Video... Engine strip Part 2

I got to talk to the man(legend) a few times…what a brain that dude had!

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Actually, this flow scheme was not “corrected” on later blocks. Indeed, quite the opposite. The cylinders are siamesed in 4.2L blocks, so zero flow between the front three and the back three cylinders, with a small gap between the two banks.

So this cooling design concept lived throughout the XK’s life…curiosity satisfied.

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You know, I bought an illuminated micro USB boroscope for less than $20 on eBay. Plugs into my Android phone. Easily fits through a spark plug hole.

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Jim; More info for you… DO NOT Reuse your Rings, Rod Bearings and Main Bearings… Given the blow-by I see on the pistons, I’d have the Cylinders “Mic’ed” to see how worn they are (also the crankshaft journals!!)… It’s false economy to NOT do this… When it comes to the head-work, I had ALL New Valve Seats, New Bronze Valve Guides, New Valve Springs, New Intake and Exhaust Valves AND new Tappets installed AND, more importantly, have the Machinist “index” the distance from the “Heel” of the Cams to the End of the Valve Stems so the Adjusting Shims mostly “fall” in the middle of the A-Z Range!! Without this effort, some Valve Shops simply grind-off the Valve Stem to “make them fit”… This is a bodge job!! The proper “Cam to Valve Stem” distance, which is detailed in the Factory XK120/MKVII Service Manual, can be done very easy on modern “CNC” type machinery!! Mike already mentioned the DPO reused the Split Pins on the nuts for the Rod Bolts. I feel, there is nothing wrong with reusing the original Rod Bolts and Nuts. The “key” to success is obtaining NEW Split Pins that fit tightly thru the Castleations of the Nuts and thru the hole in the bolt. I found new split pins that I simply “tapped” (with a brass hammer) thru my Rod Bolts & Nuts. The “key” is to have the “head” of the Split Pin “fit” vertically into the slots in the nuts then bend the top “leg” up over the top of the nut/bolt, tapping down a length that stops at the head of the split pin. On the “lower leg” of the Split Pin, likewise tap it down the side of the nut, clipping off the excess right at the bottom of the nut (or slightly less, just NOT longer!!) When the Split Pins are done like this, you engine will be able to equal the “100MPH Average for 24 Hours a Day for Seven Days, Non-stop” record set by Jaguar in the early '50s!! On the Timing Chain Tensioner Spring, there is a “hook” on both ends… Yours is broken… Buy a new one… (new Stainless Steel “Blades” are on the market, as well) Also, on your Timing Chains, I have no doubt they was worn enough to be “stretched”… Once removed, hold the chain out (left to right) so the link plates are at the top and bottom… If the chain is still good, there will only be a slight curve… The more wear on the chain, the more up/down “curve” in the chain… Now, on Lee’s deal about squirting water in the Water Pump Inlet on the block… Lee claimed (to me, years ago) that the “upper” coolant passages" do NOT connect with the “Lower” coolant passages… I did his “test” by pouring water into the slots at the top of the block… the water ONLY came out the Water Pump Inlet, it (at the time) did NOT “flow” to the other side of the block… Well, just this past year, I had my block professionally vatted, cleaned, etc. The machinist (third generation who worked on XK Jaguars when they were NEW!!) spent hours cleaning crud out of my coolant passages, once finished he pointed-out that there IS a “pathway” from the upper Coolant Passage to the Lower Coolant Passage, BUT it is a VERY, VERY thin passage… As was mentioned, this was to aid in keeping coolant up in the “hot” area of the block (going into the exhaust side of the head), BUT Coolant WILL still travel DOWNWARDS from the Water Pump Intake and circulate thru the block, albeit at a much reduced rate!! In short, the “Top” coolant Passage and the “Bottom” coolant passage ARE CONNECTED!! On your Crankshaft “Bolt” that secures the Damper… The “lock plate” should have internal “saw-tooth” edges that mate with the Hex Head of the Crankshaft Bolt, so it WILL “lock” the Bolt in position! I believe Rob R. stated there are spacers used to “adjust” the height of the Lock Plate so it WILL positively engage the Crankshaft Bolt! Lastly, on your “Damper” (also called a “Balancer” by some), There is probably no doubt that the rubber between the Inner Center and the Outer Ring is on the verge of crumbling… It is a MUST that you get your Damper “Rebonded”… I had Bill Bassett (in Rhode Island, US) rebond mine… I have no doubt there are Jaguar Restoration Shops in the UK (even the Midlands ;-} ) that will either perform this service or know of shops that will… You DO NOT want this damper coming apart at highway speed (which for me is always at or above “The Ton” ;-} ) Hope this helps… but you really NEED to get the Factory Service Manual and 140 Supplement!

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I’d agree with all that, especially on bearings, rings pistons etc. Interesting info on the water jacket pathways, too. A professional cleaning is always much more effective than diy-with-a-bit-of-wire.
Not sure I’d agree with the split pin opinion, though. Whilst I’m sure a set of original-quality split pins would do the job, most sold by motor factors big and small these days are of very inferior quality and not worth the risk in my book.

Me, neither: I would never use split pins on the rod bolts. I never did: I replaced them with Chevy rod bolt nuts.