Turning Over the Engine and Brake Master Cylinder

I Report Progress

With the camshaft issues sorted, I need to turn the engine over so that I can insert the two remaining setscrews in the camshaft mechanism and wire the setscrews in place. I have the head bolts in place and torqued so I guess I could use the starter but that is somewhat hit or miss. I have the correct box wrench to turn the bolt on the front of the block, but it’s hard to maneuver in there. Is there another way? I have not installed the spark plugs.

Unrelated, I let the brake master cylinder sit in a sealed plastic bag with PB Blaster for a week and yesterday, was able to easily removed all the parts inside.

The core, where the spring and cylinders slide, looks free of any scoring. I am tempted to throughly clean it and reinstert it after installing the new parts from XK Unlimited.

I will finish cleaning the core and evaluate. Any suggestions or pervious experience with this.

You will soon see an ad in this publication for its sale, so I can devote my time to the 73 (Willow Greem). I got it out on winter storage yesterday. Driving it, something I rarely did with the 71, I realized it too is in need of many project repairs. However, it is completely rust free and therefore, in my opinion, there is nothing that is not worth doing.

Interestingly, literally everyone who sees it says “What a beautiful car.”

I rarely if ever heard that said about the regency red 71, despite a fulll repaint in Grosrot in 1975, which has held up well by the way. Of course it’s never been in rain and has only 43,000 original miles, I hope to find a new home for it. I have the replacement sillls, so someone with welding skills could do well.

Regards
Lou

My backup is White Post Restorations.

Regards
Lou 71 XJ6

List:
The head is in place and I installed two of the four setscrews through the camshaft sprockets and into the camshaft flanges. In order to access the holes for the other two setscrews, I rotated the engine in a clockwise direction using a large box wrench to turn the bolt on the front of the crankshaft.

However, I found that the holes for the other two setscrews do not line up with the threaded holes on the camshaft flanges. I would like to return the head back to the starting point, with #6 piston at TDC so I cam remove the two setscrews already in place and then remove the camshaft sprockets and reposition them so the camshaft sprocket holes match the threaded holes on the camshaft flanges.

I could bring the #6 back to TDC by continuing to turn the crankshaft clockwise until the #6 piston is back at TDC again. My question is, will I do any damage if I turn the crankshaft backwards, counterclockwise, which would be a much shorter distance?

After I get it back to TDC, I would like to removed the camshaft sprockets and reinstall them so that they align with the threaded holes in the camshaft flanges. Is that realistic?

Thanks
Lou

Don’t think so but please wait on that. Turning the engine backwards is fine in my book as long as everything is fixed, just like going in running direction. But I don’t do it often enough to have a valid opinion and it’s your engine, which I like to know running soon.

Your lining-up-problem sounds very familiar if it is ever so slight, but forgot what we did. maybe we went back and tried to get it to fit, or was it a question of tension from the slack chain, also what if you leave the bolt just slightly loose, and come back when the other is torqued? I don’t know if it works.

David

David: Thanks for your response.

I too am hesitant to run things backward and won’t do so unless there is certainty on that.

I don’t think, but will attempt before I do anything else, to loosen the already threaded

Set screws in order to get the remaining set screws in place.

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The only damage to occur will be if the camshafts does not turn with the engine, Lou…

There is nothing preventing an engine being turned harmlessly either way - and short ‘backwards’ is better than long ‘forwards’ in this case. The ‘forward only’ basically takes out unwanted play - like with static ign timing…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Frank:

Thanks for your response.

If the only danger is the camshafts not turning, I will turn the engine backwards by turning the crankshaft backwards just slightly, as a test, and watch that both camshafts are also turning. Since the camshaft sprocket is already bolted to the camshafts, they should turn.

And to overcome the problem of unwanted play, I could turn the crankshaft very slightly past the point where the #6 piston is at TDC. And then, I will turn the sprocket/camshaft clockwise to TDC, which should take up the play.

Thanks

Lou

Sounds good. I think that was my biggest worry; the slack in the upper timing chain taking too long to be taken up. Don’t worry too much in that regard as the camshafts can be out by the full with of the notch according to some who have changed their cam timing. To be safe I might carefully tension the chain a little so it’s not totally slack; and then do what you said, sounds perfect.

**
There will also be some ‘give’ in the chains, Lou…:slight_smile:

The point about not rotating the engine without the cam chains connected is to avoid valves tangling and/or hitting pistons - which may inevitably bend the valves. However, with small movements around TDC the danger is remote.

But(!) verify cam timing after everything is connected up - to turn the engine before that, and without confirming cam timing is courting trouble unnecessarily…:slight_smile:

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Frank: I assume verifying cam timing means verifying that both the #6 valves are at TDC. Is there anything additional ?

Regards

Lou

No.

Your alignment should not change when you turn, loosen, turn, thread/tighten, turn, tighten the bolts. If you can insert the tool into both camshafts at the same time (the lobes pointing up/outwards), and the frontmost cylinder, 6, is on TDC of the compression/ignition stroke (which you verify via the distributor pointing roughly to the #6 lead), you’re set and nothing can go wrong.

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As David says, Lou; the only relevant valve timing check is the TDC and valve timing tool. No if’s no but’s…:slight_smile:

The point here is that when the head has been removed and then replaced; #6 automatically becomes the reference cylinder. Engine is at TDC and cams are correct by definition when set with the tool…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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I have printed this page and will take it to the garage and post it on the head on my next trip.

Thanks

Lou