I thought "lump" was supposed to stand for "Less Upkeep, More Power" but I'm finding that to be anything but true. Of course it might just be the drunken monkeys that built my car, but it's totally in my head.

Anyway, here are the questions I have for my fellow Chev-uar mates.

1) What engine do you have? Am I one of the few running a L05-9C1? The TBI injection is a total maintenance disaster, especially given the odd pressure it runs at. It's just enough to suck the rust out of the tanks but not enough to overcome the rust it sucks out. Does a carb or TPI fair any better?

2) Do you know what kit was used to install your swap, if a kit was used? Mine is definitely at least 60% John's Cars. The trans bracket is actually engraved as such and the radiator filler fitted into the upper rad hose is a signature. I'm not sure if tacho and speedo calibration were done or not. The tacho seems roughly on but with as poorly as the engine runs, it's hard to say 100%

3) Charging issues? I never had much trouble in the winter or perhaps I didn't notice, but now if I have my headlamps on along with the stereo and blower fan, I can watch my voltage meter drop almost down to 8. The wiring is a mess in the car, a mixture of poorly run aftermarket, factory Jag and remnants of the Caprice donor's harness. I'm sure that figures in somehow but I'm wondering if anyone has any quick tips to check first. I will say that I've checked the braided earth strap and it is connected. I have the battery earthed to the inner of the offside wing and a 12ga cable that runs from the wing earth point to the leg on the top of the inlet manifold. It seems to me the engine is earthed well enough.

 

Millster:


My LT-1 suffered travails in getting it right, but once right, it has been just great. I did use a Johnscar kit and DR K after market harness. The kit was great , the harness not so much. But, once fixed the harness is OK!!

Tisn't the lump concept that is messing up your car. Tis the installation and maintenance.

Unless someone made a major change, the fuel delivery and return up to and away from the fuel rail are Jaguar. Only the regulator and rail are lump stuff.

Rusty tanks mess up any system of any genre! There are rubberoid plugs in the valances just behind the rear wheels. Remove them Most ruin them, a bare minority get them out whole to be reused. Whether they are need is a variable. I don't have them anymore in my car!! Get replacement gaskets and o rings. There is a small plug in a larger plug, open the larger, be prepared for a deluge of fuel. There is a sock filter on the end of the pickup tube. Some discard them dependant on condition. If the rust isn't too bad, this will be enough. If not, flush. If real bad.....

Now, the feed from tanks to pump is low pressure gravity/suction. A pair of disposable filters may be installed here to protect all upstream. it may take several changes to get ll the crud out. Now, it ain't FI sucking fuel, tis the pup pushing it at up to 100 PSI!! The single big filter can handle those numbers. The regulator bleed it off toi deliver only about 35 or so PSI to the rail and thence to the injectors. The excess is returned to the tank.

Now, the alternator is DELCO and found in so many GM applications and is Just hunky-dory if healthy. Connectors gotta be clean and tight. One big brown one goes to the post on the bulkhead just under the battery. The small one goes to the idiot light on the fascia and also serves as an exciter. Unless, someone fitted a so called one wire alternator.

I am in the mist of finding and fixing a Jaguar electric issue!! No brake lights. The GM stuff is doing just fine.

Many others have used your combo, one generation before mine with a lot of success.

You gotta have both the Jaguar manuals and the GM manual for the donor car. You can check out each requirement and track down the way it was met. ignition, oil pressure, tachometer, coolant temperature, charging and lastly but surely not least, PCM!!

 

I have two lumps. A mild '75 XJ12c with a LT1 and a wild 450+ HP 76 xj6c with 400 small block with all the high dollar performance goodies.

I agree with JagCad.

Check your fuel system design and put a pre and post pump fuel filter, Search because this topic has been discussed at length on this forum. In short the original dual tank system tends to rust internally and effects all engines Jag or otherwise.

I did run stock TPI for awhile and it's my all time favorite retrofit EFI system. TPI makes great torque, fuel economy and drivability if setup right. I'd say its an upgrade worth the effort and expense but you TBI system can be made to run right too. Put TPI on your Chevy with a mild 212 @ .050 roller cam and you'll have one sweet running high performance Jaguar. Go with 202 @ .050 if you want it mild and smoother.

