My CHEAP Jaguar's Engine Has A MASSIVE Problem... AGAIN

Last week I thought 2003 Jag S-Type powered by the 3.0 Duratec, with a 5 speed manual was the best car to work on. The engine bay had some clever engineering in it and everything could be repaired in minutes. Then I had to take the upper intake manifold off, I've done plenty of worse jobs but it wasn't easy in the slightest. As I kept tearing down the engine I found another massive problem, and this one is NOT easy to solve.
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#CheapCar #Jaguar #SaveTheManuals

[@davidl2438]

The prior owner did not maintain the car. It is hard to believe that the past owner did not properly care for this car. Please consider replacing the timing chains, tensioners, and see if the water pump is original and replace it. I love the design of this Jag and always wanted one. It seems that this is the right time to do this work since the valve covers are already off. This is a challenging project and I know you will continue to correct the deficiencies.

[@HeavyTanker-vx4oq]

Id REALLY recommend taking the oil pan off when you do the guide to clean the oil pick up. My 2002 Lincoln LS V6 had a guide give out, and it clogged the pick up. Making it destroy a rod bearing.

[@revolutionday1]

LegitStreetCars guy JUST posted a video where the same thing happened with a Mercedes engine....

[@kristoffermangila]

I saw that video too, and one of Alex's commenters is asking why modern engines have plastic parts in critical parts.

[@melvinmcfly4498]

When have the v8 😎

[@Hard_Right]

@@kristoffermangila well if they'd put THE cam in the center of the engine where god intended it to be they wouldn't need plastic chain guides for the timing chain 😂

[@paulsz6194]

@@Hard_Right don’t forget about putting the starter motor into the valley of the Vee ( like Lexus did with their 1UZ engines) so that the 5 seconds it takes to start the car will be much quieter.

[@joeymullen8919]

While you have the intake manifold off be sure to check the intake manifold runner O-rings. They’re located at the back of the intake manifold. They are very hard to get to when the manifold is on the car and can cause a oil to drip on to the exhaust manifold and result in an annoying smell in the cabin. Good luck !

[@chrisdooley1184]

I learn more and more about automotive (and owning a building, a car compactor etc etc) from watching your videos JR. I genuinely look forward to seeing what comes next.

[@Felipe-lp8tl]

That timing guide's service would make a great content

[@wurlyone4685]

Might be lowish miles but it's a decent age and stood up really well considering clearly minimal maintenance carried out. Inside of the engine really clean, considering. Enjoy the timing chain job 😁

[@alskjflaksjdflakjdf]

Man, the spark plugs in my toyota looked better at 250k miles than those jag plugs at 130k.. I wonder if the Jag runs more aggressive timing?

[@abhimaanmayadam5713]

probably if its making more power than the duratec. an xtype might not have this issue

[@DA-ou7hv]

I did the plugs and coil packs at 76,000 miles. The plugs were starting to show their age, but really not too bad for that many miles. That was on my 2000 S type 3.0. Looking forward to the next post.

[@bearddevil]

I am loving this back-to-basics WatchJRGo. The constraint of working in a normal garage without a lift is extremely relatable. As is the struggle of replacing Ford spark plugs. I am not looking forward to that job on my F150.

[@cliffordkinnear9705]

Champion sells a one piece replacement spark plugs for the 2004-2011 F150 5.4 three valve Triton engines. It eliminates the possibility of the spark plug breaking in half like the Ford design.

[@ryszardfrysztak4223]

Replacing spark plugs is 'piddley' compared compared to filling up your radiator with water.

[@kerrylewis2581]

The nice thing about buying a car from you is nothing is hidden. You are honest about the condition and repairs and the parts used. Hopefully, that timing chain shoe is good for many more miles because that looks like the B word to replace.

[@ryszardfrysztak4223]

WRONG ADVICE. If chain guide is broken, both sides need replacing. Trying to run the motor without these is FATAL (blown motor) It will be a massive undertaking for a DIY'ER

[@bertwall]

I just bought the 05 version glad you made this series

[@WatchJRGo]

Hopefully it was taken care of better than this one! 🍻

[@davidmccormick1058]

I’d replace both sides and the chains also since you have to take the front off the motor anyway. If one side is bad so is the other.

