As I move through the restoration process, I will be putting the finishing touches on the transmission before setting it off to the side. The next step will be to tackle the IRS to see what challenges it might be willing to provide.
Any thoughts or suggestions based on the groups wealth of experience and knowledge?
I made the wooden appliance in the below photograph to lift the rear end without the wheels dropping. It could easily be used to lower the rear end for whatever work you would need to do.
I used a Harbor Freight Transmission Jack with a plywood piece added to match up with the tie plate - easy to lower & raise the unit and to roll it around.
Possibly overkill but I have to be careful with lifting so I used the engine hoist & slings to move the pumpkin to the workbench:
The cleaning stage is a fun family project:
I put remote bleeders for the brakes on my Ser1. There are a few ways to do them. I got a kit from XKs Unlimited.
I did that last winter. Take your time, the radius arms can be very stuck. Chisels or pry bars are often required. Remote bleeders are worth it. Consider changing the gear ratio if you want to reduce highway revs. I used a motorcycle lift to hold it on the way down and in fitting the IRS back up. “While you’re there” check and replace all worn items.
Good to see you on the list, John!
I am in a complete disassembly restoration. EVERYTHING on the car is taken apart,cleaned, plated, painted and prepped for reassembly.
I am glad to be here and respect the opinions of everyone.
To date… The bonnet has been stripped, repainted (inside) and prepped for some bodywork before repainting. The frame was just painted again yesterday to hit some light spots. The transmission is almost put back together after a rebuild. The engine will be addressed over the Christmas break when my son is in town. The IRS will be getting much needed TLC. And soon, the body will be on a rotisserie to strip undercoating and address some issues before proceeding.
As I explain to people, it looks like a Jaguar exploded in my garage (and also the basement. And the machine shop.). My friends and coworkers look at what I am doing with a state of amazement. People cannot comprehend the ability to completely disassemble a car and put it back together. When I complete the initial phases and start reassembly, it will be a huge clean,rust and grease free puzzle with new hardware. IT WILL BE GREAT!
Oh yeah… Thanks to all of the supportive and great replies so far. As anyone who’s done this before knows, it is easy to run out of steam on a project like this. The support from the community really helps.
I like the colors that you used there. Last weekend when I painted the main iron housing of my transmission I thought about using a forest green but opted for semi-gloss black sans drips. 
Oooo, there goes your chances at a concours d’waxing and polishing!!!
Search the forum for postings on IRS removal. There are plenty. I posted my notes in March 2016: [E-Type] IRS Removal Notes
Consider your own safety:
As someone else said, the radius arms removal from the body attachments can be the biggest hassle with removal. A helpful tip is to remove the bolt and ““washer” at the front of the arm and then reinstall the bolt (only) to use it as a fulcrum point for the lever you then use to lever the arm off. I used a ~1/2” wide hex cold chisel inserted into a socket of the same hex size on a 24" extender bar to create a lever. Others have used other improvisations. (This is one area where I suspect PB Blaster by the gallon has been wasted over the years in a vain attempt to get it to penetrate the wrong surface/thing.)
You are fortunate that having a late S2, you can easily remove the trailing arms from the IRS after removing the unit from the car, because the shock absorber lower mount is in two pieces. That may not seem important, but it can be convenient.
When eventually you reinstall the IRS, a come-along winch attached to the IRS and to the front suspension may be needed to pull it into place so that the trailing arms re-engage with the body.
Don’t take any of my comments as discouragement. For me, It was easier to remove the IRS the first time than to remove the oil pan the first time.
I usually slide the IRS out from one side not from the back. So make sure that your jack is set to move easily perpendicular to the car.
Good advice. You don’t nee to jack up the car nearly as high when you pull it out the side.
Right now, other than the IRS, all that is left attached to the body is the dash, brake and clutch pedals, fuel tank and some miscellaneous items.
May as well pull those out too. The pedal assembly should be checked for at least weak or broken springs. Spring kits are cheap and well worth it while you are that far apart. Fuel tank flushed and boot floor cleaned and painted? If you are that far apart, dash removal is not that big of a deal.
My method was to go to the garage every day for at least an hour. Some days I would not touch a wrench and just make notes and such because I didn’t really feel like working on the car. Other days, I would start working with a part and four hours later the wife was calling me in because it was late and I had lost track of time. There were a few days I just turned around and went back in the house. Some days I couldn’t wait to get out there. The key for me was to at least open the garage door and go from there.
Needless to say, removing and rebuilding the IRS is not an easy task, but the advice you get here will make it much easier. I pulled mine starting July 4 this summer and had it completed and back in by August 15. I spent hours on it every day so I could have the car ready for the Oil Leak (BSOL) this past September and could not have managed without the help I received from the folks here on JL. @L.Lynn Gardner, @Erica_Moss and @Ahwahnee all had great advice and often photos to share that helped make all the tasks clear (as well as our late friend Jerry Mouton). There are some tricks to the most difficult tasks. Geo’s transmission jack and board make for a more stable way to remove and install the IRS. Some of the tasks required special tools that I had to borrow from friends. Cleaning the damned thing was the least fun part and mine could not be power washed until the loads of grease and grit were scraped away. Lots of photos and keeping track of the various shims found as you proceed is hugely important. Just my $.02.
–Drew
I removed my IRS using the sideways method. If you use two jacks, you can lift the car off the IRS.
Undo all connections to the IRS (brake lines & cable, prop shaft and reaction arms). Place a dolly under the IRS, lower the car, undo bolts securing the IRS to the body and lift the car off the IRS.
Many ways to skin the cat. I like the Harbor Freight motorcycle jack because it has a wide, stable, and safe platform. I used it in combination with their scissors transmission jack (for lifting the chassis). Installed the IRS in under an hour by myself.
Nearly 72 all these methods look like hard work to me,
hydraulic table, arm chair and mug of tea to hand.
Why make a simple job bothersome. Cheers
Peter B.
Oh, Balls. ////20//// 
