There are many copies of Glenn’s on EBay US now, lowest 9.99, a clean copy, and Ball’s on Amazon $18-22. There is a Mark IX handbook, $47 on E-bay US, and the earlier Mark VII like mine for $20.
I’ve got a mk7 , 1954 , what’s yours ?
I hope you guys don’t get bored with me because I have a LOT of questions.
I have the XK120 manual supplement, the owner’s manual and the 75 page automatic transmission manual. Are there any more comprehensive manuals specifically for the MK IX?
The brake booster is mounted with the atmospheric hose facing downwards, which looks quite exposed since the hose hangs lower than anything else on the car. Is this mounting position correct? Should there be a guard beneath it? I see a couple of studs on the chassis. By the way, where does that hose end up?
Also, what is that thing underneath the clock in the back seat? There doesn’t seem to be a reference to it in the owner’s manual. They call it a “Cupboard” in the parts manual but I wonder how it is used.
Mike,
I found that replacing the Instrument illumination bulbs with positive ground Blue leds greatly improved the ability to see them.
Also somewhere out there is a VERY COMPREHENSIVE electrical schematic with all the supercessions that they did. I will try and get the proper name and publisher and or get the person I know that has it to have it copied.
BTW, I would seriously think about eliminating the trans solenoid hold no real need for it and it malfunctioning would not lead to a good day.
I did a full restoration on a 1961 and it was a great car to work on.
It is a lockable document cabinet, silly. I keep my registration in it. For the businessman who signs contracts and sensitive documents, and possibly bribe money. It is keyed separate from the ignition so your driver does not get into your “stuff”. Fortunately my Mk9 had all the keys.
The brake booster tank has a cover. The vacuum line goes to the rear of the passenger side intake manifold.
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I suspect Thorswhisper reference to a solenoid valve is not the intermediate hold (which is in the auto transmission) but the anti- creep solenoid valve which is in the picture aft of the brake booster. The interestingly named anti-creep valve holds the rear brakes on until released by a switch on the acceleration or transmission. Given the crud in the brake reservoir, you will be working through the brake system and need to check operation of this valve. The valve is frequently replaced by straight pipe as no one seems to list rebuild kits.
Great car you have acquired Mike, I have one too and will welcome you queries.
I’d suggest with your brake booster, it is an after market replacement and that may be why it has the hose at that point. The originals had bolts around the circumference of the booster chamber which possibly allowed for for it to be rotated so that the hose was more to the side.
Back to the brake fluid reservoir, I see a PO has updated it to a plastic bottle and it has wiring to warn of low level. As it isnt original (but useful) I wonder what it is wired to in the dash?
Kind regards
Matt
My absolutely stock (when I got it) Mark 9 had a plastic brake reservoir with a float and warning light wired to the e-brake light.
The booster is of the original type but it appears to have been rotated one flat of the hexagon from the way yours is mounted. There appears to be enough slack in the input brake line to mount it correctly. The atmosphere hose is kinked in two places so I’ll need to fix that. I need to test the vacuum tank and booster, probably after I figure out why there is a layer of grease on the inside of the right front brake disc.
The “Hill Holder” solenoid is disconnected on this car so I will find more about it later. I liked it on my MK2 but always wondered why they didn’t use it on the manual cars, which would let you start up more easily when facing up a hill. When I switched my MK2 from auto to manual I left it intact, and enjoyed having it.
I believe the later cars had the plastic brake fluid bottles. The bezel on my screen rail light says “Brake Fluid/ Handbrake”.
I figured out why the coolant was low. When I filled it up it produced a puddle under the car, emanating from the water rail above the intake manifold. The area had evidence of RTV worms, where someone has sloppily tried to stop the leak. I took the rail off and cleaned the mating surfaces, and also filled the pits on the pipes that connect to the hoses in front with JBWeld. Put it back together today and it runs without leaking water or gas.
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When I remove the front seat squab I find three wires attached to the seat under the left side which lead to the rear seat clock. Unfortunately they are not connected to anything on the car, and there is no sign of where they should connect. Someone has obviously replaced the interior of this car at some time, and neglected the finer points of its installation. Can anyone tell me where the power wires come from and how they are routed to the back of the front seat? Straight from the front pedals, or along the side, or…?
You need a wiring diagram from Worcester Classic Spares here in UK.
This is a specific mk9 diagram and shows everything you need.
The official workshop manuals have a codged up version of the MK7 manual which is inaccurate and misleading.
I have a wiring diagram on order so I’ll see how accurate that one is. I have seen one diagram but I know it is not accurate because it shows a Stop/Flasher Relay as was used in the XK140 but my car doesn’t have one of those. My car has a dual-filament brake/sidelight and also a separate turn signal bulb, just like the MK2.
