Hi Daim

The Hardest thing about doing work on an XJS is the overwhelming desire to drive it.

Which is one of the reasons for having at least Two!

 

Bleeding the Brakes on an XJS (Everyones Favorite Job Not!)

Since Fitting Brand New Calipers together with New Brake Pipes (Which I made myself)

I Bled the Brakes and got a nice Hard Pedal, which overtime had started to go Soft.

Its Certainly not unusual to have to do this Job Twice, especially if you have fitted a lot of New Components including New Brake Pads Front and Rear.

After everything has had a bit of a chance to settle down.

So the First thing I did was to get everything ready, including the right size Spanners and a Bucket of Soapy Water to Sluice down any Accidental Spills.



Filling a Bucket with Soapy Water to Sluice down any Accidental Spills.
Which also gave me a good excuse to practice Ace Photographer 'Someday's' Special Technique of Photographing Water in Slo Mo.
Why is there never a Waterfall round when you need one.

As for the Spanners I used these.



I thought I might have an Air Leak in one of the Brake Pipes I made and so I got these ready to tighten up the Fittings just in case.

The First Job was to get under the Rear of the Car and loosen off the Bleed Nipples, so they would undo easily when I was ready to Bleed them.



Making sure the Bleed Nipples would undo easily when I was ready to Bleed the Rear Brakes

Dot4 Brake Fluid at the ready with a Bucket of Soapy Water to Sluice down any Accidental Spills.



Dot4 Brake Fluid and a Bucket of Soapy Water to Sluice down any Accidental Spills.

I've developed my own Technique for Bleeding the Brakes Single Handed when there's no one around to help.

All I do is take 12ft of Clear Plastic Tubing, put one end on the Rear Bleed Nipple and Tie the other end up in the Air (well away from the Car)

Then I turn on the Ignition until I hear the Brake Pump motor run 30 seconds max and if the Brake Pump doesn't cut out, then I let it rest for 2

Minutes and then try it again.

If the Brake Pump runs any longer then it can burn out, which is very expensive to replace.

Once the System has Primed itself and the Brake Pump has Cut Out.

Then I get underneath the Car and open the Bleed Nipple a couple of turns with the Polythene Tube already on it.

Passenger Side REAR First on a (UK Car) then Drivers Side REAR on a (UK Car)

After that with the Polythene Tube on the Bleed Nipple, The Ignition ON with the Brake Pump Primed so it has cut out.

I get in the Car and Slowly Pump the Brake Pedal with Slow Full Strokes.

During which time the Brake Pump will cut back IN, at which point I Stop Pumping and then wait for the Brake Pump to re-prime itself and then

Cut out again, before any further pumping of the Brake Pedal.

30 Seconds MAX or Switch off the Ignition and let the Pump rest for 2 Minutes before I Switch the Ignition back on and try again.

Then I go and inspect the other end of the Polythene Tube which I hung up in the Air, where with any luck I will see the Tube almost full of Brake

Fluid and NO Air Bubbles!

Why NO Air Bubbles?

Because there is such a 'Head of Brake Fluid' in the Tube hanging up in the Air, that while Gravity is trying to Force the Brake Fluid back down

towards the Bleed Nipple it just came out of, Air Cannot get in.

Then I tighten up the Bleed Nipple and after that I just 'Rinse and Repeat' with the Drivers Side REAR (UK Car)

Do NOT let the Reservoir run out of Brake Fluid, as you will have a potentially tricky problem on your hands and would have to bleed the Low

Pressure side of the System and then Start all over again!



With the end of the Tube hung up in the Air, Gravity forces the Brake Fluid Back where it came from, so no Air can get in.

I'm not suggesting you Copy my method, as if you have a Mate to help then it may be easier, to do it the way that you have done in the past.

But you do need to Prime the Brake Pump with the Ignition on for 30 Seconds MAX, before you Bleed the REAR Brakes.

Not so with the Front Brakes which can be Bled in the Conventional way.

The only Problem being that one Front Brake wouldn't Bleed!

In order to overcome this, I just gave the Brake Pipe Fittings a bit of a 'Tweak' with the Spanner, then all was OK.



In order to Stop the Air Leak, I just gave the Fittings a bit of a 'Tweak' with a Spanner, while I was counter Torquing the Nut on the Pipe underneath.

 

Ain't that the truth. I would hate to start a minor project that spirals out of control due to my general incompetence, and be unable to drive!

 

Hi Someday

If you don't yet have a space to work, then it may be better to let a garage do the much more complicated stuff.

As its all to easy to reach the point of no return, which can be hard to come back from.

But Hey! you installed a New Stereo, which in itself is impressive.

So Well done on that!

