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I have called Jack Weston just this morning (011 44 121 5431629), he's a Very nice fella by the way, tells me they have Genuine Metalastik brand, of which he is gladly sending me 4 examples of C8673.
I should have them in hand by the end of the week!
Now I can stop stressing and get down to the business of changing them.
(';')
With the help of the engine crane, husband and I got the Subframe on the work surface after the adventure of unbolting it from the car. I connected the Engine Support Bar from Harbor Fright of course. I had to launch an expedition to find it though, as it's been some years and it was in a safe place: In its original box in the attic!
Husband's help this time is minimal as his vision has Seriously failed. He can only figuratively put his finger in my shoestring, when I *Need* a third hand, and only for very short periods. So I'm basically doing this alone. It's kind of fun actually.
First thing needing done was separate the tie rods from the steering arms. Husband has collected just about every tool known to man. An air powered pickle fork is a great equalizer.
Every shop needs a length of Mine Car Track as a small anvil. Also a selection of drifts, hammers and serious bashers.
Be sure to plug the high pressure inlet on the rack. I used a vacuum sock from his carburetor bits and pieces.
As this is a later rack on an earlier car, the rack required spacers to make it fit.
If your car has this, take note of the spacer positions.
And then the rack is free!
Next to remove the springs. To do this, bearing in mind we already did this in 2015 and made several tools for that occasion, I used the same 3/4 inch diameter ready rod (all thread) with all the nuts, washers and the tapered sleeve husband made last time. And it worked just like it did the first time we used it.
Go Figure!
You might notice the retainer bolts are back in the wishbone. I always put them back to the extent possible and label things what it is and where it came from.
I have worked with guys who said they could always tell my work space because nuts and bolts were in labeled zipper bags, or put back where they belong to the extent possible.
RIGHT ON! I know where everything is, what it is, and where it goes at reassembly.
This afternoon I took the unit out for a bath.
And here it is, clean in all its naked glory, awaiting parts.
this is GREAT!!
I will be ordering some of these, On my XJS, I found a driver side a set off eBay NOS Metalastik and passenger side I did our "GLORIOUS" never failing URO Brand.
I think I have a video in a previous post of the two brands on the fulcrum bar. one slid on easy easy and the other... well I should have got the hint when I destroyed one and had to order a new bar. Needles to say I was an idiot and should have hunted for the Metalastik on the other side.
These will be going on the Coupe and the passenger side of the XJS.
With the help of the engine crane, husband and I got the Subframe on the work surface after the adventure of unbolting it from the car. I connected the Engine Support Bar from Harbor Fright of course. I had to launch an expedition to find it though, as it's been some years and it was in a safe place: In its original box in the attic!
Husband's help this time is minimal as his vision has Seriously failed. He can only figuratively put his finger in my shoestring, when I *Need* a third hand, and only for very short periods. So I'm basically doing this alone. It's kind of fun actually.
First thing needing done was separate the tie rods from the steering arms. Husband has collected just about every tool known to man. An air powered pickle fork is a great equalizer.
Every shop needs a length of Mine Car Track as a small anvil. Also a selection of drifts, hammers and serious bashers.
Be sure to plug the high pressure inlet on the rack. I used a vacuum sock from his carburetor bits and pieces.
As this is a later rack on an earlier car, the rack required spacers to make it fit.
If your car has this, take note of the spacer positions.
And then the rack is free!
Next to remove the springs. To do this, bearing in mind we already did this in 2015 and made several tools for that occasion, I used the same 3/4 inch diameter ready rod (all thread) with all the nuts, washers and the tapered sleeve husband made last time. And it worked just like it did the first time we used it.
Go Figure!
You might notice the retainer bolts are back in the wishbone. I always put them back to the extent possible and label things what it is and where it came from.
I have worked with guys who said they could always tell my work space because nuts and bolts were in labeled zipper bags, or put back where they belong to the extent possible.
RIGHT ON! I know where everything is, what it is, and where it goes at reassembly.
This afternoon I took the unit out for a bath.
And here it is, clean in all its naked glory, awaiting parts.
As I'm waiting for parts anyway, I have ordered another crossmember from David Bodger.
Here's the reason why:
I had seriously considered trying to straighten it with a BIG hammer and a length of standard railroad iron. But the more I thought about it, the less confidence I had in my ability to get the wrinkles out; to Iron it Flat as it were,
And then I remembered writing up the post when it first happened, Here.
