The block on this car was replaced with an early S2 block 7R1230-9
Head SN is at the bulkhead and is EI 819. would this be a S1or 2 head? If a 2, can someone tell me how to tell if the camshafts are 1or 2. Many years ago we set the clearances as a S1. I’m having a bit of second thoughts here although the car has run well
Edit:it does have the tach generator off the rear right cam, so I would consider it a S1? Since XKEDATA
Doesn’t list head SN, anyone have a car close to mine 1E12806 that can shout out their head number? Or someone with a head number close to mine shout out their car number?
Ray
The link discusses placement of head numbers up to late 60s when that was discontinued. mine definitely has a number stamped onto what I consider to be a purpose cast flat on the top on the bulkhead end of the head. That is not discussed as a spot in the article
As I recall, S2 heads were not numbered with the engine number… just a casting number or such which could differ but was essentially meaningless for identification.
You said the head S/N is “El 819”. Is that “EL”?? If that is an engine number, its in that table. If that’s a head number… No idea, since heads were only ever stamped with the numeric part of the engine number, and I don’t think any E-Type engine or head had a number as low as 819. S2 heads were not numbered at all.
Yes, as you say, on “a purpose cast flat on the top on the bulkhead end of the head” but so far as I know useless for an owner (probably meant something back in Browns Lane).
From what I’ve read over the years the EI number may be a casting number, but nobody to date has tied it into anything. As far as I know Jaguar did not record this number in a meaningful way, or if they did the records have not been found or released.
The easiest way to tell if a Ser I or II is by the length of the deck of the head. If you look down past the EI number and can see a portion of the block deck sticking out past the bottom of the head it’s a Ser I head. By 68 at least the heads were about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch longer and you cannot see the block deck- in fact the head now protrudes past the block by about an 1/8". My '68 is a short stud block - numbers matching, and this is so.
Cams Ser II or parabolic cams (with the extra clearance) can be identified by looking at the flange that bolts to the sprocket. It will have 4 holes for mounting the sprocket, and or a small groove machined around the circumference of the flange, that you should be able to see behind the sprocket, or possibly both. I’m told you can run the small clearances with the parabolic cam without harm.
PS Let me re phrase something. If you can see the block deck it is not a Ser II head, but it could be From a Ser I or other earlier XK engine.
From the Haddock/Mueller Originality Guide in the 4.2 section:
The head number stampings at the rear of the valley of the head seem to roughly indicate the order being used for engine construction at the factory. This number continued to appear on the heads after the engine number, originally stamped on the back of the timing chain gallery at the front of the head, was discontinued.
This text is accompanied by five photographs showing a variety of alpha-numeric stamping gs: BE341, IG423, B236, CD182, and DU48
The number stamped at the rear end of the cylinder head valley has been discussed at length in various threads on Jag-Lovers. If I recall correctly, most of the information is in the XK or XK-Engine lists and focuses on the engines fitted to the XKs, rather than E-Types. A lot of the research has been done by Roger Payne. I think he refers to it as a Casting Sequence Number, though I believe that it a nomenclature of his invention. The belief is that this number was stamped on the raw castings by Jaguar as they were received from the two foundries who cast them for Jaguar. It allowed them to be tracked as they went through the machining and assembly process, before being mated with a cylinder block. They are not recorded in the Jaguar ledgers, and there is no direct correlation to the Engine Numbers of complete engines they were attached to.There is a section in Haddock & Mueller’s book that refers to these stampings as the Head Number, and lists one they’ve seen as EJxxx (which is probably close to your EIxxx) though they offer no details other than it is from a 4.2L engine. If you wish to determine the vintage of your cylinder head, assuming that it does not have the Engine Number stamped at the front of the valley, the starting point would be the raw casting part number that can be found on the underside of the head in the area that overhangs the block. This number (Cxxxxx/y) is not unique to your head, but is the Jaguar Part number of the casting. It can usually be seen with a suitably placed mirror.
If you main interest is in whether the camshafts in your head are the later parabolic ones or not, then there are easier ways of determining this. I think Dick Maury @Dick_Maury has published an article which has been referenced here that will aid with identification.
As I recall the camshafts for the S2 long stud engines has the part numbers stamped on them. They are C.31819 & C.31818 for eng. 7R.8688 to 7R.14074 & 7R.38855 onward and C.35556 & C.35555 for 7R.14075 on. These had different valve clearance settings that the S1. The latest had no oil holes drilled in the back.
Just a related comment: The part number stamping should not be confused with the casting number on the camshafts. The casting number is easy to see, and not hand stamped. Example from my E-Type Series 2 engine:
The part number is usually stamped on an area of the rough casting that has been crudely scraped/sanded between two cam lobes. It is often faint and difficult to read. Example from my XK140 - C.5717
Then we are darn close in production, of the engine. But If I recall correctly from many years ago, mine is a long stud as they went into the water jacket.
Based on what Terry said, it would appear from the length. Mine is a S2 as it extends just past the block in the rear. The camshafts appear to be a S1 as they have only 2 holes for mounting the sprocket. A picture is attached. Looking at the pics pf the camshafts that David posted, it has exactly the same casting number, though. It also has oil feeds in each lobe. Looking at the profile of the tip of David’s and comparing it to mine, his is a completely smooth curvature. Mine actually have a bit of an edge on both the leading and trailing surfaces. It appears to be purposely there, not a wear pattern. Until I pull the plugs and rotate the crank, I won’t have a chance to see if there is a PN on it. Nothing from the manner presented now
Those are not parabolic cams. I have two set of parabolic cams - one has casting numbers P31818A, the other set doesn’t have any numbers. As the difference between parabolic and earlier cams was machining only there may be no difference in numbers. The set out of my '68 which are not parabolic is MC2089-2
So it appears I have a mutt, but now I can feel comfortable with having the tight valve clearances. I really appreciate all of the feedback from everyone, and the research several of y’all did.
Last fall, I noticed that Cyl 5 was carboned up, while the others were not. When I removed the intake manifold last week, it appeared that the intake port had a bit of soot on it. So first thing I’m getting ready to do, since it’s too far apart to take a compression test, is to check the clearance on that lobe. I’m thinking it may be tight and leaking under firing although I’ve never seen what would amount to be backflow while running, and it has run quite well. I’ll find out in a while. I really don’t want to take apart the camshaft and timing chain😟
to be a S1 as they have only 2 holes for mounting the sprocket. A picture is attached. Looking at the pics pf the camshafts that David posted, it has exactly the same casting number, though. It also has oil feeds in each lobe. Looking at the profile of the tip of David’s and comparing it to mine, his is a completely smooth curvature. Mine actually have a bit of an edge on both the leading and trailing surfaces. It appears to be purposely there, not a wear pattern. Until I pull the plugs and rotate the crank, I won’t have a chance to see if there is a PN on it. Nothing from the manner presented now