 

The stereo was fiddly but conceptually easy - I knew exactly what had to be done and how to do it. It was just harder than I expected. This probably applies to everything about the XJS mind.... (Lots of pictures on this forum and other sites really helped!)

But yes, one reason I was willing to tackle that job was that it wouldn't immobilize the car. My insurance does cover free towing (50 km to a garage of my choice, unlimited to the nearest garage if I'm really far from anywhere), but I'm not sure that covers "failures to proceed" caused by incompetent owners....

 

Hi Someday

Only if you decide to 'fess up' me thinks!

 

Yes, there definitely is that - though several large parts of the engine strewn around might make it more obvious....

 

or belts removed and a half paint stripped fan cowl

 

The Gremlins were out in force today, so I guess you could call it 'Another bad day at the Office'

And yet it all started so well!

Yesterday I bled the Brakes and fixed the Water Leak or so I thought and when I checked the Water Level this morning, She hadn't lost a single drop.



Has She lost any Water after fixing the leak Yesterday?



She hadn't lost a Single drop of Water overnight

So now all that I had to do was put the Battery on and Start her up!

And though She Started on the Button, it ended in disaster as minutes later there was Water all over the Place

The Video you are about to see, was only the Start of it, as this Trickle of Water turned into a Waterfall.


With any luck it could well be a Leak in the Top Banjo Bolt on the Closing Panel Water Rail but as I had other Jobs to do and as the Weather was Fine.

It seemed to be the ideal time to change the Rubber Bushes on the Anti Roll Bar, as this can be a PIA at the best of times.

Because the Nuts get Corroded and don't want to come undone without a fight.



The Anti Roll Bar Bushes needed replacing and the Nuts get so Corroded they don't want to come undone.



Lots of Brute Force and 'Innocence' with a liberal helping of penetrating Oil.



After 4 hours Struggling I finally got them out!

Then a good clean and repaint.



After Cleaning and painting it was time to fit the New Bushes and then put them back in the Car

But by now the Light was starting to fade and so I thought I would leave it until Tomorrow.

Although with a Water leak like that, it could be all for nothing.

When 'The Jaguar Gods' are against you, its often best to leave things until another day.

 

no, the best of Fate is with you! it is the best time for the leak to appear (NOW) not out some where and you will get it all squared away with stranding you somewhere to be towed home!
my latest leak was on a hose that I had in my collection... (with the exception I put in in my wife van as a quick fix) had to go buy her a hose and get mine back as it was the heater hose up by the firewall and it is a special shape. her van is fixed right now and so is my heater hose...
never thought it was that one as all my hoses are so swollen that the new ones do not look like they are going to fit... but they do... so I am going through the box on the next leak and doing ALL of them! why not now? No leaks and that is a lot od coolant to drain out...

those links look NICE! get new NyLock nuts

 

Hi Jonathan

While I know that you are right, it was one of those days when everything went wrong and not just with fixing the Car.

It was a really bad 'Dog Day' if ever these was one and especially depressing when you think you've got everything fixed.

Today was not much better, when it came to putting the drop links back on, which on the face of it looked a very simple little job which I thought I

could do in under an hour.

Except the very last nut took over Two Hours to put on!

I Jacked it, Clamped it and everything else in between but it just took forever to pick up the first thread.

They probably have a Tool for this but I just had to go with what I'd got, which didn't include New Nylocks, as nobody keeps any UNF stuff near

me, though I might change them later.



Anti Roll Bar Links already to be Bolted on.
How hard can it be?
Start to Finish it took 3 Hours!
The last Nut was a Total PIA to put on.



Jacked it, Clamped it and Squeezed it but when it came to the last nut, I just couldn't pick up the Thread, although I finally managed to do it after a 2 Hour Struggle!

 

I think we've all done battle with the ARB end links when new bushings are fitted. PITA. Woulda been nice if Jaguar had given us just an extra 1/4" of threads to work with.

Personally, I gave up the fight. I ditch the Jaguar end links and use aftermarket link kits....which are (in my experience) always longer and thus no problem getting the nuts started on the threads.

Cheers
DD

 

Hi Doug

Absolutely agree with that but with the 'Benefit of Hindsight' if I'd known it would take that long, it would have been much quicker to modify a 'G'

Clamp, in order to do the job.

But having now got that out of the way, today's little job will be trying to stop that Torrent of Water leaking out around the Radiator.

I only had a few drops of water leaking out before but since I removed the Electric Fan and replaced it with a Mechanical Fan.

There is lots of water leaking everywhere, so I'm thinking the 'Top Banjo Bolt' may have something to do with it, as I had to remove it in order to do so.

