looking to buy a 1997 -2002 xk8 was there a year that they fixed the chain tensioners or do you have to do the update on all?
If the engine hasn’t been modified then it is inevitable that they are going to be needed to change. Apparently the change to revised tensioner was late '01 but no guarantee that the last cases manufactured didn’t have an earlier engine installed. Just get as much maintenance history on any car you look at.
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The model year is not a real indicator of the changeover. The ENGINE NUMBER is the real way to tell. Engine SN 0108130000 (2001-August-13-Midnight) onward.
Many of the engines have already been updated by responsible owners. A later car COULD have had an engine replacement with an earlier engine??
I recently installed a 2000MY 4.0 engine in a 2002 S-Type. BOTH engines were nikasil and the 2000MY engine had already been updated with metal body tensioners. The original failed 2002MY engine (overheated) had the plastic tensioners still installed. The 2002MY engine was manufactured in July of 2001.
Guessing is not a good way to determine the state of the chains/tensioners.
bob
Thanks I will keep that number
thanks will put that # in my file
The surest way to know is to pull the cam covers and visually check. Asking the seller can be worthwhile. If he doesn’t know, then check further. If he says they’ve been done, then you’ve saved some expense. Rather than excluding cars from your search, zero in on a good one and then delve in further.