Good evening Max,
pressure washer or not - you did a great job it seems! Everything looks light years better than before.
As for surface rust, I only guess that the XK engine can do with some oil in the fuel. So maybe you can get in and just spray light mineral oil over the raw metal surfaces. Excuse me, now I’m getting really wild: some italian restaurants have olive oil in spray cans at the table, so you might turn your cat vegetarian;-)
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
The tank looks much better indeed Max.
Soak the water with rags, let it dry well, and you could spray some oil as suggested.
They most definitely will and jam your fuel pump.
Remember that the main filter is after the pump.
Either you put the filters back or install two 12mm High Flow in-line billet filters before the pump, inexpensive and do a much better job. And you can clean/change them without the need of draining the tanks.
Yes I already have a 12mm filter before the pump. However I just have one between the switch over valve and the pump. So I guess that could jam the valve. Probably OK for a little bit. That filter needs to be changed in a little bit anyway. So I will revisit the topic then.
[quote=“XJFamilyJag, post:1667, topic:400182, full:true”]
Unfortunately I do not have one or even a garden hose.
This was originally suggestions to remove the debris from the sludge sump Max - not actually ‘cleaning’ the tanks. Basically, the debris comes out with the drained off fuel - at least enough to not cause any fuel system clogging.
Actually, volume of water rather than pressure is adequate - a bucket is adequate. Pressure cleaning, or a brush, is of course not wrong; it will remove lose lining and flaking rust - which would fall of over time anyway, and require later repeat of drain plug removals. As you rightly assume…
The in-tank filters is meant to keep flaking in the tank, and does - to be removed via drain plugs. Adding inline filters is fair enough, but not really essential with intact in-tank filters. The pump will chew through minor particle escaping the tank filters - and the main filter is specifically designed to keep ‘anything’ from enentering the fuel rail…
Rust in the tanks is caused by water/humidity - and water in the petrol will drain to the tank sumps. Not that petrol in itself is a rust protector - but full tanks will not rust. The lining is effective protection, also above fuel levels, of course, but presents it’s own problem when delaminating. Just dry out (hair drier?) the tank and fill it - the longer they stay empty the more they will rust.
Dry out the (with a hair drier) - and as Jochen says; a light coat of engine oil will protect, and do no harm…
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
It might or it might not.
It did jam mine.
Part of the equation is that petrol act as a coolant and lubricant for the pump, Aristides - with debris impeding the fuel flow ‘something’ is bound to give…
But certainly; debris have no place in the fuel system!
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
You might want to consider cleaning the tanks properply and coating them with fuel tank liner.
It works perfectly for old motorcycles, so why shouldn’t it work with these babies?
In that way, when done correctly, you’ll have no more flaking worries.
The flaking is probably also the cause for the jammed switch-over valves…
Might want to check this out: Home - Tank Cure
Patrick,
I’d only engage in lining the tanks with the tanks out to begin with, never with the tanks in place … unless you have a setup in which you can roll over the car;-)
Second, there are many people veery disappointed about tank liners as the liners at times seem to disintegrate and cause the problem they were supposed to avoid. As your tank looks like, Max, I’d stick to the “full tank” solution.
Most importantly, make dead sure that the fuel filler recess drain tube is connected and free. Otherwise water will enter from the recess into the tank as the old and week rubber seal will not hold it outside.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
Seems like a great idea. I will get started on a in garage rotisserie system asap. Makes working under the car much easier… 
I think all of that is fine. I did not see any water in the fuel when I drained it. It was just dirty fuel.
The car ran fine with all the dirt in the system really. I am still debating if I wanna try electrolytic rust removing or not. Not sure if it is worth the trouble or not.
Obviously there are plenty of areas that I can not reach with a brush. But as frank said the intention was to get rid of the junk at the bottom. The more I mess with the it the more is going to lift of the walls.
This is a stretch since so much was done in the first month of driving but I had the hesitation issues that somehow magically went away after a bit of driving. Since I only drove on the right thank it is possible that that was just me burning off the contaminated fuel of the tank. My tanks were empty for over 20 years. When I used the left for the first time I had a rougher engine at idle but no hesitation issues. So maybe just a coincidence. In any case these cars just need to be used!
I don’t think people realise how important it is that these old cars get used.
I was away for 10 weeks and when I got back mine was squeaky and noisy and unhappy. Doing nothing to it except use it has got rid of all those problems.
Yes! and also I think old parts are often better than new parts. I changed all of the break parts because I wanted to make sure the braking system for the 2 tons pile of rusty steel are top notch. I kept the old disks and they are in the garage. After over 30 years and over 20 years of not being used the breaking surface is actually not corroded much. My new disks accumulate more visible rust in 4 weeks of sitting… Goes to show how much better quality everything was back then. Anyway the car breaks great and I am happy but I just have to move it every 2 weeks for the sake of keeping everything happy.
I agree about the brakes - I believe my discs are original and are perfect after 118,000 miles whereas my everyday BMW shows signs of wear after 27,000 miles and will rust overnight.
Even after that 10 week absence there was no rust at all on the Daimler’s discs whereas with the BMW, the first time I applied the brakes (if I didn’t know better) I’d think there was a major fault with them!.
True, but keep in mind that a fuel tank is never completely full.
Dropping the tanks is the only way of doing it absolutely right.
Lining a tank shouldn’t be a problem, if done correctly. Most people who have issues with tank liners have had them done incorrectly.
But hey, that’s just my 2 Pfennige… 
Just got a package from England with some Jaguar Parts. I was not sure if the Xj12 s3 would actually fit since I had ordered one before from ebay and it was an exact fit but the opposite rotation direction.
This one is part number EBC4553. Unfortunantly the XJ6 part number is no longer available anywhere and has not been for over 6 month… I have been cruising around with a fan that shows signs of cracks. Lots of hairlines… So this was overdue…
Initially I thought the holes are off but I used a paper and a pencil to copy them from the original and they are a perfect fit. Should work!
Rotation direction looks the same to me.
Yes This one is! I had ordered one a year ago that was the wrong direction. This one should work.
I installed the new Lucas ballasted Coil to restore the system to how should be. I am kind of pissed that I purchased Original Lucas that was depicted with the Lucas sticker and everything… And received a coil without packaging and no name on it! There was just a label from the parts distributor that said Original supplier.
Oh and I finally got around to put the Jaguar Sticker back on the cam covers. YAY 
I did fire up the engine. It does not start any better… If anything it is worse. There were some theories that due to the bypass at starting of the ballast resistor there is actually more power / spark making starting the engine easier. Unfortunately can not confirm that.
Well, more than often you can be glad when the replacement part isn’t original Lucas…
They were not nearly as good in the 1980’s as they are now…
