It finally got there yesterday! Huzzah!
The first 2 pictures show the car arriving back, all shiny and ready to unloaded.
The 3rd pictures shows it all loaded up again, ready to go back; bummer!
Looks very nice, handles nice and tightly, will not pull the skin off a rice pudding and makes funny noises, low oil pressure, oil leak.
Considering ending it all and buying another Japanese car.
Anyway, updates are arriving quite frequently so not all doom and gloom.
Funny noises down to gearbox central mount adjustment.
Oil pressure/leak resolved with replacement sender, now showing a healthy 50 psi.
Just have to sort out lack of drive now; engine seems to be running nicely although there was a ticking noise from one bank at one stage -do they have hydraulic tappets? - but that has gone now.
Rev the engine in neutral and she sounds great, engage drive and it is as if you are trying to proceed through a large bowl of custard (or drive an 1800 Freelander), there is just sod all there.
Gearbox? torque convertor? hope to find out this evening.

 

Not getting there really.
It looks as if the gearbox has had it although apparently it drives really well in reverse!
So, gearbox swap to add to the list of extras, one from a TWR car going in.
Glumness setting in.

 

Don't lose heart, Steve. She'll be a dream when you get her right, and all the setbacks will be nothing more than fading memories.

 

Thanks Scott, I'll try and keep the old chin up (it makes a better target that way).
The annoying thing of course (as I am sure that we all know) is that all this extra expenditure is taking funds away from things that I actually want to do on the car as opposed to have to do. New headlining and cant rails, refurb passenger seat, upgrade instrument lights, fit huge tailpipes, sort out window switches and host of electrical gremlins, detail engine bay.
And then, after lunch..........!
Never mind, when it returns I'm going to drive the pants off it as punishment.

 

Hi Steve

Whatever problems you're having, you are not alone! I'm having a nightmare bleeding the Brakes on mine.

I've tried every trick in the book except of course the one that works, so now its time to swallow my pride and call in a mate of mine who is a Jag Expert.

Annoyingly he will be able to wave his magic wand and do in about 10 mins what has taken me Two days of Trying and Failing!

So let me know if you can get a deal on those Japanese Cars if we order one each!

 

Oh well, at least I've got something to save up for now; engine and gearbox transplant in the Autumn.
Now, if I cut out food, and shoes, and haircuts, should be able to save up quicker!

 

The front suspension rebuild continues to exhibit a mild strain of mission creep.

 

But, Steve! Even I know that's not suspension, that's an ENGINE!

(Sorry, but I just couldn't help myself.)
(';')

 

keep it up man. dont give up.

 

Yeah, but the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone, the hip bone's connected......... and all that!

 

Hanging in there, hanging in there.

 

Steve
Would it be worthwhile to try an ATF fluid change before removing the box?

Greg

 

It has had an oil and filter change and Dave (the guy that is doing the work) reckons that may be part of the problem; something has been kept in suspension somewhere in the old oil and the new oil has flushed it out ( had the same thing with the overdrive on my MGC) and buggered it up; bearing in mind that the box has done 115,000 miles and the car has generally been seriously negelcted it's not surprising. No disrespect to the previous owners but I really don't think that they had any idea on how to look after an XJS once they had bought it.
Remember, always pamper your kitty!
Anyroads, way off in the distance I do believe that the light at the end of the tunnel has slowly hove into view; obviously some tosser will turn it off as soon as we get there but what is life without serial disappointment?
Dave had his man do compression readings and as far as I can find out they seem acceptable (bearing in mind that the Lister that he is rebuilding is running between 135 and 150 psi):-
1A 201, 2A 199, 3A 200, 4A 202, 5A 201, 6A 204
1B 198,2B 210, 3B 202, 4B 195, 5B 205, 6B 200
Injector loom has been replaced with a good one and apparantly she is now smooth, and most importantly, 'eager'.
She (notice the subtle change from 'it' to 'she' - I'm sure that next week it will be back to '*****') just needs her daddy now to take her out and give her a good spanking around the country roads.
Week after next maybe.

 

it wouldnt be the first time a fluid and filter change wrecked a transmission. on high mileage tranny's youre sort of damned if you do and damned if you dont.
pick up some seafoam trans tune and dump it in, and maybe a quart of brake fluid while your at it, and proceed to run the bat **** out of it through all the gears it will actually select. sometimes they come back to life. my last 4t65e did this.

 

It sounds like an idea although I haven't got the foggiest idea what 'seafoam' is other than from my career as a seafarer.
And at the end of the day the box has done 115k so is probably on its last legs anyway (the car has already had a replacement engine way before I bought it).
Going for a swap with a known good unit, £375 including fitting which isn't too bad considering the work involved.
It was selecting all the gears, just appeared to trying to drive through treacle whilst making lots of noise so I wondered if the torque converter was converting petrol into some sort of massively inefficient form of propulsion.
I mean, even more inefficient than usual.

 

Hi Steve
glad to hear you are making headway with the beasty ,would be interested to know if it was the torque converter have heard about them having straitened fins which pretty much means they just kind of spin the fluid around hence lots of noise and bugger all go .
Once again keep up the attitude .

 

Monday hopefully, finger crossed, Gods placated, virgins sacrificed etc. etc.
Forgotten what it looks like.