The chances are vanishingly small that it’s a con rod issue.
Broken piston? I’ve seen that happen.
Dropped (or hit and broke off) valve head maybe? As per this recent thread over on the XJ forum…
1 Like
Well, for sure you have a bent valve and cracked guide, maybe more than one. Try not to turn the crank and whip that head off and get out the vacuum for the cylinder cleanup. I had the same thing happen to mine. In my case the machine shop did it. I had checked with the Jag dealer in Vancouver as to where they sent their heads for valve seat insert repair and they told me but also mentioned they sent a mechanic with the head to do all the assembly and generally keep an eye on things. I guess they laid the head down on the gasket side or on it’s end and it fell over. With the cams in you need to support the head on two blocks of wood so the valves don’t hit the table or floor.
I did the same thing to myself after rebuilding a 4 cylinder motorcycle with new cast iron guides. Being near the end of the season I had only put a thousand miles on it before parking it for the winter. In the spring I thought I would do the right thing and not just hit the starter, I would kick it slowly. I imagine you felt the same way I did when I heard that “clunk”. Forty years later it sits in the basement with the head off of it patiently awaiting a new valve and guide. My point here is that new engines are tight and need to be used until worn in. You WILL get it running and I hope you find someone to help you with your valve clearances.
I’m saddened to see this Nicole. Fixable, but I know not what any of us ever want to see!!
What is the model number of those Champion spark plugs?
1 Like
Let’s hold the “for sure” off till Candy gets the head off, eh?
2 Likes
That’s not a boroscope, it’s a horrorscope. Sometimes it seems like the hits just keep coming.
I wish you all the best that it only looks worse than it is.
Could not have said it better myself. 
Now to find anyone in this area that has expertise with this engine.
Been working crazy hours at the hospital (COVID).
Hoping to get clarity on the level of problems soon.
Candiece this is probably too old to be of much use but my car spent most of its life in Norman OK before I bought it in 2000. I have some receipts in the file they gave me from Four Ashes Garage at 2415 N. Eastern Moore OK 405-799-9611 and Jaguar Sport & Classic Restoration Highway 9 half mile from Norman OK 405-364-2888. Not sure if they are still around but they did lots of work on my car in 1996 and 1999 mainly for brake and clutch work though. Just a thought since I think this is in your area.
David
68 E-type FHC
1 Like
Did anyone not notice those look like two different plugs, larger electrode on the damaged one and different colour on the word Champion and one says 9 D and the other 787. Not that that has anything to do with it but I just wouldn’t have different plugs in my engine.
I had that same piston damage inside my motor from PO. My guess it’s a stuck valve that got the head knocked off by a rising piston then bounced around inside the chamber.
They didn’t bother to change my piston. So when mechanic tore the motor down we saw the damaged piston. We replaced the piston.
Best of luck to you.
“…I don’t know lady, it was running great when we parked it…”
1 Like
Wow Candiece, to say that sucks would be the understatement of the century. You just can’t catch a break on this project. I agree with the posters that are saying to remove the head and see what’s up. The damage to the piston does seem to have curvatures that are suggestive of a valve head bouncing around. Good luck and keep us posted. If I were closer to you I’d come down and help out.
1 Like
If a piston has small, smooth dents in it, there’s really no need to change it out.
If it has a sharp, deep gouge, OTOH…
1 Like
4 Likes
I’m sending good thoughts, but my gut tells me you’re not gonna find anything pretty.
2 Likes
What all has to come off? 
So far have the breather tube, timing chain cover, valve cover cross tube…. This may take a minute. 
1 Like
Cam sprockets, plenty of rags down into the timing chain black hole.
3 Likes
Exhaust manifold flanges, throttle linkage, the four nuts/bolts around the lower front periphery of the head, heater hoses, tach gen wires.
1 Like
Does the cam or timing chain have to come off?
As we spoke of on our FONCON ([c], Lt. Col. C. Balzer)… Ill talk to John!
1 Like
Sprockets need to be unbolted from the cam flanges.
1 Like