I like the Jaguar Speciaties kits. They are well done & offer good isolation. You might even say elegantly simple if you're in to this like I am. The whole setup, if done as Jag Specialties suggests is a great trouble free install and driving experience.

As for the charging...you may need to upgrade your alternator. If you have a V belt setup with the alternator on the USA passenger side you can try the 100Amp alternator from a 1985 Buick Rivera. It's my recollection that the John's kit mounts the alternator on the USA passenger side. I did this upgrade and It worked very well. Also make sure the wire from the alternator is heavy gauge and clean the + lug where it all connect together on the firewall. Ultimately for the best results you could do as I did and use the head lamp switch to control power to a relay which intern has a short and heavy gauge dedicated harness to run the head lamps. This stops high current from having to travel far and into a 30 year old switch and wiring.

Some history...
My 76' was lumped when I got it with a John's cars kit. The install was very poorly done. Nothing worked, the exhaust leaked and was rubbing against the chassis. Carburetor had rust in it. It leaked every fluid know to exist. Over time I got everything working, removed the 350 and installed a 406 with tunnel ram injection which does fit nicely under the jaguar hood. I didn't like the John's motor mount design because it doesn't have enough isolation. Eventually I got a set of Jaguar specialties motor mounts and modified them so the motor would sit further back and closer to the fire wall for better weight placement.

The 75 XJ12C got a LT1 form a 9C1 police car. It's all stock and great in its own way...smooth, powerful and well integrated.
Check this out...

 

You know, I'm glad you asked this question. It caused me to go out and look at my alternator. I now see that my charging problem (drops to 10 with the lights and heater on) My alternator is TOO SMALL! It's only held on with one bolt and the tensioner! One of the other two bolts is simply gone because the unit is too small to even line up, and the other has about 6 one inch washers on it so the alternator can...get this..REST AGAINST THEM AND NOT REST IN A LOOSE POSITION! One of those things that the previous owner did and I never caught it....

 

If your alt is V belt and on the USA passenger side then you need three pieces to properly mount the alt. The small bracket goes on the back of the alt, the L bracket supports the alternator from the water pump and the large bracket support the alt from the top and sets the tension on the belt. You also need a long bolt that passes through the alt and bolts to the head. You can see all three in the ebay auction below. These brackets will also let you substitute the 100AMP Riviera Alt too.

72 73 Camaro Z 28 Nova SS Chevy SBC Alternator Bracket Set w Bolts Original GM | eBay

 

I was able to buy the car converted but barely running due to an alternator that was not installed properly. The injectors did not get enough juice to
fire properly so the PO gave up on the car.

Within one year, the rubber mounts used by John's gave up, I found Dodge mounts that were the same and replaced them...

My Jags have 140 amp alternators now....

 

My 87 SIII has been lumped with what I was told a 96 caprice, which turned out to be false. It's a 5.0L TBI and the alternator is on the drivers side (U.S). Of all the mid 90's engines I've seen, none have the round air filters. I know the engine ID is stamped on the block under the alternator and when I take this tiny alternator in to replace it, I'll finally know what the engine is...

 

I suppose I should have been more clear in expressing my dismay with my car. I realize it's not the lump as a concept that has caused the issues but rather the manner in which my car was lumped.

The good news is that I've fixed one issue. My cooling system filler apparently matches the cap of an XJ40 so that's what I put on there. No more spewing coolant out of the filler. What I'd love to know is how the cap seal ended up looking like it had been run through the water pump itself. In my years of working on autos and the host of ratty autos I've worked on, I've never seen one so bad off. By some blessing, I managed not to cook the heads or the head gaskets and my oil pressure seems to have improved with a properly pressured system. Strange, that one but the gauge does read higher.

As for my other gripes, I think their causes are manifold. I had the good fortune to meet the previous owner who told me the car was purchased as a total basket case, he put the money into lumping it, starting on the interior, replacing body panels, etc and when the engine would never run right, traded it off on a new car for his wife. It sat for nearly 2 years on various dealership lots before I bought it.