Thanks for the lead, I’ll look at Worcester Classic Spares.
On mine, the wires disappear where the center post between the doors meets the floor. I assume they go through the rocker panel to come up the front left kick panel and dash. They are ground, clock always on, and light for the clock.
Yours must be an early mk9 with red rear lenses as opposed to red/ orange. The lenses are the same as the Morris 1000.
There should be a change over relay box on the left side of the engine compartment, This gives preference to the indicator rather than the brake lamp when required.
The official workshop manuals are principally for the MK7 with updates for various models. They are very misleading. The Worcester classics one is all you will need. It covered both the early and later mk9.
You might like to check out some of my posts on this site, as I have had my 1959 Mk9 for 23 years.
If indeed yours is an early model, some things may be Mk8. This includes back lamps, mechanical tacho drive, oil filter, brake master cylinder, exhaust downpipes and manifold. I’ll find the chassis number when the major change between early and late occured.
Engine wise you’re probably better off with a MK2 manual as the alternatives are based on the MK7 going back to 1950 and don’t necessarily include the relevant updates. The axle details are the same as the xk150.
Best of luck.
Hi Wardell, My 1960 MKIX is a later version, with much in common with the MK2. Detailed photos of my car are available on the website I referenced in my first post, but here is a picture of the tail lights, which are identical to the MK2:
There are three filaments in the lights, so there is no need for the flasher relay. The car has an electric tach, plastic brake reservoir with level sensor, and swept-back exhaust manifolds for the power steering pump. Oddly enough, it has the early short large diameter oil filter that hangs straight down, like the XK140.
Dana, are the clock wires exposed between the B-C post and the seat, running above the carpet, or do they run beneath the carpet and emerge through a hole in the carpet under the seat? And where is that hole located?
Mike, the wires disappear down a little hole that is located at the base of the pillar at floor level. the wire runs up the side of the seat and along the seat back bottom until it goes up to the clock.
My Mk9 was built end of 1960 with SN 793652. 1960 models SN were 792289-793745. 1961 models started with SN 793746.
Hi Dana, I appreciate your help. The wires that are within the seat that run to the clock are intact and have bullet connectors on them. But they are just hanging there and don’t connect to anything:
The wires that are supposed to connect to them emerge from the base of the BC pillar. I could connect them directly to the clock wires but I speculate that Jaguar had a more sophisticated technique than simply running the wires over the top of the carpet, where a rear seat passenger could trip over them.
My guess is that the wires are supposed to run beneath the carpet from the bottom of the BC pillar and emerge through a hole in the carpet somewhere beneath the seat. My carpet does not have a hole under the seat, so I will need to make one. The location of that hole is somewhat critical since the seat has to move fore and aft without pulling the wires out, and the back seat passenger should be able to put his feet under the seat without disturbing the wires. It would be very helpful if someone could take a picture of the area corresponding to the pictures I have taken, so I can see where the hole is located. This, of course, assumes that I am correct about there being a hole at all.
My MKIX is 792647, so it was made sometime in the first few months of 1960.
No need to put a hole in the carpet. I probably need a clip or two to hold the wire on the seat rail better, as it did slip off. The slack is near the connection at the left side of the seat. The bit of wire that comes out of the floor is covered by the corner of the over-carpet, that cushy extra layer. There is a bit under the seat.
Interestingly, my MK9 has clear front turn signals and red/red tail lights. It came into America through the port of Chicago. It was sold in and therefore registered as a 1961, which is on the original title, and mine now as well.
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So the wire just lays on top of the carpet. I don’t have an extra cushy layer of carpet in my car, which is why I didn’t expect the wire to be on top. For now I’ll just wire it up and see how it works.
One interesting phenomenon that I noticed is that the green colored vinyl insulation on the wires is crumbling and falling off. The other colors are still flexible. Something to do with the formulation, I guess.
I solve that problem by removing the old insulation and installing green 1/8" heat shrink tubing.
I speculate that my car came from Canada, since it has those incorrect (for America) colored lights and also since the ancient 6.50 x 16 spare tire was made in Canada.
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Somehow this tie rod end doesn’t look right…
I also can’t imagine how it got that way, without destroying some of its surroundings.
Hi Mike,
My Mark IX is RHD, but neither of my tie rod ends have any curvature whatsoever. I’m guessing that yours was replaced at some point, and rather than find the correct part, a longer replacement was “shortened” to make it fit. Good enough for a museum car, right? Suggest you contact Jaguar Heaven in California or Jack White in Virginia for a good used correct replacement.
Best of Luck,
Jay