1989 5.3 XJS. Cleaned out the banjo fitting. In putting it back together, I noticed the fitting doesn’t match hole for hole perfectly. The line was plugged on one end as per picture.
Any suggestions? The white dots are close.
The holes aren’t supposed to line up with the tubes. There’s a groove around the inside of the collar, and as long as the coolant gets into that groove it can run around to where the tube is.
The real problem is vertical alignment, that the holes in the bolt are too close to the head and therefore mostly miss the groove; they open up against the close part of the collar instead. That’s why, in my book, I advocate a little Dremel work on the bolt to extend the openings in the bolt away from the head a little bit.
1 Like
Yes indeed…great idea and thank you.
Makes sense…getting out the dremel.
Kirby.
Please give me a link to your book…former computer died.
What does this banjo fitting do in the scheme of the cooling system to the 1989 XJS 12?
Noticed grit on the bolt and lightly sanded along with expanding grooves. Hope the sanding is ok.
One more question on the issue…the photo showed a partial blockage of one of the oriffices…what effect would that have on the cooling system?
Load the book on your smart phone. Kirby was not joking when he said read parts of it multiple times. Almost weekly there is an insufferable wait somewhere and a few minutes daily will let the info sink in.
Will do and thank you.
It is also very important to install three new copper washers, Jaguar part number C4146, when reassembling the bleeder pipe, banjo bolt, and spacer. Otherwise you are likely to have coolant leaks. I don’t see any shiny new copper washers in the pictures but I could be wrong about that. The C4146 washers are very thin and not something that can be annealed and reused in my experience.
Paul
1 Like
This is interesting. I will have to change antifreeze over the winter, among other things. My motorcycles with copper washers over the years have been thick and easy to anneal. I can see where thin ones would be harder to get the temp right without melting.
Is it possible to use thicker washers, or are the banjo bolts not long enough?
you can get a modified banjo, longer so you can use normal thick washers
John_John here makes some (among various uprated bits)
Bretmaverick,
The OEM Jaguar crush washers (C4146) are very thin, and the use of thicker washers mean that the holes in the banjo bolts won’t line up with the bleeder pipes and coolant will be blocked.
I believe that the OEM crush washers are meant for only one use. One time I experimented and tried to anneal some used ones and they melted. So I do not recommend annealing or trying to reuse them.
In my opinion there are two viable options. The first is to buy and use the proper new OEM crush washers any time you remove the banjo bolts and not reuse the original used ones. The second is to purchase available aftermarket longer banjo bolts and use their specified thicker copper washers.
I prefer to use the OEM crush washers since they are proven to work, readily available, and relatively inexpensive. I know that some folks have a need to modify their cars in order to “upgrade” them regardless, so for them they can buy longer banjo bolts and use thicker washers.
Paul
I actually did manage to anneal them, gently, and when refitted they didn’t leak.
Then I had to take them apart an other time and just reused them, and again they didn’t leak.
I guess one could try and see as the banjo bolt is so easily accessible, don’t even have to drain the coolant.
Or you can just modify your existing bolt with a Dremel to elongate the holes farther away from the head, making use of the thicker copper washers viable.
I’ve had that banjo bolt apart more than a couple of times, always just reused the washers, no annealing. Not had a problem.
Kirby,
Well, I guess I am just lazy, set in my ways, and see nothing wrong with the original design. 
All four of my Jaguars use the C4146 copper crush washers for coolant and/or oil lines, so I buy a dozen or so at a time when I make my parts purchases just to have them on hand when I need them. The washers are inexpensive, readily available, and they work. If I use the OEM washers I don’t have to modify the banjo bolts.
Paul
1 Like
In 2018 I bought my wife a new Civic Hatchback- turbo. As we left the showroom the salesman said “Be sure to bring it back for oil changes, as it takes a “special” washer, and will leak if you do it yourself.”
Being an adventurous fellow, when the time came for the first oil change, I got the car up in the air, and drained the oil. The “special” washer turned out to be aluminum, and was supposed to be replaced. Ha!
It wound up in the trash can, and a suitable copper washer has been used ever since- annealed as we go.
I’ve had no problem using aluminum crush washers. Cheap one timers.
My SAAB has a combination metal and rubber washer for the oil drain plug. I’ve never replaced it in 17 years of oil changes. It has probably has been the same item since it was first installed in 1993.