At times they are a little slow to respond.

 

Just ordered after market hydraulic lines from Top Hydraulics. Gus has a link to their website. Colliflower didn't answer my email and the phone number was no longer in service. Top Hydraulics put the stuff in the mail the same day and emailed to follow-up. Pricey but Klaus at Top Hydraulics advises they are kevlar reinforced and "better than anything else out there." I'll let you know how it goes.
Matt

 

I just called Cilliflower and the phone number works just fine and they are still in business. As for Chic he is not a mechanic and has NO working knowledge of the Jaguar hyd system the hoses he makes are under my direction. I do not know why he would not return an E-Mail unless it had questions about the roof system that he knows nothing about. I am working to correct this problem and will provide an update on my page. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

 

It took a while for me to get a response from Colliflower but he did eventually respond and it was worth the wait. I installed the Colliflower lines along with a new latch cylinder in September 2011. My roof has worked great ever since. It is a labor intensive job but I took my time over two days on a weekend and I`m very glad I did it. I spent some of the money I saved by doing the job myself to buy an Actron code reader/scanner! I do have the pressure relief valve installed on my pump as well.....

 

Yes, excellent product!

 

I did the same thing and my hose let loose in about 2 years as well. I had hoped to forestall a leak but now agree that the LSI product won't keep a line that is weak from bursting. I believe, however, that the pressure relief device will save wear and tear on the many other seals in the system...

 

Does anybody have any idea what percentage of XK8/R convertibles have had hose problems. Sometime back Sam did a poll on what year cars might be more prone to bursting and got 84 burst reports. I'm wondering how that 84 compares to the total number of XK8/R convertible-owning members we have. Are we a representative sample of owners?

 

Regarding the frequency of hydraulic failure, I had an interesting conversation with Klaus over at Top Hydraulics.

One car particularly prone to failure is the 2 seat Mercedes from the 2000 year range. This is partly due to the sheer number of latches, rams and whatnot in their complex hardtop system. Audi figures in there, too, as I recall.

Concerning premature failure, he mentioned that relatively new Corvettes are showing up - C6 models with power tops.

By this measure, the Jaguar XK8/XKR was a relative late comer to his rebuild party, he just started rebuilding latches last year and now provides hose kits too, apparently. Our system is not particularly complex nor has it failed earlier than expected - maybe later even.

 

+1

 

Started the adventure today and found I was in for surprises. As I disassembled by Gus' numbers and got to removing parts over the windshield, I thought the area had been disturbed. The lines were nearly pristine but there appeared to be evidence of a previous leak. After 3 hours drilling out a stripped T-30 screw, I found nearly pristine lines at the ram. As I started to pull the lines from the window post, I found a new fitting right by the fuse box. Repair kit!?! My failure was at the pump in the boot - atypical. Trust Gus when he says to stay away from that kit. Anyway, back at it tomorrow with the Top Hydraulic replacement lines.
Gus, do I need to remove the carpet? How about the sill? I am trying to backwards feed the lines and am troubled - not done, just troubled. As well, I did loosen the bracket above the speakers but only over the speakers. I left the rear connection untouched.

How does the sill come off if I need to pull it?

Matt

 

This is my second XK in the model window. I had the shower with my first and am in progress fixing my second. What I also just discovered was my 2002 likely had the 'repair kit' fix... and I am now replacing the line due to a failure at the pump in the boot. So I am either 100% failure rate or 150% failure rate depending on your math.

Matt

 

The treadplate insert is fastened with very strong double sided tape. Heat it generously with an electric heat gun while gently lifting it up. You need to be very careful not to bend it or it must be replaced. I start at one end with a knife and then pull it along and up with 22-24 ga. solid copper wire so as not to scratch anythng. Once it is up you will have access to the screws for the treadplate. If you keep it clean it should be sticky enough to reuse without additional adhesive.

 

google traductor

hi guys, from Argentina, xkr 2001 19.000 miles, green shower experience by opening roof ..... let me know if there is a connection in the fuse panel?

 

I did not remove the plate off carpet I would just push the hose under the carpet. The hose is not going to go anywhere.

 

Not sure what you are asking.

 

hola gus .. gracias .

know where there is a splice connector, fuse box?

 

Mission complete. I spent the weekend replacing 5 of the 6 lines with Top Hydraulics kit. After getting past the stripped screw, everything went smoothly. I had a lot of hydraulic fluid to clean up. As I mentioned earlier, I found a repair point by the breaker panel but subsequently found a lot of fluid under the driver's seat. I suspect the (unrecommended) repair kit was a slow leak for some time. Like CYQB, spent a fair amount of time cleaning while I had it pulled apart and am happy with how it went. I have a new appreciation for zip ties in hard to see, let alone reach, places.

 

Back to normal!

 

Kudos to you!! On the road again.

 

The splice kit if installed is located in the vicinity of the fuse box in the door jamb below the window “A” pillar on the left side facing forward. At times depending on the installer of the splice kit it could be above or below the fuse box.