2006 XK8 approaching 114,000 miles....

I recently noticed a small stain on the driveway underneath where my wife often parks her XK8. Judging by the location and smell of the stain, I thought it was likely to be one of the infamous transmission oil cooler lines weeping at the joint where the metal line from the ZF joins the rubber hose headed towards the oil cooler. So I jacked up the front end today and bingo, that joint is indeed weeping on what may be the return line. The weeping joint is just to the passenger side of the alternator, underneath the air filter box. Is that indeed the return line, not the feed line?

A complete new line from SNG Barratt is certainly one way to fix this issue. But I know that some owners have cut out the weeping rubber hose section and replaced it with a much better quality section of hydraulic hose and the appropriate clamps on the existing metal lines to hold it in place. I am leaning towards that solution, but I have some questions for those of you who have done this job:

1. How did you access the oil cooler side of the metal line that screws into the oil cooler in order to cut the old rubber hose off there, slide the new hydraulic hose into place there on the existing metal line, and then clamp that side of the new hydraulic hose section into place? I know the air filter box must be removed in order to gain access from above, but I cannot see where the existing line actually enters the oil cooler because too many brackets and components are in my sight path (looking down into the engine bay)....

2. What kind, length, and inside diameter of hydraulic hose is best for this repair?

3. What kind and size of clamps are best for this repair?

4. Any guess as to how much ATF you lost while doing this repair?


Wayne (cjd777) and I may tackle this repair at his home shop and we would truly appreciate any tips, tricks, and advice from those of you who have successfully completed this chore. I think that getting to the oil cooler connection and having enough room to get the tools in there will be the biggest challenge....

 

Hmm, please clarify:

The _transmission_ oil cooler is on the driver side of the radiator. 2 lines, to and from the transmission. Same deal, rubber/aluminum transitions.

The _engine_ oil cooler is centered and towards the front, very low under the bumper. There are 4 sections of these lines. These lines come off the front on the engine, sort of above the oil filter, go around the radiator, and meet at the cooler on the front.

 

Thanks for your input....

The rubber hose-to-metal tube junction that is weeping is on the passenger side of the engine bay. That line is perhaps an inch to the outboard side of the alternator and it continues up above the alternator where the rubber hose portion then runs towards the radiator and disappears out of my sight from above. As I said, if I removed the air filter box I could reach down into the engine bay at that spot and put my hand on that weeping junction, maybe 6 to 8 inches below where the bottom of the air filter box would sit. So you think this leaking junction is on an engine oil cooler line, not a transmission oil cooler line?

Looks like I may have some further investigating to do. Any suggestions would be much appreciated....

 

Now that you describe it that way, it sounds like a power steering line...

Post a picture if you can.

Everything trans cooler-related is on the driver side, so this seems out.

Everything engine oil cooler-related is down low. Comes off the front of the engine, makes hard turns around the radiator, then joins at the cooler, down low in front of the radiator.

 

The power steering fluid reservoir is on the other side of the car (at the top front of the engine bay on the drivers side). Do any of the power steering fluid hoses have these rubber hose-to-metal tube junctions that weep, and if so, do their lines run all the way to the other side of the engine bay where this one is?

You say the engine oil cooler-related hoses are "down low". Maybe this hose is indeed considered "down low". It certainly starts off low underneath the car, but it elevates somewhat as it passes by the alternator and then heads towards the radiator and disappears out of my sight beneath where the upper radiator hose connects to the radiator and where one of the A/C Schrader valve ports is located....

If I can figure out what sort of fluid is weeping from the rubber hose-to-metal tube junction, that would certainly help to narrow it down. I thought it was ATF (probably because that is what I was expecting)....

It is raining now, the car has remained parked outside in the driveway, so I must wait for clear weather to jack it up and crawl underneath it again....

Oh, and there is no way for me to get a photo of that hose. I can hardly see it from above using a flashlight. With the air filter box removed, a decent photo could probably be snapped. But as I said, it is raining now so I will not be removing components today....

 

Mine started weeping 3 months ago. I thought it was a passenger side transmission leak until motorcarman pointed out it was the power steering line. I’d much rather have that than a trans leak. Attached are pictures of my PAS line near the alternator, along with where it connects to the cooler in front; does this look like where yours is?

If so, here is a link on how other members have repaired the leak without replacing the whole line, using a brass barb instead. I have yet to do this, but it will be the route I take when I get around to it as it is not weeping a lot (yet).

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ng-leak-67615/

 

chillyphilly,

Thanks for posting your details. I think you just nailed my issue. Your second photo looks exactly like what I am dealing with. Did you snap that photo after removing your air filter box?

Who knew that the power steering hose runs all the way over to the other side of the engine bay? Not me!

I will have a look at the link you included regarding fixing the leak without replacing the entire line. That sure sounds easier and probably far less costly....

Thanks again to all who have contributed to this thread. Your willingness to assist is much appreciated....