This discussion has given me some ideas, though. I've confirmed that my alternator (it's serpentine driven and on the near side, by the by) is not a strange single-wire one but an aftermarket version of the L05's original alternator. The ECU wiring is a rat's nest, though and much of the other electrical is as well. I suspect that an alternator not up to handling the electrical load of the Jag along with natty wiring may have much to do with the running issues as well as being the prime cause of the charging issues. I'll be buying an up-rated alternator for it soon. It certainly won't hurt. I'm also going to be rebuilding the ECU harness sans crimp and vampire connectors and wiring that's about 10 feet longer than it needs to be. Surely that will not hurt either.

To sum up, thanks all for your input and I'll keep updating the thread as I manage to take care of more issues. Honestly, I should probably have some photos up of the car anyway. It's a rather unique beast with its tweed front seats. My Saab will be getting some attention soon, though. I need to replace the rear carrier bracket/engine brace, turbo, downpipe and rear exhaust section to get it back on the road. It might take a little love away from the Jag for a bit.

 

More good news; the old lump is running a bit better. I broke down (after it broke down on a VERY steep hill and had to roll down without power) and rewired the earth on the ECU. That was an instant improvement in driveability. It no longer wants to stall when in gear even if provoked to, oil pressure is definitely up I'm assuming due to all cylinders firing at proper efficiency. Tonight, I finally added in a base idle adjustment. It took a full ECU reset after running the IAC out and then a little tweak to the idle screw but it now idles at around 700 RPM with the A/C on and just a hair below 900 without. Both numbers are a bit on the high side, but it's not stalling at idle any longer with or without A/C.
I do have concerns about the alternator still. When I turn the A/C on, the whine from the accessory drive increases dramatically. Both the alternator and A/C compressor are fairly new but the compressor is branded Delphi and the alternator is unmarked (and based on the chrome body and bare core, it appears to be a cheap "dress-up" model). I'll have to get it load tested at some point. But, I'm making progress. The previous owner would be happy to know that as when I met him, that was his one question "have you figured out the engine yet"?

 

This is typical of most lumps and the reason they get a bad name. Consider yours unfinished but with a 350, fuel injection and a 7004r you've got a great start. Most people underestimate how difficult it is to get it all right an integrated.

700-900 RPM idle is a bit high and I bet the car creeps a bit. Typical idle on these engines is 550 to 600 RPM.

Consider getting a PCM pin out schematic. This way you can figure out what wire is used for AC signal. With a proper +12 signal to the PCM, it will increase the idle a bit and anticapte the load automaticall when it sees the compressor clutch in engaged. Little features like this can increase the refinement imcrimentally and are easy to do.

 

There is another casting and engine number on the usa driver side rear below the head and above the bell housing. These number are large and face up so they are easy to see. They do get gummed up so a simple rag wipe and glance with a flash light should allow you to see the numbers. Post 'em and I know where to google them to get a good answer.

 

Aye, she can be a bit of a creeper but not as bad as this last winter. It refused to idle below what the tacho indicated as 1500. I had to drop to neutral to keep from simply overcoming the brakes and going right through a slick intersection. Coming back to drive was accomplished with a fearsome jolt. I'm not rightly certain the tacho is indicating properly. She does sound a tich wound up but I'm not sure it's truly as high as it's saying. I'll have to see if I can track down a pinout for the ECU. It's an aftermarket refurbished unit so my first check will be whether it's the right one for the engine (or whether my engine is, indeed what I believe it to be).
From a drivability standpoint, this morning was much smoother than it's been since I purchased the car and I think with a little more tweaking to the base idle, a good TB clean and shaft lube and properly settings the tension on the TV cable, I might just have it near a point of working somewhat properly.

One additional question I do have is regarding the shifter. Mine does not indicate even remotely close to the proper detent position. R is reverse but not all the way engaged (click, clacky, grindy noises occur), N is reverse, D is neutral and halfway between 2 and D is drive. The shifter will not go below its "drive" point. I was initially suspecting a kinked cable as it takes a decent bit of force to get the car into park (I figured this out after numerous times being unable to start it for not having engaged the lockout switch) but I'm now wondering if something hasn't been improperly installed? Any thoughts on that one?

I'm a competent mechanic, but the Jag takes everything to a new level given that I have not had the time to pick through every harness to determine what was integrated with what, what is Jag and what is GM. Every bit I do learn makes me that much stronger though, I reckon.

