17. Jaguar XJS V12 update on engine top-end overhaul - Jimbos Driveway

[@Lord-Brett-Sinclair]

Poor Andy, he was so embarrassed, clearly a very genuine guy, fighting 1970,s engineering. I have a good feeling it will ping into action soon.

[@aalabbasi]

I enjoy watching your videos. When getting into these old cars, understand that the minute you start getting into 'stuff', you disturb other stuff which can be old, rusty will likely break the moment you touch it because it's fragile. It's just one of those that happen but it creates scope creep and expenses. Not the fault of the mechanic, but it's fortunate that you have one that's willing to work with you on it.

[@drcharlestennant8658]

You’ve a lovely XJS with the superb manual gearbox, and the under bonnet detailing now looks great - I’m sure Andy will have it running right soon and I’m looking forward to that update

[@malcolmmay2655]

I've previously owned two of these amazing cars, both V12s. After a few years of American car ownership I recently bought a 1976 XJ-S V12. My intention was to give it a " big service including hoses" and treat it as a rolling restoration. It didn't take long for me to realise I'd be chasing little niggles forever. I decided to take the engine out and just get on the case with everything. And I'm glad I did. The list of hilarious previous repair attempts was incredible and without pulling the heads I may never have known my cams were timed incorrectly, the valve clearances were tight, one bank had incorrect exhaust valves, etc etc etc. After a few months I reinstalled the engine and I love driving it. I do believe this is the only way to do it. Otherwise it will just go on and on. In this case a new oil cooler has been installed but what about the hoses? Mine were 45 years old so I had new ones made. Similarly the water pump I renewed even though it was working. In Jimbo's car it's a shame the old water pump was put back because for £100 extra you may as well put a new one in. I remade the wiring looms as the injection one was totally shot. These actually are exotic cars with a banger reputation but you can easily spend big money on one at which point they often get neglected again. Get the engine out and address everything Jimbo! You'll be glad you did.

[@JimbosDriveway]

That's a great insight and I would love to do a full nut and bolt rebuild of the motor and the rest of it. One day... BTW, the water pump was replaced last year, hence why it was just going back on this time.

[@davidborgnis5675]

Jim. Watching your video reminds me of the nightmare I had my XJS ignition! That Lucas amplifier added to the distributor and relays needs to go in the bin!! Petronix is the way forward and set up properly with twin Petronix coils my car starts properly hot and cold and goes like as train ! If you want more details call me but you can buy the conversion from Mark Hannaford Petronix UK. Good luck. David

[@workshop_deluxe2493]

Oh boy, tell me about the V12s. But in the end both of my XJ-S are working fine. Cheers, Christian

[@MichaelWilliams-rd9ke]

Good to hear an update on the saga of the old girl, finger's crossed she's sorted soon. Lucas - the prince of darkness!

[@jaybee42023]

I have two XJS soft tops H&E and I work on my own JAGS when it comes to maintenance. I only let mechanics work on the suspension system ONLY... What is the issue with your car? Troubleshooting is your first step. Jimbo, you need to know some basics about this engine...

[@christianmuniz8511]

I enjoy your videos, Jimbo - and, like you, I wish I had the time, space and tools to work on mine, for I would in a heartbeat. I took a Covid leap of faith when, after three leases of the Ford Fusion sedan over the previous 8 years (and after Ford announced they would no longer produce sedans for the American market), I decided to buy a ‘91 XJS Classic Edition online from Indiana (I’m in Carlisle, Pennsylvania). It had 37K miles on it when it arrived in March of 2020 and just crossed 45K this past weekend. It has been my daily driver throughout with a few non-mechanical hiccups along the way. In any case, I can anticipate the “pain” of an event like this but also appreciate the desire to keep a classic and beautiful car on the road, where it’s meant to be, especially in today’s world of cookie cutter designs. Best of luck. I hope you’re back on the road this fall. Christian

[@jaybee42023]

I was trying to see on top of the radiator bracket but the camera is moving too fast. They are 2 ground wires on the left and right top side where the top radiator bracket are bolted on... Those are the ground wires for the CPU... Make sure they are bolted and grounded...

[@peterdaisleyworrall9458]

Stick with it Jimbo - you´ve done a good deal of work already so it would be churlish to give up now. I have an '88 V12 which, several years ago suffered severe piston and liner damage liner through ingress of some foreign body and I thought then it would be curtains for the car and no way to go other than send for the scrap man's trailer. I felt as you did at the start of your video - or worse - but after due thought and consideration, committed to just getting on with it and sorting it out. I am so glad I did as, doing a few other things to it in the process - which was fairly lengthy - I now have the most gorgeous motor car. Also at such times it´s useful to remind yourself that with the V12 you are now in the elite class and owner of a car with one of the finest engines in the history of the automobile. Jaguar being the only company to to produce a V12 engine in any numbers, so celebrate that, be proud of it and look forward to your next drive! Best of luck and thank you for the videos.

