As mentioned in another post, the starter is replaced and I can move on to other issues. In addition to the starter, I asked the mechanic to grease the chassis and change the oil and filter change the plugs points and condenser and set the timing. This is a car that was driven, so it’s not a case of bring ing it out of hibernation. Is there anything else you would suggest I have done to get things off to the right foot?
By the way, I did get under the car while it was on the lift at the shop and there is NOT A HINT of rust on the undercarriage. What at relief!
The previous owner told me there is an oil leak in the rear main seal (I think that is the right nomenclature). The local Jaguar mechanic indicated that the engine may need to come out to change that seal. Is that usually the case?
Are there any good, not temporary, alternative treatments for that issue?
Rear main seal replacement usually is an engine out task Lou. The other way to do it is support the engine from above and lower the transmission and front subframe instead. This works for the DIY enthusiast who hasn’t got the workspace to hoist the engine out from above, but is a lot of work. Any decent shop should have the facilities to hoist the engine and transmission out from above and separate the two away from the car and this is the way to do it.
Various engine oils and additives are touted to reduce oil leakage by swelling seals but I think these act on rubber seals only and won’t benefit the rope rear seal in an XK engine.
I believe this car is fairly new to you. I’d drive it a while and assess just how much oil it really is leaking before deciding to spring for replacing the rear seal. If its just leaking a teacup of oil every month it may not be worth fixing. I’d also ask your mechanic to check carefully whether the oil is leaking from the rear crankshaft seal or from the rear sump pan gasket. The latter would have been made from cork on a Series I and may be disintegrating by now. The pan gasket will cost far less to replace.
Also check that the oil isn’t coming from simpler problems like a leaking cam cover gasket and flowing down the back of the engine making it look like a leaking rear seal. PO may or may not be a reliable source.
I agree with others. Leave for now. Really the crank needs to come out to size/persuade a new rope into the groove. There are also modifications available $$. There is a special tool or pipe or a bit of old crank to tease it in. I did it with gentle tapping and bits of round pipes. Yes it leaks, but so does my V12. This must be the biggest mechanics cash cow ££. Fortunately it’s not on the clutch side if a manual. Once had that with a rubbish gearbox seal I used and it slipped the clutch on the XK. Seem to remember I had to use a leather one to fix it as original. Think I’ll start a post on this.
You can use the extant crank, to set/size the seal. The trick is to leave just the right amount, sticking proud of the mating surface of the block and main cap. A teensy daub of silicone along the chamfer, and it’ll be virtually leakfree.
You didn’t say which Jag engine, but if you trawl the archives you’ll find the Sneaky Pete method works on the V12 but not the XK engine, apparently. The rope seals are a different design. The XK’s seal is gripped in a much deeper channel in the holder casting and this is why the Sneaky Pete won’t work.
I should add too to check that the crankcase breather system is clear. Otherwise the raised crankcase pressure will find a way to blow oil out somewhere.
All good advise on the forum so far but I would add that ALL iron block Jaguar engines should be expected to leak/seep some oil. If this is unacceptable, then I suggest a different car.
I used to argue with the owners of the old Rolls Royce V8 engines (Silver Clouds and Silver Shadows) that some oil leakage from the rear crankshaft area was normal because there IS NO SEAL!!!
The area behind the rear main bearing is just a machined surface and the crankshaft has a ‘reverse-scroll’ cut into a journal to ‘screw’ the oil back into the crankcase. Tilting on a flatbed towtruck really dumped some oil if left tilted for too long.
At least Jaguar used ‘Rope’ seals (like old Chevys).They are far from perfect seals like modern lip seals. The only time I replaced them is when the engine was out for some other reason.
Just like the front pulley on all air-cooled VW engines. Works well, and when ya shut’em down: TWO drips of oil. VW even planned for the drips, by making an escape funnel on the cooling tin!
Lou
Fixing engine oil leaks is vastly over rated. For example the 1960`s BMC Mini was a notorious oil leaker and even with the non existent anti corrosion protection on British cars of the era ( including one whose name begins with J ) when the back half of the Mini finally failed due to terminal rust issues the front end which was protected by a layer of oil was still intact. Pete
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Replacing the rear seal is a major operation, Lou - best done in conjunction with an engine out overhaul…
The main stumbling block is that the crankshaft must be lowered, to seat and adjust the seal properly - in-car this is difficult process. As rear seal leak is common and ‘harmless’; it should be very severe before separate action is considered - unless you have a exotic wood on your garage floor…