 

Shifter to trans issues can and do exist in lumps. The BW 66 and the GM detents are similar, but not quite. Yet, the match can and does work.

There is a port on the driver's side of the tunnel (LHD cars). Opening it ill reveal the shift lever on the trans and the cable attached to it> Probably not enough room to work on it though. So, it is down and under. Beware of safety, here. Disconnect the cable, if there is an adjustment, and there should be. Place the trans shift in park. Place the shift lever in park. Adjust the cable to match. Careful, old cables are prone to fail at some time. The clamping swage and the housing will part. Now, nothing happens. An issue is that the shifter may not have enough throw to reach "L" and thus can't shift the trans into that position. Not a biggie, how many times does one need it??

I swapped my shift tower for one from an XJS. AS they had GM 400's, the detents matched much better. And, the reverse lamp switch on the left side of the tower was present.

Now, both towers have proviso for the neutral start, I think. But, a tad of adjustment might be needed to get alignment in order to get action in Park an Neutral.

A trip to the pick and pull oughta get a big old 100 amp + alternator for a very reasonable price.

You can make up a patch cord for your VOM to read vots in real time under vsrious load and rpm conditions. Very useful.

Enjoy, it runs and it's just punch list work. While the engine trans combo you hafe isn't LT1, it is a decent combination and can serve you well.

Carl

 

ICSAmerica - All the numbers visible from the described location are:

1) H308
2) GM 5.0LG-SGI

As the car was lumped, the transmission has the wrecking yard '97 GM written in grease pen. Not sue if that indicates a 97 engine or not.

 

ICSAmerica - There is a flat pad where it looks like a number should be stamped, but there's nothing on it but "5". It's closer to the fenderwell and has the bolt for the transmission right next to it.

 

Refer to these links. Many people find it interesting to know what they have and its history. The casting numbers are a good start.

V8 Chevy Engine Block Casting Number Location and List - Chuck's Chevy Truck Pages.com

Chevy Casting Number identification - Block casting numbers

This pick shows the location and casting info as 5.7L SGI
http://www.mre-books.com/chevy/engin...ng_number2.gif


1) H308
2) GM 5.0LG-SGI
Looks like a 87-91 305 roller block. No way to tell if you have roller lifters yet until you get the number off the front....but since its a roller block you can make one screaming 305 with a nice mild but aggressive roller cam if you choose to on the cheap.

 

Anyone ever put the Ford 5.0L in a Jaguar? I am just finishing up that installation in an '81 Volvo. Stock engine but it came out of an Explorer that weighed a thousand pounds more than the Volvo so it feels dramatically more powerful than the 83 HP Diesel that came with the car.



Here are the notes on the 3 year effort to make the swap: Volvo's That Run - Turbobricks Forums

 

I've seen a few 302 and 351 carby models shoved into Jags before. I don't recall seeing an FI era swap, though. The Ford 5.0 is a popular one for Saab as well, if you have the guts to take it RWD in the process. That looks like it should be a hot little Volvo!!

 

Crimps and vampires!!!! Banished from my world decades ago. Awful way to make a "connection". More like an invitation to head aches. I saw a couple of vampires in my electric box!!! Reminders??? I have a ton of crimp on ends. Big HF assortment. I've used all the good ones leaving some I'll never us, lotta of them!!

but, when I do use them, I solder them and finish with shrink.

I am revamping the converter lock out wire. I am using the cruise interrupt switch for
that. Cruise not hooked up yet. I am not a cruise fan. but, should I choose to do so, I see no reason why that switch can not do both!!

And, the brake light switch. Double fault. Bad switch and failed supply from fuse to switch!! Courtesy of David Boger, I have a good switch in!!! And, I am making up a new power supply wire. This time, fused but battery source, not via ignition switch. Brake lights will be functional whether or not the ignition switch is on. Contrary to my usual philosophy, but more direct, so on this case, suits me better.

On the lumping, did tons of splice. All soldered and shrink wrapped, In some cases double shrink wrapped.

 

I had a Corvette TPI 350 lump in my '86 XJ6, the TPI didn't give me any problems, mine were all cooling and Power Steering issues. Also my reverse lights were wired to a toggle switch on the Trans tunnel (don't know why), I wish mine had a 700R4 instead of the TH350, would have made Highway cruising must easier on it.