 

Hi Jon,

Yes, the airbox is removed in the picture. You were spot on with your original ssessment of the type of fluid leaking. The PAS in our cars used Dexron IIE (no longer made, I believe), which is an ATF.

 

Mine calls for Dexron III

 

Since Dexron IIE has not been available for years, I just use Dexron III as power steering fluid in our vehicles. I have always assumed it is compatible although I have never checked with a Jaguar tech. Anybody know for sure?

 

Jon, I am watching this and wondering what cleans ATF off a concrete pad. LOL
Interesting, glad we have the guys on this forum to keep us from making big mistakes.

 

Wayne (cjd777) and I were just on the phone discussing this power steering fluid hose leak repair using the 3/8-inch brass hose barb connector method, and our question is this:

Are there any metal parts that must be cut out of the line, or will we only be cutting the rubber hose section just above the leaking coupling?

 

It's common to a lot of cars - it's a simple way to provide some cooling.

 

All, my concern after talking to Jon, the metal crimp that covers the barb in the line. Surely that needs to be cut off in able to get the new claps in place.
Am I wrong to be concerned or does is come off with not much effort?
Wayne

 

Here is another link to how members have removed the quick disconnect fitting. If you want it to be removed with a tool, it sounds like a cheap AC line disconnect tool is needed. Otherwise others have just cut it off.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...t-hose-135077/

 

chillyphilly,

Thanks for the additional link. Looks like there may indeed be some metal surface cutting required along with the rubber hose cutting. Wayne has some rotary blades that will cut through even the strongest steel so we may very well need to have them ready to go when we start this job....

 

Chilly, not thinking about taking the pipe out of the power steering unit or disconnecting from anything other than the right at the alternator at the end of the metal pipe. I looked at mine today and if Jon's leak is right at the crimped metal collar, then my question was the ease in which the collar will come off of there. The hose under it will need to be pulled off and I'm betting it doesn't just pull off. I'm hoping to make a cut along that metal sleeve with a dremmel wheel and be able to pull the metal away. Then slice the rubber down to the pipe, pull off and let Jon catch as much fluid as possible. Then do your repair. If all goes well, BBQ for lunch by noon.
Sorry to be so annul, but I don't like surprises when the part you need is going to take 2 days to get here.

Wayne

Wayne

 

Hey guys, I just completed my power steering line fix today. Here is what I did.

Remove the airbox.

I then cut the rubber power steering hose flush with the metal crimped end, which ended up being a good length once I connected eveything together. Basically leave the existing hose as long as you can. Catch the fluid draining out (about two cups for mine) and place the hose in an upwards position so it will stop slowly draining.

I then took a pair of vice grips and snapped the metal crimped end off off the plastic end. You don’t need to do this, I wasn’t sure how it came off and still needed to get the plastic connector off.

You can leave the metal crimped end on and take a flathead screwdriver and pry up on the three small plastic tabs on the plastic connector. Once those are pried up (or broken off) the connecting end will slide right off. No need to cut through any metal.

I then cut 3.5 inches of 3/8” fuel line.

Place the 3/8” brass barb into the existing PS line in the car first, as it will be harder to fit into this hose since it is not as elastic.

You can use a pair of needlenose pliers or another tool to loosen up the inside of the hose if need be. I try not to do this unless I know the hose will spring back to shape. I used this method alittle on the new rubber hose, but not on the old hose.

Press the 3.5” hose onto the other end of the brass barb, and slide on your pipe clamps. I over did it and used four clamps, in reality you could get by with as little as one to clamp the new hose on the metal PS line, as long as it fits snug on your brass connector. I used two 3/8” fuel line clamps on the brass fitting, and two 5/16-7/8” SAE #6 hose clamps on the hard metal PS line.

Slide the new hose over the metal PS line and tighten all the hose clamps.

Install the airbox and top up your power steering fluid.

DONE!

On a side note, it was surprisingly not easy to find the brass connector here, but I think it was due to the incompetence of the auto parts store employees here. After them selling me wrong parts and then sending me to two other stores who also did not have the part, I called Napa Auto and they had it. The key is that the brass is a pneumatic fitting, not a fuel line fitting, even though I was using rubber 3/8” fuel line. The brass fittings they sold me at first were for nylon fuel lines, which do not fit and are too small.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks Phil, if we can't get it done from that, don't try.
Now we all know.


Wayne

 

chillyphilly,

Well done, and great instructions! You just taught the prototype class to both Wayne and me on what to do. Much appreciated....

By the way, I also sourced my 3/8-inch brass hose barb connector from NAPA ($2.50). Our local Lowe's was sold out, and the Autozone next door to Lowe's only had a plastic one (no thanks). Another mile up the road to NAPA and bingo, there it was....

Wayne and I hope to get together and knock this job out in the next couple of weeks as our schedules permit....

Thanks again for the tutorial....


Oh, one quick question - did you do all work from above, or did you have to get underneath the car for some of it?