When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
LNR
If at all possible, I would keep the springs. Genuine OEM springs are impossible to find, and as jaguar have lost, yes lost, all their spring rate and length data, decent ones that reproduce the jaguar Ride are impossible to find. You will find that a few whack on the spring pan will separate the spring from it.
Also, if you have any, and I realise your climate is far better for cars than England's, wax rust protection inside the all the subframe cavities, and most importantly inside the spring towers, right up into the top part where the upper wishbone fulcrum is attached, is a really worthwhile step, and dead easy to do when the s/f is off the car and fully stripped. This is the sort of thing, but over here we have different but similar brands:
The fact it has that steer cooler indicates it was possibly a V12 (not sure if your market got the steer cooler on the 6cyl cars, we did not), and the belief it was parked newer in life, the V12 did that a lot.
I'm 99% sure it came out of a V12 car. Beside the P/S cooler, look at the front anti-bar. It looks fatter than the 6-cylinder version. If I'm right it would be worth swapping to your car, if you haven't already installed a bigger bar in the years gone by
Thanks, Fellas!
I have just now ordered 2 cans of that anti rust that Greg recommended. They'll be here Monday.
As it happens, I have Not changed Nix's sway bar, mostly because establishments that had them want a king's ransom. So it's an easy matter to go out right now and measure them.
Back in a minute.........
Yes, it is a significantly bigger sway bar lying on the floor than is currently under Nix. I will be trading them as I have new sway bar bushings anyway, I'm sure I only got the big one because they rounded both keeper nuts on one end, or it would have been left with the car. Notice only one end is still attached.
And while I'm measuring things, the difference in distance between the horns of the bashed unit and the "new" one, the bashed one is 1/4 inch narrower than the straight one. So, husband's appraisal that it was OK because the back was straight was in Serious error! This explains why it kept eating front tires. Two pair in 25,000 miles!
LNR
Once the car is all back together, a full laser alignment is vital, as camber castor and toe will all be miles out. Of these camber is the hardest to adjust,as I expect you know. New top wishbone fulcrum bolts are available from Jack at Manners, by the way. Now, it is possible that as your new subframe is straight, the camber will be spot-on. However, if it is not, undoing the old bolts, frame in car, is damn near impossible. When i fitted a new subframe to my car 18 months ago, I had to remove the fulcrums from the old one. I mate with a long spanner on one end, and a damn great mains-powered impact gun on the other, just, absolutely only just, got the bolts undone. I naturally replace the camber spacers as on the old one. Well, when i came to measure it, new springs having been fitted too, which undoubtedly contributed as the front ride height was lower, as intended, the camber was MILES out. But new bolts meant: wheels off, car's weight on the lower wishbone/spring pan, undo top ball joint from the top wishbone arms, undid the top fulcrum bolts no bother at all (you can get a spanner behind them as there is enough space between the s/f and the body). It took a couple of trial and errors, but the last time I did it it took less than 1/4 hour.
Thank you, Greg, you're of great help to me.
I assumed alignment would not even be in the same Galaxy because there were NO camber shims on the bent subframe under Nix, and 1/4 inch of shims on the "new" junk yard one. I was also surprised to find *4* caster shims down on the upper ball joints rather than only 3 as Nix came to me with. As it already had 4 shims I'll be putting 4 back.
Last time we did this, husband bought a triangulation setup for setting camber and caster, which seemed to work well if readings from the tire shop can be believed, and they didn't merely fill in what seemed like a good numbers at the time. The link to your ebay purchase is no longer alive, not surprising after all this time.
One modification I do intend making though, someone in the past removed the washer shims from one side and inserted normal Mercan horseshoe shims of about the same thickness, which shims don't require disassembly of the upper frame to get the washer shims out. As this would make life Infinitely easier for the poor schmuck who gets stuck with this job, and as I want a Good job, I'll help out where I can.
I also plan to transfer most of this assembly from one unit to the other, as Nix's bolts are Easy to deal with, having been bathed in engine oil and steering fluid mist for years, and have plenty of automatic rust protection.
Today I'll order rack boots to replace the scorched ones, and new tie rod ends, hoping the threads are the same and I don't have to change the inner tie rods too like we had to last time. That was Not fun!
(';')
Just to let you all know I've not forgotten about this chunk of steel taking up my work area.
I admit I was a bit discouraged to find that rack I thought was so wonderful was a piece of trash, but then I had to remember what I paid for it. I'm back to reality now.
I sprayed the crossmember Liberally inside and out with the Cavity Coater that Greg recommended. It was a real Hoot to watch it run from all the cracks that appeared to be welded solid, and slow to a drip over a couple days. It was also fun to watch it work its way under loosened paint.
Of course, Rust won't be an issue once I get it under that 350 with its perpetually leaking rear corners of the valve covers. I managed to stop one leaking once, but I had to Glue the gasket the hermetically clean head and put finely machined aluminum covers over the gaskets. I may have to give this engine that treatment - later.
An inch of rain here yesterday, that will kick start my work for sure as grass just Loves rain. Dang!
(';')
What's your best guess as to why the valve covers leak on a steady basis? Any advise?
Dave
I think it's the way all cast iron heads are made. I think the metal goes in from the front first so by the time it gets to the back corners it's cooled just enough it doesn't flow to those farthest back corners.
