Cheers Jal

Interesting reading!

But would you need a Gun License to even buy Blank Cartridges for Starting your Tractor?

 

Hi Norri@Jal

Ashamed to say I never saw that Film!

But having had a look at the 'Clip' that you kindly provided as well as the 'Clip' kindly provided by Jal

I am going to Watch this at the very first chance I get!

So Thanks Again as well as to those who also kindly provided the info on how this stuff works: Greg@Robinus@Jal@LnrB

Alex

 

Be aware that there are two versions of Flight of the Phoenix, 1965 and 2004. You want the 1964 version.

Jon

 

For many and various reasons that would take far to long to explain, including doing a Refresh of my XJS 4.0L We didn't go out in my XJS Last Year

But that was Then and this is Now, so time to take the Covers Off and see if She will Start, as She's Taxed Insured and Ready for Her Annual MOT Test

So to say I'm beyond Excited, must be the Understatement of the Year!

But what will I find when I open the door of Her Garage?




OMG! at least She Survived the Winter, which was a fairly Mild one apart from Three Big Storms. although to day is Sunny and Warm, so no better time to see if She'll Start than Now!



One more Cover to Come Off, then 'All will be Revealed'



Not the Best Photo in the World but the Best I could take in Her Garage



Bought A New Battery a few weeks ago, so now time to Connect it up



New Battery Fitted including a Battery Dis-Carnect that I got off ebay for about £5 and well worth having as I have never had a Battery go Flat on this Car



Pre-Flight Checks before attempting to Start Her! Coolant was right up to the Mark although the Power Steering was a little bit low so I topped it up



Poured some Oil on the Timing Chain 'Not sure why?' but hoped that it may help



First look at that Magnificent Engine that Looks about the Size of a Double Bed



One of my Favorite Things with this Car has to be the Wonderful Feel of that Steering Wheel, that sadly wasn't fitted to the later Cars of 1990

Now with all Checks completed and the Battery Connected, its now time to Start Her up, which after a Long Layup always has me feeling Nervous!

The Video of What Happened will be following anytime soon!

 

The Moment Of Truth has now arrived! Time to Turn the Key to try and see if She will Start or at the very least start Praying that nothing goes Bang!

As you will see from the Video, with the Key on Position (1) The ABS Pump then Starts to Boot Up, where normally all those Lights go out in about 25 Secs but since She hasn't run for 18 Months, I am expecting this to take maybe a little longer, as long as its under a Minute to prevent the Pump Burning Out

Where its recommended that after a Minute of Pumping Brake Fluid to Boot Up the ABS, you rest the Pump for Two Minutes before you Try again

So I was very relieved to see the ABS Light and the Brake Light go out in 45 Seconds, which seems to be about Normal, except what happened next was really Not very Normal at all!

As when I turned the Key to Crank the Engine, She started almost instantaneously and then immediately Settled into an Idle Speed of about 800 RPM instead of racing away at a much higher Speed of even Revving up and down until the Engine warms up, like mine used to do

Instead She Started at 800 RPM and once having done so She stayed there, at what I would consider to be the perfect Idling Speed, as I modified the AAV (Auxiliary Air Valve) so She would do just that and then once the Engine was Warming Up, then you could Rev her as normal with the Accelerator

And then once having done so, take her out on the road, which I was unable to do as She required an MOT Test beforehand

 

It's a good start 😃.

 

Hi Robinus Cheers!

Nerve Jangling moments, while waiting for the Oil Pressure to build but that only took 15 Seconds and so that was ok

Both Exhaust Pipes Smoking until She had Warmed up and then it cleared

 

 

OB,

Great stuff! Well done, the engine sounds lovely!

Maybe time to have a look at the earths as the temp gauge seems a touch low if the engine was warmed up. Also the voltmeter didn;t seem to vary from idle and whilst clearly above 12v, didn't seem to go up to the expected 14v on blipping the throttle.

Time to get it MoT'd and driven!

