Probably going to be a rear main seal. But just wondering if these engines have a Valley Pan on the top of the engine that could be leaking. Valve covers do not seem to be leaking but very wet underneath where the crank would meet the transmission. Oil hanging on the starter. Oil hanging on the rack and pinion. Cannot see any leaks from above. Lots of oil underneath hitting the exhaust very smelly when driving and parking. Sometimes drips on the floor sometimes not. Any ideas? Thanks in advance, Stacy

 

Welcome to the forum Stacey Honn.

We need a few more details on your XKR. What Model Year? Mileage etc. A pic would be nice. The reason I ask is that there's different engine versions for the DOHC AJ-V8 and also 4.0L and 4.2L varieties. Early cars had the AJ-26 and I have the later AJ-27 on a first 1999 Gen XK8. I think they go all the way to AJ-34 in our X100s' model range. Also the supercharger can vary especially if it has been modified. The X100 is an ideal candidate for enthusiasts who tinker with things.

There isn't a valley pan in the AJ-V8, as far as I know, and my first thought is that you need to get under the car to have a good look as you could have multiple oil leaks. It sounds so wet that it'll probably need a good clean first otherwise you won't be able to see where the leaks are coming from.

You should look under the transmission bell housing, where there's an inspection panel. Open that and feel if it's full of oil. That'll be a sign of the rear crankshaft seal and/or core plugs leaking. I attach some pictures on the possible engine seals that may be leaking. These pics come from the Engine Guide which is downloadable from the Forum's "Stickies" Threads at the top of the list of X100 threads.



The rear crankshaft seal is only accessible if you remove the transmission from the engine block, ie pull the drive train off.




* Note engine orientation.

As you can see the core plugs to the oil galleries are sealed with Loctite and maybe that's your problem, if they've worked loose.

However the leak you have at the steering rack and pinion could be entirely separate. It could be from leaking power steering lines as the mixed metal/rubber hoses are known to fail at the crimps between the different materials. It could also be from failed gaskets at the front timing chain cover (behind the serpentine belt) and/or the crankshaft front seal. See pic below.



*note this is for my AJ27 4.0L na, but your layout should be similar.

Lots of information from other Forum members on how to tackle these.

Stacey - Hate to say it, but it looks like you've an oily future in front of you trying to chase down numerous oil leaks on a poorly engine. IMHO Smelly oily smoke from the engine bay is never a good look!

 

There is an area under the intake that is covered with a 'diamond-shaped' rubber plug. The area under the plug is a hollow cavity that can leak if you have a 'porous' block.

When I worked at the Jaguar dealer we had an early 4.0 V8 that leaked oil down the back of the engine and it turned out the be the porous block that was rumored to be lurking out there!!

Car was in warranty so it got a reman engine.

The definitive way to tell is to remove the intake and pull the rubber plug. Look in the cavity. Oil in there indicates a porous block.

Rare occurrence but a possibility.

bob
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