Every V8 I ever had with cast iron heads, whether Chevy or Chrysler, 383, 440, 283 or 350, has leaked at those corners. I would think alloy heads would be machined and not have that problem, and I started such a project a couple years ago, but it went nowhere.
(';')
Do you not have the LT1? The gasket rail is machined flat on my heads. I do remember, back in the day, that the small blocks had the gasket rails cast with the heads and just left raw. If you have an older SBC, then I understand what you're talking about, I had the same problem on some of my engines and could actually see the back of rail sagged slightly. If you have tin valve covers, try bending the gasket flange down slightly in the back to follow the contour of the head. I had some luck with that trick.
LT1?? In Nix?? I Wish!!
Noooo! It's an Elderly 350 from 1985 or so with droopy cast iron heads you mention. The car was already converted when I got it. In fact, that conversion was one of the features (besides being BLACK) that made it Love at first sight.
I'm convinced that New engines from the factory are Hermetically Sealed so don't leak at least for the warranty period. After that I have learned, yer on yer own and better have a pan under it.
I did install a pair of multi-rib silicone valve cover gaskets with anti-crush sleeves in 2015 and that helped, but they can do only so much. However, as I'm putting a new tower seal in the rack the Automatic Rust Protection should be seriously lessened.
(';')
Last edited by LnrB; 03-16-2021 at 10:47 AM.
Reason: Added Photo
An older, well sorted small block is nothing to be dismissed. We all drove'em for decades before the magic of computer-controlled fuel injection was invented.
If you are replacing the tower seal on your rack on your own, you might look through the thread where I'm rebuilding my S3. I had an issue with sliding the tower housing back over the spool/pinion shaft and had to resort to making a "tool". Someone else might not have had a problem.
I wish you good success with the front end rebuild/replace, ambitious project.
Thank you very much, Dave,
I do like Ye Olde Tech. I can touch everything, and I can name everything I can touch.
And besides. It has Loads of Character and isn't hidden under Acres of plastic.
I ran out of gas on my current project today, only got the lower wishbones mounted. But the grass is growing about an inch every day so I only have evenings to work on it.
Days are getting longer fast though, we're gaining nearly 3 minutes every day.
Every Day is nearly 3 minutes longer than the day before.
That means next Tuesday will be nearly 20 minutes longer than today!
WOW! "Midnight sun" before long.
(';')
I think we're going to keep the title of "land of the midnight sun" up here. 3 minutes a day certainly adds up fast, but here in south-central Alaska we are gaining right at 6 minutes every day and when June 21-22 shows up, we'll have 19 to 20 hours of daylight. We currently have over a foot of new snow on the ground and below zero every night. Not much grass to cut yet.
HA! I hit the Mother Lode at the Post Office today!
7/8 inch Sway bar-to-body bushings, easy to use Camber shims, Tie rod ends, and a few completely unrelated toys for husband, as I feel I should keep him happy cuz it's mostly his money I'm spending.
(';')
As I mentioned yesterday, Numerous parts came in the mail, especially the Camber shims which were the Major hold-up. I had them in after about 5 minutes this morning.
These should make alignment Enormously easier. Especially as I will be the one doing the first rough set.
I didn't know Genuine Metalastik bushings they came labeled as such.
Here's what the Old bushings looked like after a mere 25,000 miles.
I also didn't know the tubes has serrations perform a locking function and corresponded to the serrated washers. Last time, husband took care of these parts and I never saw them.
By the marks left behind on the old bushings, the serrated washers also seem to be necessary.
Previous to my ownership, Nix's original crossmember lost about half of these serrations, doubtless due to incorrect tightening.
Although the "New" unit had all it's bits, it was Incredibly rusty. However, the bores cleaned up well and my old shiny shafts slipped in freely. As usual I slathered the bores and shafts with Anti-'seize compound, which has become a staple here.
Last thing today, after a Very productive day, I got all the whirly bits mounted and torqued. With the exception, of course, of the Lower Fulcrum bolts.
Notice there's no giant Dent in the front! I'll probably be able to keep tires in it now.
Ready for springs, maybe even tomorrow. It's about time I think!
(';')
Terrific stuff LNR. Those serrations are not in the frame when manufactured, they are from torquing up the lower pin which has serrated washers, and they MAY have been fitted the wrong way round. I cannot remember if they are serrated on one side only, but if they are, the serrations should be TOWARDS the metalastik bush, NOT towards to the fame. They lock the bush from spinning as the wishbone arm moves up and down. The rubber distorts to take the movement, part of the design, which is why, as you note, the castellated nut must only be tightened up once the car is on its wheels. I assume you have these from the original part or from your old frame? Nos 4 and 5 here, one each side of each bush, except for the smaller diameter one on the end of the bush directly under the nut. https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.../brand/jaguar/
Those pics show just how pathetic non-metalastik lower wishbone bushes are. I had exactly the same trouble after about 1000 miles with a well known aftermarket supplier's own brand.
I LOVE those camber washers, have you got a link please?
Last edited by Greg in France; 03-20-2021 at 02:43 AM.
Thank you, Greg,
There are 3 washers, only 2 of them, number 4 in the link, are serrated on both sides, but they are same size. The 3rd one, number 5, goes on the end with the nut, has a much smaller bore, is very thick, and only is serrated on One side. It would be the only one to get wrong way round.
I would rather believe incorrect tightening, considering what all else was wrong with the car.
03-06-2021, 02:37 AM
I'm back to reality now.
