In regards to adjustment tool I recently had my entire timing system rebuilt all chains tensioners guides seals and one new vvt asy. I purchased the adjustment tool in a kit on line ($50) and when my mechanic went to use it wouldn't fit he had to grind down end and then ok. The old vvt had seized up and would not move not a cheap part.
best of luck
Jeremy

 

I cleaned mine real good with wire wheel on grinder but still will not fit. I may grind on it some if all else fails. Nothing to lose at this point

 

After 30-45 minutes with my dremel cheap Chinese tool now fits and works so will be able to retard Vvt after reassembly. Just waiting on new guides and Vvt units now. Will update later

 

Hi everyone. I'm hijacking the thread again while we wait for Dale's VVT report, because I need advice for my similar project.https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/i...icon_qtank.gif

I started my chain tensioner project because the harmonic balancer fell off - which led me into the engine to repair a broken VVT "bush" and other parts suffering from the same sort of craftsmanship that causes a harmonic balancer to fall off.

Trouble is, since I never took the harmonic balancer off, I don't know how to put it back on.

Question:

1) I had a shop press in the crank seal. When I pulled out the orange plastic fitting that keeps the seal in shape, part of the felt ring behind the plastic wanted to come with it. Should I

a) simply remove the felt
b) glue it back on (seems a bad idea)
c) pull the seal with a seal puller and replace it, while still on the car.
d) take the whole darn front cover off, with its 24 bolts, and get a new seal.

2) I need to lock up the crankshaft to tighten the big 24 mm bolt that holds the harmonic balancer in place. When I looked inside the torque converter casing, I saw a big smooth wheel without the "lugs" to jam a wrench in place to lock the crank (I RTFM'd it, but am still at a loss). If I bump the starter around, will lugs appear? Am I looking in the correct viewing hole (on the other side of the case from the crank position sensor.

You guys and gals are the best of experts ! Thanks in advance. And thanks Dale for letting me borrow your thread. Again.

 

DON'T LOCK THE CRANK USING THE FLEXPLATE/TORQUE CONVERTER/BELLHOUSING.
You can bend the flexplate or break the bellhousing. I use the correct crank locking tool shown in the photo. With this tool I can install the balancer in just a few minutes. Do a search if anybody in your area will rent or loan you one. If you can't find anyone I will loan you mine. You'll need to pay shipping and a deposit. Send PM if interested.

 

Not quite sure I understand question about seal but if I had any doubt I would replace before putting everything back together

 

Thank you BobRoy. I may take you up on your offer, but am going to try to get the proper tool locally, or by a fast shipping company. From your previous post - and my research - it seems that I need the KTC JLR1276 crankshaft holding tool.

Just for my information (not like I am going to desperately bodge something together...erm) the tool is used to press the balancer and split washer to the crankshaft, then you use the holder to hold the whole assembly in place as your apply torque to the 24 mm bolt?

(On an only somewhat related note, as much as I love working on this beautiful car - cough cough - I really need to clear this project out of my shop asap! And I want to drive it!)

Thank you again (profusely) for your help.

 

It doesn't actually press the balancer. It bolts to the balancer and I let the long arm rest against the frame of the car in engine compartment. This keeps the balancer from turning while tightening the bolt. It shows you need about 300 ft lbs of torque when using the locking cone. The photo shows how the tool bolts to a spare balancer I have. The locking cone is shown in the balancer then all you need to do is bolt it to the crank through the center of the tool.

The KTC you mentioned is the same one I have. It also has the puller in the kit to remove the balancer. I saw one for $129 with free shipping. If you don't have any use for it after you are done put it up for sale in our classifieds section. There is always somebody doing the timing chains and it saves a ton of time, especially on balancer removal.

 

PO had replaced upper tensioners but this is what chain guides looked like with 95,000 miles

 

Looking for opinions. Has anyone used these longer style chain guides and will they work? I have some others on order but they're back ordered

 

Dale,
I had the same guides when I bought my kit. I believe they are for an later model. You have to put them in upside down to make the work. I went to my local jaguar dealer and got the correct ones that look like the ones you took off. Others have used the ones you got and don't know of any problems. I didn't want to take a chance.

 

Dale,
Looks like you got in there at the right time, and your pictures are good ammunition for those who advocate doing the whole job rather than just the secondaries.

I wouldn't be happy using the wrong part because I wouldn't want anything going wrong int that area. My understanding is that the primary tensioners are anchored at one end by a bolt, and the other is a slot that fits over a pin to allow for flexing. If they're mounted upside down then the bolt must be fitted in the slot - which defeats the object.

Understand your frustration, and others have hit the same issue, but IMO it's too important to just make do.

Just my $0.02

Mike

edit: OK, Looks like I'm wrong about the slot at one end but I'd still want the correct parts

 

Thanks to both of you for your input. I'll check and see when other guides will be here and go from there. If not too long I'd rather have correct ones but then again I wonder if these don't do the same thing in a little different way

 

Take a look at this thread:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...3/#post1513371

where someone else ran into similar issues with the primary guides.

I see you managed to R & R the VVT units

Being an inquisitive/nosy soul, I notice the build date on you motor is Feb. 2000 so possibly you have a reman. engine.

Good luck!

Mike

 

Thanks Mike, I was looking for that thread and couldn't find it.

 

Hi Dale

We seem to have been going along similar paths.


In addition to the excellent link Michael and advice RobRoy has given, I think it would be worthwhile for you to read both pages of this thread where I had similar issues:


https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xk8-xkr-x100-17/1997-xk8-v8-timing-chain-tensioners-126338/


The executive summary:


The long primary guides are not for your engine. They are for a later model.


They will interfere with your sprockets if installed correctly.


Some users have inverted them, but then the elongated slot is bolted down, that is until it drifts in service. At the other end, where the elongated slot is supposed to fit over a pin to allow some movement, is just a round hole, so the required movement cannot take place. I suspect in the long term this will cause problems maintaining the correct primary chain tension.


Despite that I bought the most expensive kit because it was the only one with a picture showing the correct shorter guides, the longer ones were sent. But SNG Barrett promptly replaced them with the correct ones on special order from England.



I think it is probably worth the wait for the correct guides since you are devoting a lot of effort into doing it all right.


Cheers


Andy

 

Dale, if they are unavailable through SnG try this link through FCP Euro. They say they are available. I have bought parts from them before and have had no problems.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/Jaguar-parts...49&m=20&page=1

 

Talked to sng earlier and guides will be shipped at the end of next week. Too far in to mess up now. I'll wait. Thanks again to everyone for input and suggestions. You guys are awesome!!

 

Not a happy camper right now. Got everything back together today. New chains, guides, primary and secondary tensioners, plugs and coil packs. Fired it up and once I got above about 1500-2000 rpm got both 1384 and 1396 errors. Going a different route tomorrow with electrical. At least the work was not wasted as guides were cracked and primary tensioners looked in bad shape

 

Dale, sorry to read this is still haunting you.
At least you're being philosphical, and you're right: not wasted time.

The engine management is still not happy with the cam phasings. You will likely need to revert to diagnostic kit to resolve whether they are indeed wrong or something is sensing incorrectly.

Wild shot in the dark: the upper rearmost bolt on each cam cover (the loose one) is a 'special' item, chosen for its magnetic properties as it fits close to the cam sensor. I don't know if it makes a difference in practice, but Jaguar obviously thought so.

Is it possible a previous owner put ordinary bolts in their place? How can you tell? Hard to describe, but they look a different, lighter colour. Sorry that's a bit of a rubbish description.

Curious to know what direction you're planning.


Mike