Jaguar XJ13 SOHC Bellhousing - Making Swarf

"ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA"
Is there anything more therapeutic and satisfying than making swarf? Yes ... watching someone else make swarf.
A video I took whilst machining a bellhousing which will be used for the first of a (very) limited run of customer XJ13 replicas. These customer cars use Jaguar's later SOHC V12.

[@davidkett4848]

I really admire and respect these highly capable and skilful tradesmen/ engineers. It's a work of art and amazing to watch.

[@mahilamaseli415]

Yeah especially at 13:37 when he crashes and stalls the cutting head into the job...

[@8MADJACK]

Beautiful work, I like seeing the use of the centering indicator, I have one, havent needed it yet, but I'll be making a bellhousing ada[pter soon for a kubota engine into a 1947 Cletrac HG.

[@rossilake218]

After machining, I always have a cold Micro-brew.

[@ThePultzFamily]

These are wonderful videos. If you are a petrolhead it's pure automotive porn,- thank you for uploading this for everybody to enjoy! The clutch looks as if it is the type meant for being operated by the same carbon release "bearing" as on the 6 cylinder. I have a series 1 XJ6 and I reckognize the thing at the center of the pressure plate. Was the 12 cylinder really still using the carbon release bearing, or did Jaguar just keep the center thing when switching to a real release bearing?

[@JohnCarey1963Jag]

I love watching you work ! thanks for sharing the journey with us.

[@richardharrold9736]

How limited, and why use the SOHC rather than build quad-cams for authenticity? The SOHC motor is much taller, isn't it?

[@BuildingTheLegend]

Hi *****, "Limited" as in "very limited" - probably less than a handful. After all, my main motivation is to contribute towards the cost of completing, developing and possibly racing my prototype-engined car. As you can imagine, costs of doing so are a bit eye-watering ... Although I am in the early stages of designing quad-cam clones, this is a substantial undertaking and time is against me. A few people have grafted a pair of 16V DOHC 6-cylinder engines on to V12 blocks, this means rotating one of the heads along with a fair bit of cutting and welding (you really don't want exhausts exiting in the centre of the "V"!). The result never looks "right" and bears very little relation to the original quad-cam. The inlets on the original quad-cam enter between each pair of cams and look totally different to engines based on these AJ6 heads. The SOHC is only a little taller and fits within Sayer's original body outline (although the velocity stacks have to be shortened slightly). Very few replicas mount the V12 in the same way as the original (I have yet to see one that does) and they overcome this deficiency by raising the whole of the back-end to compensate which does compromise the car's original sleek lines. Really shouldn't get me talking about the XJ13 Richard - you will never get away!! Regards, Neville

[@richardharrold9736]

BuildingTheLegend I've been following your project obsessively, I think the XJ13 is the sexiest thing ever put on four wheels, so don't worry about boring me... what's to stop one doing what Jaguar did, grafting a pair of XK heads on a V12 block?

[@BuildingTheLegend]

***** Hi. Lots to stop anyone doing that Richard. Jaguar didn't graft a pair of XK heads on a V12 block. If they did so, not only would the bore centres be in different places but one of the heads would have to be a mirror-image of the other or the exhaust would exit on the wrong side. Also, the inlets are on the side on the 6-cyl heads wheras they need to be vertical and between the cams for a quad-cam. The XK heads may look similar but they are quite different to the ones on the quad-cam V12.

[@richardharrold9736]

BuildingTheLegend Right! So what would be involved in getting a set of XJ13 heads run up?

[@BuildingTheLegend]

***** Exactly what I am doing Richard is what would be involved :-) Drawing them up in CAD so I can get something I can work with - designing optimal cooling etc and then looking at CNC machining a pair in a resin so I can assemble them on the later V12 block and see how everything looks as far as things such as cam-drive etc is concerned. I can then look at designing casting moulds before having some prototypes cast in alloy. As a starting point I have already accurately modelled 12-cyl and 6-cyl heads to see how they can be combined into one with the same cosmetic appearance as the original prototype engine. I'd post pictures here but KZbin won't let me. The aim is to use as many off-the-shelf components as possible but the differences between V12 and straight-6 bore positions means things like cams will have to be custom-made. I plan on using the later SOHC V12 block. As well as the XJ13, I am hoping the whole lump will fit in an E-Type or large saloon. Wish me luck!!

[@rogerwiseman8711]

I think this is a wing an prey. The spindle on this machine was only made for drilling and very limited on milling application!