 

I have found that if the car's weight is on the hub/end of the wishbone, so the suspension is compressed, the drop link goes on OK. Have I just been lucky?
Greg

 

Hi Greg

I think you've been lucky (Lol)

The first thing I tried was to put a Jack under the Wishbone and that didn't make any difference, as even with the weight of the Car, there was no

compression on the Main Spring.

The first Link went on a lot easier but even though I left it slack the Second Nut was an absolute PIA to get on.

And took 2 Hours of Clamping and Jacking, including an application of FBH!

I would never attempt this Job again, without modifying a 'G' Clamp to pull the rubber up high enough to be able to get the nut on.

 

Trying to find the Water Leak was like trying to find a Needle in a Haystack, although I had a feeling that it could be around the Banjo Bolt.

Which I had a job to screw in, as the Banjo Collar seemed to be out of alignment the first time I tried it.

And so it seemed that this could be the ideal place to start, where the first thing to do was to make sure that everything was in alignment before I bolted it up.

As well as fitting brand new Copper Washers.



No wonder it was leaking! The Banjo was out of alignment.

After pulling the Pipes into Shape, the Banjo Bolt went in dead easy, along with its new Copper Washers.



This time it was a perfect fit, surely it couldn't leak now.

I really thought I'd fixed the leak this time, although there was some minor 'weeping' around the Washer Stack.

Which I decided to leave for the time being, as I really didn't want to risk stripping the thread.

After which I started Her up and 10 minutes later this happened!



After 10 minutes of running, water was pouring out as fast as I could mop it up!

Water pouring out all over the place!

But where the hell was it coming from, could it be out of the Rad?

I also though that it could be out of the bottom hose, which was supposed to be OEM and which I bought over the counter of a Jaguar Main Dealer.

Only to find when I got it home that it wasn't made in the UK.

And didn't seem to go on as tight as the old Original.

So with the Engine still running, I gave the Stainless Steel Nut and Bolt Clamp on the Bottom Hose another 'Tweak' with the Spanner.

At which point a Jet of water came out of the other end of the Hose where it Clamps on to the Water Pump.

Although I tightened up both Clamps on either end of the Bottom Hose, it didn't make any difference and if anything made things worse.

Which seemed to indicate to me that the Clamp I was using, was not applying even squeezing all round.

So after a trip to a Shops down the road, I returned with some tried and trusted 'Jubilee Clips'



After taking these Clamps off, I replaced them with a 'Jubilee Clip' on each end of the Bottom Hose.

Getting ready to slide the 'Jubilee Clips' into place.



Taking the Slack out of the 'Jubilee Clip' before Sliding it into place, which as a lot more difficult than you can imagine.

After Starting the Engine again, I almost dare not look!

If these New Clips hadn't Stopped the Leak, then maybe there could be a Leak in the Rad, which I'd just had recored.

Oh No!

It was still leaking! though not from the Bottom Hose, this time it looked like Water was dripping off the bottom of the Rad.

So now back to the Banjo Bolt for another 'Tweak' with the Spanner.

The Banjo Bolt Stopped 'Weeping' and just for a little minute, I thought I'd fixed the leak but then Ten Minutes later, Water Started pouring out again!

OMG what could it be this time!

And then I think I found it, in the form of a broken Hose Clip, where the Banjo Bolt goes onto the neck of the Filler Cap Pipe.

Water was dripping onto the Curve of the Fan Shroud.

Then doing a half circuit before gravity took over and made it look like Water was dripping out from underneath the Rad.

Touch Wood, I think I've fixed it!

But only time will tell.



Replacing a Broken Hose Clip, where Water was dripping on to the Curve of the Fan Shroud before dripping out underneath.

 

Wow!! What a weekend. Other than that how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?

 

Hi Brad

This was a real Nightmare.

For as soon as I'd fixed the leak in one place, Water started pouring out of somewhere else!

The problem was you couldn't see where it was coming from, when it was dripping off the Center Cross Beam underneath.

While when the Banjo Bolt was leaking Water was running across the Top of the Rad and then down one side, giving the impression

that the Header Tank was leaking.

The only good news being that I had the under tray off, without which it would have been near enough impossible to fix.

As for the Play, it received a Standing Ovation followed by a well earned 'Cup of Tea'

 

Hey Al, there should be 3 copper washers in the banjo bolt on the radiator, above and below the sleeve and one between the pipe fitting and the bolt head.

 

pipe leak?
ok,
that is something I have seen on my car





the pipe itself can have a hole






before


after


paper rolled up and inserted to see hole


paper rolled up and inserted to see hole


harder to see hole



High-temp water/fuel/steam proof epoxy repair
leave paper stuffed in pipe while applying this pasty epoxy, then remove...paper
it is really a putty epoxy