Hello Folks,
I am restoring a !955 XK 140 engine. The parts manual calls for a part number C5459.53%20AM|690x387
This is a screen shot from the XK’s web site. Hopefully it shows up. Is this the correct terminal for my 140? I have seen terminals on 140’s that are much planer looking and brown.
Many thanks
Wes Keyes
York Maine
Hello again, The pic I tried to send didn’t make it. Here is a link to the part C5479 on the XK’s site.
https://xks.com/search.html?q=C5479&go=Search
Thanks for your patience.
Wes
Here is XKs offering.
I believe the red rings came along later.
Here is what I have on my 120.
Thanks Rob,
Yes the ones your have are the ones I have seen on original Jags. Do you know who might sell those?
Thanks
Wes
I think the XK120 had soothing much simpler but this has been the used item as per 140 and 150
Moss Motors has plug wire ends that look more original than those with the wide collar and a red label. The Moss variety has a set screw that can be positioned (to the rear) such that it is not visible.
Check: https://mossmotors.com/cap-spark-plug?assoc=27963
Good luck.
Dick
No, they are original Champion, but maybe used or NOS ones turn up on ebay.
I notice XKs sells the red insert separately, so I suppose you could remove it to have an all black one. So that’s two alternatives, the Moss and the XKs, either one pretty close anyway.
Hello Folks,
Thanks so much guys. I will just take the red Champion ring off and it will look pretty original me thinks.
Wes
I fully detailed all these XK140 relevant and NOT relevant Spark Plug Terminals in Jaguar XK140 EXPLORED in Plate 4-f1 back in 2010 - see attached……………
All items illustrated in this Plate are from photos of actual items in my personal collection.
Note, the correct original C.5479 Spark Plug Terminal is a CHAMPION HTC, and is illustrated second-from left. The circular platform is very thin, and has moulded in lettering as per Rob’s photo above as fitted to his XK120.
The variant with a wide circular platform, with a red-printed label, is a later CHAMPION HTC2 that was introduced by Champion in the 1960s, and indeed was NEVER fitted to any model Jaguar as original equipment - in the 1960s Jaguar were instead using three different variants of ‘Side Entry’ Connectors, one of which is as illustrated on RHS (The ‘Bow-Tie’ variant).
For reasons unknown, the 1960s HTC2 variant has been reproduced, and is readily purchased from several vendors, but in Australia at least, if fitted to a XK140 Concours entrant, they are deducted as not being authentic.
You do see rarely new-old-stock, or serviceable used XK140 style HTC Connectors for sale, but I am sure I heard that someone is now making/offering accurate reproductions, which if so should be supported to make their effort economically justifiable.
PS. The pictured Champion Spark Plugs are all original MADE IN ENGLAND plugs, as they should be, and not MADE IN USA nor MADE IN AUSTRALIA variants that you sometimes see offered as 1950s Jaguar originals.
Roger
Tracy has the correct ORIGINAL plug ends NOS and at a very fair price. Why buy aftermarket junk ?
I do very occasionally manage to put a set of six NOS original black body NA-8 UK made plugs together … every set I’ve built has been bought by the Healy guys, without exception. Last set went for $1000.00 USD faster than I could get my fingers off these keys… If you want a correct concours XK sometimes you just gotta pay! Speak up if you want a set.
Dick buy them from Tracy he has originals NOS
Thanks guys for all the great information.
Wes
I now have a set of the special order Lucas suppressor plug caps 78113A on my 120. Took me a while to find them on Ebay, though. I much prefer the positive way of attaching to the copper core plug leads. I just think screwing in a self-tapping thread to the plug wire is not a very elegant engineering solution…