List: My habit of saving parts has caught up with me. I am running out of space in the garage for parts. I have two engine blocks that I acquired a number of years ago For parts, and have never touched again. Before I junk them, is there any part worth saving? They are at least 40 years old.
And, what does a block, without a head but otherwise complete, weigh?
Regards
Lou
Depends on how old they are: Early 120 blocks, I’d wager, are fairly valuable.
My SWAG at weight is about 200 pounds.
As Paul said, I’d guess about 100 kg / 220 lb but they are largely scrap if you don’t have the main bearing caps. I assume they are both 4.2 XJ blocks? You could put pictures and engie numbers on here. Someone migt save them from being weighed in a scrap?
Peter and Paul:
Thanks for the response. They are heavy but fortunately, I had the good sense to store them directly under the garage ceiling steel beam that carries the roof. And I installed a chain hoist that travels the width of the garage on that beam. Once I move the 71 XJ6 I can drive a pickup under the beam and drop them in the bed.
One of the two is from an XJ6 parts car that I had years ago. By chance, it was only a few dozen numbers away from my functioning 71 XJ6. Probably were built in the same week.
The other block was given to me by a fellow who lives in Intercourse Pennsylvania, USA. I was there to pick up a Jaguar part he was selling. He mentioned he was going to dispose of the block and gave it to me instead. I don’t recall why he was getting rid of it. He worked for a well know Jaguar restorer so his life was Jaguars. His garage was a metal building tall enough to have Jaguars stored three stories high on three sides of the building. The fourth side was how you entered the garage, an amazing sight.
I will get the engine number and a photo.
Lou
Peter Crespin,
When you make a statement I wish you would state WHY. main bearing caps??
Mitch
Hello Mitch. Are you asking why a block should come with its bearing caps?
Same reason why heads with no cam caps or rods with no rod caps are practically useless - they are precision machined as sets or pairs.
Normally, assuming you could persuade someone to just sell you a set of caps, it would cost more to re-machine the block/head/rods fitted with replacement caps than it would cost to buy a complete set of parts in the first place.
If it was a 1930s Bugatti block or a super-rare V16 or similar, sure get your hands on the priceless part, but an XJ block without mains caps and preferably its matching timing cover, is close to useless except as an excellent boat anchor - which you know all about!
Thank you Pete,
One question begets many more…
In essence I disassembled a '83 4.2 xj6 block and the machine shop took apart the head…turns out everything on this block is within spec (tho I used the crank). But all the parts are in a box…What now…if one was to try and use this stuff??
Mitch
Many years ago I had an XJ engine in the front garden and a young slender lass with a horse and cart asked if I wanted it. I said if you can shift it you can have it. She did, and got it on her cart, don’t ask me how.