Hey Guys,

So now my ABS problem is bottomed, if not resolved, I'm going to move onto the next major component I need working for the MOT.

My steering feels is completely unassisted.

So just to get it out there first, my car technically isnt actually a XJ-S she's a 5.3 JagSport/TWR XJR-S 1989. As some of you will know this means she has steering that is modified to TWR spec - to give it slightly less assistance. I believe the modifications have been done to the valving going into the rack and a ratio in the rack itself, although I must confess I'm not expert. It's my understanding that the pump etc is identical to the normal XJS of the same year.

Background
So about four years ago I decided to upgrade my disc and pads, in doing so a caliper bolt snapped and prevented the caliper coming out. I had a DD6 sat in the same garage and instead of putting efforts into the XJR-S I decided to get the DD6 an MOT and drive that for a while. The plan worked in that the DD6 quickly got an MOT and I was cruising that for a while. The downside of the plan was the XJR-S basically got abandoned for years, started occasionally but never driven due to the lack of brakes. The ABS problem was a direct result of my ham-fisted attempts to remove the caliper bolt. The brakes and ABS system are now playing ball but...

I'd left the car sat for long period of time, and somewhere along the line I noticed the steering was no longer assisted, i reasoned that it was probably just low fluid and put it to the back of my mind as I had bigger fish to fry. I should have topped up it there and then but whatever reason I didn't bother. I've been starting and running up the engine although not driving anywhere and then leaving the car sat for a few weeks at a time ever since.

Now I've come to get everything sorted I again noticed no P/S assistance, I poured fluid into the reservoir and ran the steering from lock to lock a good number of times. But the P/S never came back. I took the top off the reservoir and notice the level hadn't gone down at all, so it appears like the pump has not moved any. I thought maybe I needed to fill it slowly and had caused some kind of lock, so I syringed it down a bit and then fed the fluid in slower and moved the steering lock to lock in between but still nothing.

Symptoms
* Obviously not getting assistance on the steering.
* I'm not getting whine or squeal from the pump, either with the steering at rest or when moved.
* With the car at rest moving the steering through its lock feels notchy as your turning it, like you get a tiny blast of assistance at certain points in the travel then nothing for the rest.
* Once the car is moving at all, like 5mph, the steering is manageable. It's not a revs thing I've tried giving it more revs a standstill in neutral and I still don't get assistance.

My Thinking
So I have a few schools of thought on why I think it might be the pump. I'm presuming that I when the car was put into the garage initially it had lowish P/S fluid, it'd not been a problem because when the car was run it was sloshing the fluid about, with it being sat maybe one of the seals has been exposed to the air for too long and dried out. OR The car has a marginal leak from the P/S system, although no evidence of this on the floor. Now the car has been run up with no fluid in the pump and that's destroyed the internal seals. I'm thinking it could be one or both of the above. So my question is...

Questions
* Are there any steps to diagnose a P/S problem; to at least say the pump is the culprit ? If I can help it I don't just want to throw parts at it till it all starts to work, but I'm struggling to find any detailed steps.

* I'm wondering about getting a rebuilt kit for the pump itself off ebay. As i think it maybe the seals - although this is a shot in the dark with no diagnostic. Does that sound like a reasonable starting point ?

If anyone can shed any light, or offer any comments I'd be very appreciative

Thanks in advance


Simon

 

I am tilting to pump vanes jammed in the rotor hub.

Its a Saginaw pump, used on HEAPS of cars, BUT the mounting brackets are Jaguar, as is the pressure valve in the bottom of the outer casing (the one the Hi pressure hose screws into).

Its that pressure valve that I always thought was the altered item on the TWR cars, but like you, I am NOT an expert on them.

Seal kits etc are readily avaiable for that pump. Simple enough to strip and clean and sort. Getting it out of the engine bay, HAHAHAHA, that will be a laugh a minute.

Toyota Landcruiser, GM, Ford, etc all used that pump.

 

Yeah I've read that getting the pump out is a nightmare.

But what I can see it looks farily straight forward - for the jaguar the fact I can even see it I'm doing well.

I'm hoping that my car being RHD and the pump being on the opposite side to the alternator is the difference. From what I've read it's the US peps that have the issues.

I guess I'll just hoy it out and take it from there.

Thanks though, knowing it's a Saginaw pump should widen my search for people who have rebuilt it and posted up guides. So far I've only seen https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...erhaul-117554/ and that looks like he's dropped his tool box !

 

It comes out the top.

LH hose off
LH thermo housing cover off.
LH electric fan off.
LH air cleaner assembly, the backing also, off.
SOMETIMES, the metal coolant header tank off.

HUGE bottle of JD, or similar. Length of small plastic tube inserted into said bottle, other end inserted into mouth (yours) and taped to the cheek, and suck away, it works.

People that do not appreciate language, gone shopping, that helps also, coz you can let fly whenever it feels good to do so.

Shut the shed door, that way the spanners stay IN the shed.

Thats how I do it.