the time has come to reassembly the XJ6 SII engine.
New stock size top hat cylinder bores, new +10 crankshaft bearings, crankshaft it self needed only a good polishing.
I am now here:
I have read lots of threads, watched many videos, including this one:
I have:
Oil soaked rope seals
Assembly lube
GM sealant
Oil resistant RTV
Spare crankshaft (good condition) to use as main rear seal sizing tool
Lint free cloth
Razor blades
Torque wrench
My objective for next Saturday is to fit the main rear seal and crankshaft in under 3 hours.
I’d love last words of wisdom before I get into what seems to be a procedure reminding me of the operating theater and orthopedic surgery…
Yeah um, erm… try to enjoy it, big fat hammer and something to save the crankshaft; and best of luck! Keep the videos coming if you want - did I say how much I like the silver engine bay…
Rear main seals of the “rope” type can be problematic based on my many decades with the warranty department of Jaguar USA. We had to continually remind dealer service departments that the crankshaft rear seal sizing tool must be used to ensure correct clearance between the seal and the wearing surface of the crank. Too little clearance and the seals overheated and leaked, too loose and they also leaked. Toward the end of XJ6 III production we had instances of bent cranks that caused the rear main bearing to wear excessively and also interfered with the seal function as well. The only acceptable fix was to remove the crank, have it straightened and replace the bearings and seal using the factory sizing tool. . Even when done properly rear main seal leaks can occur hence the availability now of updated seal kits. However, I have no experience in how well they work.
I am a little confused by your comment “new 10+ crankshaft bearings but the crank only needed a good polishing”.
On disassembly we found that the crankshaft had already been reground to +0.10 and was in great condition, so only replaced the +0.10 bearings with new suitable ones as a matter of course.
A note…the oil filter canister is the exact circumference as the proper Churchill rear seal sizing tool. I WAS ABLE TO USE IT. IT WORKED. at least for the last 2 years I have no leaks.
Having said this, obviously, I would use the Churchill…if I had it…
And, that is an excellent video…thank you for bringing it to my attention
Mitch
Might ask…can I get the exact title of the video…youtube has become difficult to deal with
Also, the oil canister as fitted to the 4.2 E type…oil filter canister with a cartridge filter
Only ever used the sizing tool as an apprentice. We used a ball pein hammer and trial and error - helped with “ Rocol” and a light smear of silicone sealant on the back of the seal, to prevent the ropes turning. Too tight causes burning. Plenty of lubricant on start up is the key. Having said all this, every crank we fitted, was reground and checked for straightness. Make sure you check the crank end float.
More or less the method I successfully used on all rope-sealed engines I rebuilt, from Jaguars, Austins, Triumphs, and Fords. I never had a “factory tool”, and none leaked beyond the amount any rope-sealed engine leaked from there.
I am sure I read that you can use the crank to use as the sizing tool ,
Put it all together , then tighten the top down a little at a time , turning the crank a lot before you tighten down a little again !
Our seal protruded a lot and it was very much as far in as you could ever get it. The seals we got were too long which is a shame really because when you do it the first time it is annoying enough to get the thing in the groove at all!
Ever seal that I have replaced (both 6 & 12 cylinders) were always why too long. Always needed to be trimmed. In all cases, I was lucky enough to borrow (locally) the correct sizing tool. JS
I rebuilt my 1967 3.4L engine last year.
The Churchill tool I borrowed from JCNA had a sizing diameter of 3.119". The crankshaft seal diameter was 3.125". So assuming no seal springback (unlikely) the crankshaft will compress the seal by at least 0.003" radially.
I did not trim the seal and the gasket set I used came from SNG Barratt as Payen EE532.
It was pretty hard to turn the crank after the seal was buttoned up. With the seal oiled, it took 25 lb.ft. to unstick the rotation, obviously less once it was turning.
The car has done 2000+ miles since the rebuild and there have been no obvious signs of oil leakage or other distress.
If you live in the US, I do recommend borrowing the Churchill tool from JCNA as all you pay is shipment in both directions as well as a security deposit.
This all may not be the cheapest way to go, but OTOH do you want to repeat the exercise if there’s a problem? I think doing it the way the maker intended is probably a good way.
