Chains and tensioners came off, first the primary by loosening the tensioner bolts, it poped out. Easy. Noticed the two sprockets on the crankshaft and the lining dots. Something to keep in mind during reassembly.
Proceeded to loosen the secondary tensioner bolts, tensioner remains in place. Chain does not come off sprockets.
Slowly loosened cam cap bolts working in increments from the center out on both cams.
gently wiggled both cams loose while still being held by the caps. Removed the caps from the upper cam, lifted the cam and worked gently out from the chain. Chain remained attached to lower cam sprocket. Set cam aside.
Removed cam caps from lower cam. Lifted cam, set aside, removed chain.

Whew!!!! I can smell the single malt.

 

Now on to the head. No major problems here. All bolts came off with more or less resistance but no stripped bolts.
First head is off.
Fount one valve open and the seat loose on the cylinder closest to passanger side.
The head gasket did show evidence albeight light of crack on the second cylinder from passanger side. There are some pinsize holes in between the two center cylinders. Dont know if this is normal.
Is this the original head gasket? What does one look like?

No obvious strike marks on Pistons. No obvious scratches or pitting on cylinder walls. Will clean and report back.
Tomorrow the other side. I think I earned my drink.

 

I've seen that damage before- the bent metal ring. Better to replace the head with the dropped seat (Maybe even both heads for good measure)

Good work so far- you are halfway home to the finish!

 

Sorry for the delay in bring this thread up to date. I have been to hell and back on this job.

I did follow your advice, contacted your recomended folks but only one head available.

My local head shop tried to repair the damaged head. They could not get the seat on. So they offered two heads from another engine, rebuilt and took my other head back in. I also got the camshafts from both my original headsplus springs and valve seals.

They did not offer the sprockets. This should have been a warning sign. Also we should have checked the heads side by side.
This omision would come back to bite me, bad!

The reason the sprockets were not offered is because the heads came fron an Xk8/Xj8 not an XKR. And while the heads share the same part number clearly stamped on the side they are not the same.
So installed the heads and tightened down the bolts. When on the last bolt I noticed what looked like antiseize on a couple of threads. On closer inspection it turned out to be two spirals of the threads in the hole.
Then tried to torque down to specs and the bolt would just spin. When I removed it this is what I found.




Stripped thread. Oh, God here we go again.

After looking at the different alternatives I chose to go with a system that comes in a kit and allows you to drill the hole to get rid of the old threads, using a jig to make sure you are centered. Then you cut new threads of a larger size than was there and insert with locktite a steel insert that has the original thread on the inside and the new thread size outside.
I will be posting a how to on a new thread.
Here is a picture of the insert.


Drilled and studded all ten holes on that side. Reinstalled the heads and proceded to put the engine and car back together. Serviced the transmission, replaced all hoses, changed knock sensors and camshaft sensor on drivers side.
Started the engine and low oil pressure warning came up. Stopped the engine and replaced the new sensor with a pressure gage. Gage showed 10psi. Not good. I thought bad pump.
I was saved my Motorcarman who answered my thread "Low oil pressure after rebuild" https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ebuild-107816/
It turns our that the Xk8/Xj8 have an oil passage drilled open for the VVT. Our XKR's have a plug in the passage. There is a TSb on the matter.
You can clearly see it here under the exhaust cam sprocket.


and on the othe head.


Off came the radiator, fans, damper, belts, pulleys, tensioners and the front cover. No need to take the cam cover off. You DO have to remove the two front bolts to the cam cover on each side.

The solution was to drill and tap a new thread on each side, using grease on the tap to trap the shavings. M8 will not work, the plug will go through, so we tapped to a larger size ans used an M10 scew. Cut the head off and scribbed a slot for a flathead screw driver. Then locked it in with red locktite.
Restarted the engine and 90Psi. So oil pressure is now good.

 

Wow mate , you've been through the mill with that one. Just hope it works out for you.
Thanks for the detailed info, my car is in storage for winter but I look every day on the forum as there is always something to learn and enthuse me with.
Cheers,
ArtyH

 

Engine is now sounding fine.
We are now chasing down an overheating problem which has us confounded.
Water pump, thermostat (84 degrees)bled hole up, reservoir cap and radiator have been replaced new.

After following SandiegoMac's DIY for bleeding system, car is started.

Car idles at normal temperature 180-194 and after several minutes or when loaded it begins to overheat. Fans turn on at 195 (right) and 204(left). Water pipe on the uper rad hose side is 60 degrees hotter then on return side lower rad hose. Radiator heats up. Temp continues to go up. Upper and lower rad hoses expand with pressure. At 220 we shut down for safety, fans run loudly after shutdown. Engage heater, not comming out too hot at max.
Coolant pours out of atmospheric recovery tank onto ground.

Water does not seem to be circulating properly. No leaks in hoses.

We are running out of things to check.
Bad T-stat (new) will run without Tstat and see. Drill holes in Tstat?
Bad Cap (new)
Bad pump (new)
Bad radiator (new)
Bad heater pump ??? fuse/connector???
Cracked atmospheric tank ???

Should I reserve a room at the local mental Asylum?
Or join Jaguar Forum's? Jeejee

 

After removing the wheel cover the recovery tank proved to be undamaged.
Also tested the heater pump by unpluggin the connector and suplying 12V to it. Pump works.

Back to the thermostat. Boiled water and submerge the thermostats. The one that came with the car did not open. The one currently in the car opened slightly. A third one bought today opened fully.
I proceded to drill two small holes on each side of the valve and installed.