I was advised at the time by several Very Wise and Experienced members here to replace it, but the car had already been down for 10 months and I was NOT in a hurry to take it down again after it being on the road for only a few days. Now though, as I've gone this far this time, and it's still Winter, and I have the time and this is about all I need to do (no new floor, no brakes, no console, no......), and I'm waiting for parts (not the lower wishbone bushings, they've been here several days), I might as well do it Right and be done with it.
I have a rack tower to repair and a few other things I can do as I await a new unit from David.
I feel your frustration Elinor, I'm trying to find a set of push rods without much success. That's a very distinctive cross member, are you sure it's not a rare factory one-off option?
Great news!
A friend of husband's knows where a fella has a Jaguar of the right age in his Outback.
Best news, said fella is willing to let me have the needed component for a Very reasonable price they say, although no number has been mentioned (I'd pay quite a lot not to have to drive to Stockton).
Bonus is, he and his son will take it out of the car for me, even after being Specifically Warned they must either support the engine or pull it!
It will doubtless be the whole subframe, hubs, rack and all, which I'll have to strip.
Dang!! I don't know if I can do that.........
But first I have to get it here.
It's been raining, not a lot you understand, just enough to make the ground a sticky mess.
I don't expect them to go slogging around in the muck for this. Grass is greening up Way fast, so I'm not in danger of running out of things to do - YET!
(';')
All the pastures and fields dried out in the Vicious north wind lately, so the guys got out and removed the crossmember today. Trucklet and I brought it back without incident. Cost me $50!
Now I have no excuse.
ONWARD!
(';')
Thanks, Guys,
Ya know what husband said as we were leaving?
He said, "You won't find many women who get all giggly at the sight of a greasy piece of junk yard iron."
(';')
Today I got a chance to evaluate just what I bought for that $50, and I'm well pleased.
This afternoon we got the unit shifted onto the table for further inspection.
This has been in the outback for some time. Full of leaves and silt.
But it's clean, straight and DRY! Are we sure a Jaguar engine used to sit here??
Nice OEM steering cooler! If I didn't already have a bigger one I would put this one on.
There is NO automatic rust protection (oil leaks) on this unit! NONE! I'm sure I'll have a Lot of fun "Drifting" out those fulcrum bolts. They make it sound so innocuous, don't they; Drifting.
However, there is a Totally rebuildable rack that shows NO signs of leaking! In fact, it's been rebuilt at least once already as the boots are held in place with Zip Ties. Both boots are fried. You can easily see the Right heat shield has been in contact with exhaust, the Left one is so mangled it might be too but I can't see. I might try to put these shields on Nix.
Brits do like their Acorn nuts! I think that tie-rod end has seen better days.
This will be quite a lot of fun. I don't Have to save Any of it!
I'll save the rack of course, just cuz it doesn't leak, but everything else can be thrown in the scrap pile.
More BIG hammers!
What Fun!!
After several days soaking in PB Blaster, because ALL bolts, nuts and other fasteners were seized to some extent, requiring the Heavy Duty air wrench to loosen/remove, I'm back where I was 3 weeks ago.
I'm *Very* pleased to see this unit is in such good condition! Notice it's not wrinkled on the bottom side.
I never saw the car. I don't know exactly what it was or where it was sitting. But I suspect it was at least in a puddle for some years with no tires, as all the lowest bits are rusty. Rotors are rusty and pitted and have become one with their calipers and spindles. Lower ball joints move freely and have grease fittings so I think they're factory originals. Spring pans were full of silt and leaves. One spring pan is welded by rust to the spring, spring pan bolts twisted off rather than come out of the wishbone even after Days of soaking in penitrant. As I have good wishbones anyway I added them to the Pile O'Scrap.
Factory powder coat seems to have protected most of it pretty well. There are a few places rust undermined the power coat but not very many. This is what happens when there aren't sufficient oil leaks to provide Automatic Rust Protection. This is also why I think the car was relatively new when parked. Ball joints are still tight as are outer tie rod ends. Only the boots are shot.
As I thought it would be, it was a Lot of fun beating stuff off this crossmember. I only had One BIGGER hammer left to try driving out the fulcrum bolts if the 3 pound hand sledge didn't work. One shaft came relatively easily, the other one did NOT want to leave its mounting tube but I prevailed! Both shafts still have one of their bushings attached, the parted company with the wishbone rather than leave the shafts behind.
I'll start another thread about the rack, because it's Way better than any junk yard rack I would ever dream of.
So here it is, completely stripped and ready for new parts.
02-02-2021, 09:42 AM
Genuine Metalastik Lower Wishbone Bushings C8673!!!