[@1mlb704]

I also buy pre-gapped plugs, however I still check them and there's always at least one in the bunch that isn't quite gapped correctly

[@SwimCoach8]

Thanks for the content, love this stuff. I have buddies that like older used stuff and I love doing/helping with this kinda work. I always have a FGS moment. Usually 3/4 of the way through. I start looking at fasteners, nuts, bolts, clips and find my self saying For Gods Sakes could they have made this any more complicated. Especially clips, brackets and plastic fasteners. Good luck, at least you've got a really nice platform to start.

[@CJLeTeff]

You’re an amazing mechanic JR! You make the complicated things looks so easy. 👍👍🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@ryszardfrysztak4223]

He is a DIY at best. He picked the wrong car to meddle with. He expects to clean up the covers ,replace gaskets and plugs and away we go. NOT fixing the chain guides on both sides will be FATAL.(blown motor) ask any mechanic.! I'm amazed that you call this man an 'amazing mechanic'. I also own a Jag S-Type same vintage . (been there done that).

[@israelballew4155]

Recently bought a 2003 mercedes e320 from auction. 255,000 miles. Thing had ORIGINAL plugs. Had a heasitation, but still ran smooth. Blew me away.

[@Lions_Gate]

I owned this type Jag for 4 years, drove it to 100,000 miles after 4 years. All I did was change the oil every 3000 miles and drove it easy, not like a maniac. Not one problem.

[@collinreesejones5525]

ABSOLUTELY LOVE EVERY SINGLE EPISODE!!!!

[@MazdaB3K]

I have this engine in my 2010 Fusion, but mounted transverse. It seems no matter how the engine is mounted the valvecovers are a pain to pull. That being said the 1st engine in my fusion lasted around 225k before I swapped it when I had to replace the 6F35 transmisison.

[@MrMattDat]

Great job JR. It is just awesome to see you back to basics!!

[@bozodog428]

Just did plugs and coil packs on a Mopar pentastar with 154k. Plugs still looked good. Went with Mopar packs and Champion plugs. The upper intake gaskets were still pliable, but replaced them anyway.

[@alwolschleger7242]

Can confirm, getting those intake manifolds off of the 2.5s and 3.0s from that era is a dumb job, and getting those valve covers out ain't great either. Yes, yellow upper intake gaskets are factory, and those are known to leak. Replacements are green. It'll be worth it, though. My first X-Type at 146,000 miles hadn't ever been cracked open either. Luckily I never had to deal with the chain guides-thing looked danged good inside and way better than yours outside! Replaced the gaskets and plugs, and that thing gave me another 20,000 miles of good service before I sold it. Second X-Type (3.0 manual) had 128,000 miles on it, and that thing looked new inside. Once you get that all sorted out, that thing'll be a runner for a good long time!

[@postergmail6202]

Did all that to my 05 S Type. Runs like a dream now. I painted my valve covers mat black looks nice.

[@alansmith4734]

Chuckle of the Day: I saw a picture of a Jaguar Hood & Ornament that had bits of snow on it, but someone crocheted a tiny sweater for the Hood Ornament!

[@Cartier_specialist]

It would be funnier to swap it for a Mack truck ornament.

[@dhdove]

I think that was a Christmas Card for the U.K. Jaguar Enthusiasts Club many years ago.

[@gooddypm]

@@dhdove I vaguely remember that as well.

[@pstreetgarage7304]

I had one of those cars. That is an amazing engine. I did the air intake and valve cover job in a parking lot at my work. I found it to be a pretty straight forward job. Of course I had no floating plastic in mine.

[@WatchJRGo]

Wait till you work on an LS absolute God tier repairability 😳

[@pstreetgarage7304]

@@WatchJRGo one day no dout lol

[@terrylessmann2274]

A little dab of JB Weld on the broken chain guide and you're good for another 100K.

[@84gssteve]

I remember those old school Bosch Platinums from back when Plat. plugs were not as common. The center electrode is a tiny wire which is flush with the top of the insulator, even when new. They seemed to work fine, as I ran them in a lot of engines, but they do look odd.

[@BadBrad23]

I noticed the same thing. I have changed many plugs that looked just like that and I think they upgraded the electrode and raised it alittle higher.

[@Hard_Right]

you should see ruthenium plugs then lol

[@05milmachine90]

I remember putting a set in my 2000 focus with the zetec engine. It developed a bad misfire 2000 miles later and when I took it in for service (had a long warranty) they showed me a few cooked plugs. Threw some coppers in and it ran great again. Probably a specific case for me, but I haven't touched a Bosch platinum since.