All three thermostats are the same brand same design and equal to each other. Paid $11 at car quest today for mine.
I will be returning one purchased from the dealer in Jaguar trimed bag for $55. The Jaguar thermostat again is the exact model as the one from Car Quest.

Bled the air from the system and took the car for a spin. She worked much better. Still on the hot side but not extreme 230 degrees . I will let her rest and rebleed the air.

 

Just curious but why did you drill the holes???? That will usually not let the temp modulate properly. There is already a jiggle pin there to allow for proper filling. Water temps should be allowed to attain proper temp before the thermostat opens but with the holes it will always be bleeding some by and will not "stabilize" properly and function as intended. I wouldn't expect to see the system hold the proper temp with those holes there. Just my $.02

 

I have been having trouble geting rid of air in the system.
There is an old post by BRUTAL where he drills out the bleeder nipple and drills additional holes to assist with this.
At this point I'm willing to try anyting.

 

No, not a good idea at all...and if it worked well and let the system operate properly ever manufacture would be doing it. The jiggle pin must be at the 12 o'clock position and the thermostat must face the correct way, sometimes it's impossible to have it otherwise and sometimes it's not. The car should be serviced (coolant filled) while on an incline and patients is the key, that little jiggle pin isn't going to let coolant rush through as it's serviced, it allows the coolant to not have an air block and to slowly bleed over yet stop coolant passage under operation based on position and flow pressure (it's essentually a one way valve when under flow pressure). Also do you notice any flux in the temp gauge when you accelerate or rev the engine? If you do it's because the water pump is increasing it's spin/flow and the "holes" are letting water by which will cause the temp to flux and there is one thing a modern engine needs is stability in temp for MPG/PWR/ECU managment.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-system-34418/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...tanngo-103146/

 

JT I agree that the ideal situation and my goal is to return the vehicle to original Specs.
I have been however, dealing with a rather unique circumstance. If you read my early postings on this thread, you will notice my suspicion that this car had sometype of incident with the right front end.
After much searching I found a fist size indentation under the radiator support. This caused the radiator to be 1 1/2 inches higher than it should on the passenger side and 1/2 inch higher on the driver's side.
It must have run over a curb or parking block or a solid object. That is some tough steel.



This is probably what is causing the air not to bleed out. Thus my search for solutions and finding the thermostat modification I tried to apply.

Yesterday the radiator support was fixed and now they settle nicely in the engine bay.


I purchased another (4th) Thermostat, and proceeded to fill with coolant and bleed the system. Here is how it is installed.



Started the car and to my dismay it still runs hot.

Let her cool down, partially opened the coolant reservoir cap to let pressure escape. You can hear the gurgling as liquid flows to the atmospheric recovery tank. Bled more air out and added more fluid. Retightened the cap, took off the plug at the supercharge cooler, bleed some more air, added more fluid. Used the supercharger pump to move things around. I have squeezed those hoses to the point I could probably milk a cow by hand.
Restarted the car and.......... She is still running hot.


Car is at the painter's getting some touchups. I have until monday to rest and regroup.

I've run down the battery a couple of times. I do not know if from the drain of the pump or the fans and heater blower beeing on. But it makes me think.

Could the belt be loose and not turning the pump and the alternator properly? 13.8 Volts at the battery with everything turned on the car. Belt is installed correctly, new.

Could the belt tensioner not be working?
Could the new pump be bad?
Is the new thermostat not opening??

I will gladly accept any suggestions as to what to try next.
Reinstall my moded thermostat?
Run for a while without thermostat ?

 

On all my cars I've installed a flush "tee" on a heater hose so I can leave the top off the tee and fill with coolant till it runs up and out of the tee. You can also fill the opposite side of the thermostat and put it on while someone holds it then put fluid in the hose side with the hose "up" then drop it in place and secure the hose/houseing...messy but it allows a little less air to be there. You can always pull the upper hose off and just fill both sides best you can with help then put the hose on, once again messy but the object is to eliminate as much air as possible before starting the car.

 

Try without the thermostat and see what happens. Car should run cold and not get up to normal. If it's still hot, the problem is somewhere else. Check the flow at fast idle by removing the fill cap on the expansion tank and see if the coolant is moving by. Leave the cap off for a while and see if you burp out any air. Can't think of anything else at the moment.
I chased an engine overheat on my boat that turned out to be a delaminated hose (on the inside) that would close off under suction.

 

I will have to check the lower radiator hose. It was the only one that was not replaced.
I ordered the hose kit from Coventry West and they royaly S$@& up the order.
Did not get one of the valley hoses, they shipped it later. And the lower rad hose they sent was for a Xj8 which is much shorter. So i had to reuse the one that came with the car.

 

Well guys, Success at last.
Operating temperatures in the 190-208 range. Drove her home from the shop 30 miles with no incident. Took her to a carwash to get her all nice and shiny after 3 months in the shop.
Here she is in her finest.






It feels great. Thank you all for your help. Not a bad Xmas present.
Merry Xmas to all.

 

So it was the hose?

Nice Christmas present!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

Norri
It was not the hose. It still has the old hose on.
It was a matter of adding more fluid and evacuating air.
It takes patience and wichdoctoring.
Starting and shutting down the engine over a couple days allowing the atmospheric recovery tank and the system do their thing. I did replace the expansion cap once more. It has the non modified thermostat on.
Opening both the expansion tank cap and the fill plug at the Supercharger.
Squeezing every hose you can.