Update: I have rigged up a control panel to start the engine. I’ll take a picture later. Engine started right up and showed oil pressure. So failure to prime at starter speed was the issue. Thanks for the tips! I had to shut down soon after start when the new spin-on filter adapter sprung a leak after oil pressure reached 20 psi. After I get that sorted out I will fill the radiator with water and run the engine up to temp. The engine sounded great for the brief time it ran. Very satisfying to hear it purrrr after a lengthy rebuild.
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Hi Joe
Glad to here the good news! I recently rebuilt a bare 5.3 for a Ronart special.
The garage fitted it in the car and couldn’t get oil pressure. They told me they’d flattened 2 batteries trying to get the oil pressure. I went there this morning and discovered they hadn’t even removed the spark plugs! After less than 10 secs running it had 65psi.
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Do yourself a favour and put the oil filter adaptor on the shelf and refit the original oil filter asemby!
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Actually, I might suggest replacing your oil filter head with a filter head from a newer model XJ-S, which used a spin-on. Whether it would run into anything in your car, I dunno. Note that the early XJ-S filter head had issues and would distort over time, and later versions were sturdier but it also switched between bypass cooling and full-flow cooling, you’d have to figure out what would work for you.
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I think I have the issue with the new filter adapter corrected, so I will stay with this setup for now. Is there a problem with the SNG spin-on filter adapter? My research led me to believe that it was the way to go. I have set up the control panel to run the engine. Cooling system is complete. I looped the hose connected in place of the heater. Wired directly to the coil, fuel pump and fans through switches. Chokes will be manipulated separately and manually. I will fill the system with water and hope I am sorted out. I will not be able to take the next steps until later this week. In the meantime, here is a picture of the current setup. Let me know if I am missing something. The engine has been fired up briefly without water in the system. I will be upgrading the starter to a modern high-torque version.
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I personally wouldn’t be running it without air filters, but that’s just me.
Vertical-flow radiator! If only the later cars had that. Soooo much grief and heartache could have been avoided!
For the wee bit it’ll run, no harm will come to the engine: now, if the intent is to tune mixture, yep, air filters should be fitted.
Nice one Joe!
I have run some engines I have been working on without coolant for a few seconds. Maybe 15 or 20 seconds. Enough time to tell if it idles and if the idle is smooth etc. I have not observed any problems. There does not appear to be enough heat generated in that time frame (and it’s under no load). The purists might disagree.
I had my MkII Jag stolen from outside my house once. I had been working on it and had the radiator disconnected, foolishly thinking no one in their right mind would steal a half assembled car. The thief was not in their right mind. They drove it probably about 6 to 7 km to a rough housing area where it was abandoned (I assume they went direct and not for a joy ride). I guess somewhere from 5 to 10 minutes. I was a penniless student and assumed the engine would be stuffed. But when I recovered the car, I just added coolant and found I could drive it home. That engine died some years later with a split piston crown on the rear cylinder after a long trip. But it also ran lean due to problems with the SU carbs. So I was never sure which did the damage. Perhaps a bit of both.
SWMBO wants to know if you’re married.
That’s a clown question, bro.