen again, these engines are pretty bullet proof if properly maintained - same goes for the ZF transmission - when you cheat on maintenance or follow an only fix what is broken strategy these cars will bite you big time.

Will something else break down the road - sure - that is car ownership, the higher spec the car the more zero's on the bill when things break

 

Especially since you have an early car, I'd suggest scrapping it. Unless you do all of the work yourself, you'll end up spending far more than the car is worth. A Jaguar "short block" is £8000 plus UK freight and taxes. By the time you replace all worn items and those ill-advisd to re-mount (water pump, etc.) you will be well North of USD$12k in parts alone. As others have mentioned, you are also looking at a transmission and brakes, and you still haven't really driven the car very much.
In my opinion, putting a new timing chain and related parts in an engine with coolant in the cylinders is throwing money out the window.
I notice Premier Motors has several late-model Jaguar sedans for sale at approximately USD $46k although no XJ's.
The famous quote, "When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging." may be appropriate here.

 

If just scrap the car I will lose alot of money. If I get it repaired it will be alot of money I just can't make my mind now. Will see in the morning as where this is heading.

 

As I said in one of your several other posts, there are many existing posts in this forum that describe engines that have failed as yours has. You really should read them, and realize that you will not be able to rebuild the engine. If you read the experiences of others that have had the cooling system failure, you will understand this better. If you pay someone to try to rebuild it, you will waste nearly as much money as you did when you bought it. It is an aluminum block with aluminum cylinder heads. Neither of those handle catastrophic overheating, and that's obviously what happened to your engine, probably before you bought it, and surely again after you bought it and tried to drive it after it overheated again.

Your money might be better spent on a lawyer to try to get your money back from the person that sold you an already damaged vehicle. And to have a chance at a valid case, you have to act quick - the longer between the time you bought it and you take legal action (if possible), the less likely a court would believe it was that way before you bought it.

 

The very first step is to check what Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are stored in the system. List them here for help.

If the engine was overheated, the heads and or cylinder block are most likely warped, I personally have not seen anyone successfully reseal the cylinder heads to the block if the block is warped even slightly.

As others have suggested, do additional research to locate a healthy used engine that can be verified for fitment using the VIN from your vehicle and that of the donor car.

Best of luck and keep us posted on what course of action you decide upon.

 

Update guys legally it is very long battle don't want to go there so as per the garage guy head needs to be polish. Block seems fine. Now I have to be sure either to get a new used one or fix this I will update you guys by eve.

 

Update

The guy said the block is fine. What happened is because of a slipped bolt 🔩 one of the head bolt was slipped and not tight as per the specs. When the car is running under pressure leaks the water on the pistons. Rest is all fine he is asking to replace the timing tensioner and guides. Can you guys advise on the upgrade parts for it. As I don't want to risk it buying the originals from jaguar which will be the same as old ones

 

Can you tell us what happened to cause the water leak into the cylinders? The head bolts don't slip so that's not what happened? If the engine has been over heated the block may not be any good. You can skim the heads but do check the level of the block carefully before re-assembling.
Most of the time this type of damage is caused by over heating and then a massive loss of coolant.
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If that is the case, you may be very fortunate. Shaving the heads might work, but another option that's a bit more expensive, but much less of a chance would be to buy a new head (or both if they're both warped) from Jaguar, and rebuild it with brand new heads (in the US they're a little over $2,000 each). and that is ONLY if the block isn't damaged.

And as far as replacing the timing chain tensioners & rails (& maybe chain if the mechanic suggests it too), that is an absolute in the case where the engine is being repaired to this level - if you would READ EXISTING POSTS in this forum, you would find that the timing chain guides are a weakpoint, and Jaguar has a newer design tensioner (it takes 2 of them) and rails that do not wear as badly.
I can't say enough that you need to read what is already in this forum about the subject. If you did study in this forum you wouldn't be asking these old questions that have been answered many times before.
Good luck.

 

So bad news. Of the heads is not repairable as per the machine guy who do the skimming of head came back and said it is already skimmed before and have reached its limit.
so now two options are given
1 use double or thick gaskit
2 or look for a used head which is not repaired or warped before ( very difficult )

The guy who is working on a car use to work at dealership before his suggestion is to go with option 1.

​​​as per him you cannot find a good used head and new one is costing around 3k usd.
so I don't know which way to go.

 

So the head on the left is the problematic can't be skimmed





Block is good

 

Thanks so much for the pics - always good to see.

I would absolutely order BRAND NEW head (you only need one, correct?) because IF you do find a good used one, it is likely going to cost something, so it will only save you the amount between the cost of a known-good head and it. It will not save you the full amount of the new head.
AND beyond that, a used head is very likely damaged, or repaired (shaved/skimmed) from being damaged. Any used part was taken from the vehicle for a reason - and with the Jaguar X351 case, usually an overheated engine that destroyed the engine.
And for what you've already invested in what you hoped would be a nice car to last you a while when you bought it two weeks ago, It's worth an extra couple thousand dinar. This is not a part that wears out often like tires. You buy it, the engine gets fixed (along with gaskets & cam chain parts) and the replacement head lasts you the rest of the time you own the XJ and beyond.
Some things are worth the price..

 

Thank you. Yes I am also inclined to get a new head but I can't seem to find I have checked most of the places they have used ones. If you know any place where I can order new one please do share here.

 

Well over here in the US there are several sources; but that does you no good in the UAE.
A dealership in Dubai or Abu Dhabi should be able to get one, but they of course have their mark-up.
And keep in mind that there is a Land Rover counterpart - they used the exact same engines (same parent company)
You didn't say if it's the right head or left head, but the Land Rover part number is LR082797 for the left head.
I don't believe that includes valves & other head parts, but they can be moved from the old damaged head other than the valve seals.

 

Is it possible to order from the US?
With the prices I am seeing a complete used engine might be the way to go?
Here is one for $7500 with 43K miles? I know shipping would be a killer so maybe not a great suggestion?

Used 5.0L SC Engine
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Not able to find new head. So found one used one lets see how it goes. Anyways few things I have change

Guides

Tensioner

Used engine take head of this one

Main engine rear seal

Back side cooling pipes

Gaskets

 

Guys please can help to list cooling hose pipes also shall I change the thermostat. Tried searching on the form it's bit hard to get any thread for the list I don't want to risk it already repair bill is same as buying another one from the auction.