[@TheBishMan]

Sorry it's been such a saga mate, hope it's tip top soon, lovely Jag 🙏

[@jaybee42023]

I don't like giving up on a nice jag like this. Need to know what's happening with your jag Jimbo... Is the ignition amplifier working? There is a coax wire that is known to crack or short out. Make sure that wire is in good condition. Also there is a pressure hose that needs to be connected on the cross pipe between the intake manifolds... There are two temperature sensors. One of them communicates with the CPU. You can short it out by putting a jumper to simulate a fully warm engine to start the car up...

[@jaybee42023]

6 months on a running jag that was dropped off is just not right... Jimbo, download the Kirby Palm's XJS off your computer then find exactly what your mechanic is saying about your jag... Take it from there. If you are going to own a V12 engine ( lambo, Ferrarri, Jaguar V12) from the 70s and 80s, you need to know some basics on your own. It looks like the problem is right under our noses...

[@JimbosDriveway]

I think the answers are not far away, and not too dramatic, after all. I would love to do some more work on the car myself but currently don’t have the time, the tools or the space. It’s something I hope to do more of in the years to come though. Thanks for all your engagement on the channel and hope you’re enjoying the videos and I’m not just making you furious, being so inept at mechanics 😆

[@Schlipperschlopper]

An important piece of information Germany is now getting the missing money from garage owners through fines: The building authority is currently banning people from putting deregistered cars or cars with seasonal license plates or classic cars in garages, so my neighbor got a high fine and I now have to sell my old car there By order of the building authority, I am no longer allowed to put it in the garage and no longer tinker with it outside (in my own secluded garden!) and I cannot register it because the body has not yet been completely finished...the new Gavvo legislation is prohibited Every action in the garage other than driving in and out or unloading and loading categorically (even vacuuming!). I even had to put my old car, compressor and work table out in the snow, take a photo of it and send it to construction supervision. In the future, deregistered cars will no longer be allowed to be parked, as they are considered a structure on private property as soon as they are deregistered and you will then automatically be contacted and asked for a building application.

[@JimbosDriveway]

Wow, this sounds terrible and another stealth tax by the government!?

[@Schlipperschlopper]

@@JimbosDriveway They are going completely nuts here about gas cars and fossile heating systems, we get new Eu Schlabubvvo laws so from 2036 not fossile heating will be allowed in entire EU and from 2030 no gas cars will be left.

[@DaveDowns1]

cured of wanting a Jag

[@DanielJett]

The “interview” with Andy looked more like a hostage video. He was clearly uncomfortable with having this experience recorded for the world. Poor bloke. Really funny.

[@DanielJett]

When I converted my XJ-S to a 5-speed manual, it was gone from my home for 16 months. No kidding. It was frustrating.

[@kevinsheahan5449]

If it was running nicely beforehand it's unlikely that you've got a problem with the timing chain tensioner. You'd have heard that I'd have thought. Let's hope it is electrical and gets sorted with a specialist autospark. It's easy to jump to worse case scenarios and end up making a rash decision. I wonder though if it would be better for all to get that specialist to assemble everything and get it moved somewhere else? Difficult I know.

[@georgebeaton4544]

If the coolant temp sensor (front of B bank) is dodgy or poor connection /wiring she will struggle to start 🤔......good luck 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Dont_Gnaw_on_the_Kitty_1]

A 40 year old wiring loom in the engine bay using 70 degree rated wiring. Why this car didn't use proper industrial rated wiring and correct fuse types is just plain stupid. The insulation must be brittle as and any flexing will break it.

[@r2gnl]

Lucas is again playing tricks here. Been there, done that, on a different British brand. On a low budget to get it running, Andy sounds careful enough to me to let an lucus wire expert tell him and you, what's wrong with it. Keep it up slowly, on a budget also means: take your time.

[@jaybee42023]

This is a manual gear box XJS v12... Do not give up on this beauty! It's valuable! Andrew is going to figure it out because he seems dedicated genuine and after all he's a jag man...

[@vincentbarnes7839]

Auto Electrucian should sort it out

[@jeffball6108]

Sorry mate... prepare yourself, this isn't going to end well. Here you are asking yuotube jockeys who can't even observe the symptoms to offer advice to a 'professional' mechanic? After 6 months and now having heard what Andy has to say, my advice is pull your car out of there asap.

[@callumduncan6728]

i agree, he is supposed to be an expert on V12s , all thats going on is somewhat normal on a 40 year old xjs , bloody hell 6 months is unacceptable , no wonder he needs bigger premises if he has stuff like this lying around , there is no way a professional business should be behaving in this manner, get it out ASAP