[xj-s] Valves, overheating, paranoia

Kirby, our thoughts are with you in this dark hour…When was the last
time you picked up the newspaper and read: “Family Unhurt As Stove Fails
To Explode!”…Few of us write in when all is well, I do occasionally,
but everyone writes when Something Bad happens… On one of my first
Jags, a S1 xj6, they had yet to acknowledge the valve seat problem;
there were to my knowledge no “stake down kits” then and the procedure
was to use a punch to try to pinch the cups into the head, never
worked. I remember not fondly, waiting for the Queen to ship me a new
head… took months just to get the head. In my current daily driver
('85 xj-s HE 158,000 mi), the A/C has not had a belt on the compressor
for two years now. Never experienced vapor lock, car has NEVER required
a second twist of the key to start, and that includes first thing in the
morning at various Vermont ski areas, well below freezing, as well as
yesterdays 90 deg. half hour standstill traffic jam at the toll both in
Boston, overheated cars everywhere… then I wished the A/C worked…
temp read to top of “N” before I turned ON the cabin heat to pull some
heat out of the hood…No, I don’t believe the temp gage any more than
the volt or oil press. (if the needle moves, we’ve got oil and elec,
just no idea how much) No, the aux elec fan doesn’t seem to come on,
Yes, the fan clutch is siezed. I too am waiting for the definitive part
no for dual elec. fans to mate the existing shroud, well at least thats
my current excuse for not getting under there… Just finished
repowering the boat, new Chevy 350 HO, goes like hell, but I’m taking a
rest from spinning wrenches for at least a week! I’m going up on deck
for a cold one…