Cheers

Paul

 

ALRIGHT!!
You know why it smoked for a bit, don't you? It's cuz you poured OIL on the Timing Chains!
Now that's all out of the way, you need to make up for that lost 18 months, and DRIVE THE WHEELS OFF!!
Well Done You!
(';')

 

Hi Paul (ptjs)

I was really Surprised that She Started so easily after all that time of Standing but I will clean the Earths up and see if that makes any difference

Last time I had an MOT my Mot guy was hinting that I may need a New Tyre and just by luck I happened to find a Brand New Lattice Alloy XJS Wheel and Tyre in my Local Scrap Yard!

I was prepared to pay £100, as it looks Brand New and still has the protective grease running round the Rim, which has got me thinking that it may have been found in the Boot/Trunk of one of their Jags, where it was used as a Spare

Gave him £50 for it, so I guess that wasn't too bad, considering that it was a New Pirelli P6000 on a New Rim (I put a photo up later) but at the moment its still in the Boot of my Merc and was such a Bargain that I have Vestil Virgins watching over it for me!

 

Paul, comments in red.
Maybe time to have a look at the earths as the temp gauge seems a touch low if the engine was warmed up.
Paul, Perfectly normal guage position on an HE v12 before it has had a decent run and got properly warmed up.
Also the voltmeter didn;t seem to vary from idle and whilst clearly above 12v, didn't seem to go up to the expected 14v on blipping the throttle.
Ditto, the voltmeter does not respond to revving, for some reason to do with how it is wired I suspect, plus the position of the needle is not an accurate guage of the actual volts, as the guages are so susceptible to poorish connections from the flexible circuit board.

Time to get it MoT'd and driven!
Too right!

Alex
The warm up "smoke" is not smoke, you will be relieved to learn, but steam from the incomplete startup combustion and the condensation blowing out of the exhaust pipes. On a cold day mine steams like the Queen Mary!
Congratulations, aren't these cars just wonderful!

 

Greg,

Useful info!

Tks

Paul

 

OB.

That P6000 tyre may be "unused" but I fear that it definitely won't be "new", In fact, it could be very, very old as are so many tyres fitted to the spare wheel.

I would check the date, and if it's over 10 years old, consign it to the bin. Others might set a higher threshold of 5-6 years.

Good luck

Paul

 

Hi Paul

Probably time I bought some New ones, I'll have a look around but this one will make a good spare

Went a bit Crazy when doing some Sunday Shopping and bought myself a Cordless Sabre Saw, fully justified as I've got some very Big Branches to Cut down 'Cherry Picker' Engine won't Spin over! but its been a bit too Cold to find out why

Also bought a Mains Plunge Saw as my Circular Saw has burnt out, so I think I can just about justify the expense, at least that's what I keep telling myself and that always makes me feel better

Hi Greg you could well be correct but you can tel LnrB while I go and hide behind the Sofa!

 

When I got Nix, tires were "new" Michelins, Beautiful tires, still had those little rubber whiskers from the mold. Didn't even have dust in the treads! I thought I got Such a Deal on this car as I keep Good tires on all my rigs and had a pretty good idea what those were worth. I was pretty Chuffed I tell ya!

But they lasted about 100 miles, until I was taking an S-curve with my usual Panache, doing, oh, maybe 70mph or so on a curve marked as 55, which shouldn't have been a problem, when as I was exiting the curve, there was this funny little wiggle from the back and a strange noise.




I had Shredded the Left Rear! SHREDDED I say! There were rubber shards all over her trunk lid and roof.
Then I discovered these Beautiful tires were 10 years old!

Get new tires, Alex, as soon as...
(';')

 

Found a really nice set of 20 Spoke 16 inch Alloy Wheels but are they supposed to have Center Caps? as if so they are missing but would they look Ok without and maybe more important Would they Fit?

Paul (Ptjs) and others may know

 

You would normally find the wheel specs stamped on the inside.

 

Hi Robinus

I think they will fit as they supposedly came off an XJ40 but I'm wondering how they might look with the Center Caps missing

 

OB,

They will fit. As you say they are XJ40 / X300 (in the UK). Only eve seen them fitted with the full centre cap over the nuts.

Cheers

Paul