[@84gssteve]

@@05milmachine90 There are a lot of engines/ignitions systems built to run on specific plugs and nothing else. Stock plugs on Dodge/Chrysler engines of the 90/00s are often Champion copper plugs of the bare-bones variety. They will misfire and throw codes on anything else. Keep it stock OEM with electronics/sensors/ignition on modern cars... even when it seems like an upgrade is in order.

[@TCKe]

Paint the valve covers brittish racing green. 😉 Nice that you are really working on this and not dumping it for something else all the time. This is much more interesting

[@johnlabree6286]

Dig in and get the timing situation taken care of. The next owner will be thankful.

[@RicoCantrell]

Dude. I feel for you. When that guide came off I was like damn. That's gonna suck.

[@adasterdezaster2865]

JR you need to drop the oil pan and see what's in it.

[@DocBain1]

I own an 05 XK-8 convertible and I just love the car. Yes, it has had its share of problems, but nothing like the 93 XJ-6 that I had with its electrical issues. The wreched convertible top hydraulic leak which I fixed myself with the better hydraulic lines. The rear quarter window assemblies were replaced and upper shock mounts. I had two coils go bad so I replaced all of them including the plugs. The old NGK Iridium plugs were actually in great shape. A lot of people in my neighborhood like loud exhaust that shakes my house. But I much prefer the softer, but powerful Jag exhaust that Ford put on these cars. I also prefer the naturally aspirated engine with its raw horsepower over the cars with turbos or superchargers which I call "artificial horsepower".

[@jimduring342]

When I worked at a GM dealership in the '70s, I learned that the safe and easy way to start sparkplugs into the head is by using a section of 1/4" vacuum hose over the connection to turn the plug. Keeps you from cross threading and extends your finger's reach! Try it!!!

[@ThriftMachine]

Best sound when wrenching is that last ping of a dropped bolt hitting the ground......PRP Pucker Release Ping

[@revolutionday1]

....unless you're working over a drain/grate.

[@effenfish661]

you can see him wrestling with himself about replacing the timing guides or not.

[@kevinthomas895]

When I worked at the Jaguar dealer, the spark plugs that came out of the Jaguar box were NGK.

[@GainingDespair]

Always enjoy a nice look under the valve cover

[@KawikaDowney]

Thank you for the S type videos

[@matthewholzinger1042]

Even if the plugs are pre-gapped you should still check them. The way many items are made nowadays you can't trust a companies quality control.

[@MrPabsUk]

All the Jags you`ve had have had a common theme, either maintained badly/wrongly or not at all, this one is no exception, & yet, it was running reasonably well. A lot of cars specify they should have the timing chains, guides & tensioners changed at 100k, & they get done, but for some reason people rarely bother with Jags, I don't know if its because of the faster depreciation that makes people reluctant to spend money looking after them, that is an issue in the UK, or, its mechanics adding 50% "because its a Jag", which puts people off. Plastic timing guides deteriorate quicker if you don't change the oil enough, &, if you use the wrong oil, as the plastic breaks down faster.

[@matthewcooney7713]

Torque down the cam caps fatal flaw of that motor. Replace the cam position sensor gasket

[@kerrylewis2581]

I thought I had read that as well.

[@willmcpherson3760]

Ford and Jags of that vintage are netorious for failed timing chains guides due to the use of that inferior red brittle plastic. The updated guides are white and have a more robust nylon material

[@ryszardfrysztak4223]

The chain guide HAS to be replaced or you will get chain bounce risking miss timing the valves, which is guaranteed to BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE. Both sides have to be done.

[@rogerfenton5210]

Thought you would have put a bore scope in to check valve and bore while plugs were out

[@mpetersen6]

I'm guessing here that these are not going to be a collector's dream car. In my mind the standard solution would be an LS of some variety. Cheap, of acceptable reliability, reasonably compact especially given the displacement (1). Parts readily available. Second option. A Ford Windsor. More compact than the LS due to the short deck height. The drawbacks. One depends on where you live. If it's a location requiring yearly emission testing your stuck. A second drawback is resale. The buyer must live where emission testing is not needed. 1) As much as OHV engines get ragged on by the purists. They are much more compact than the equivilant displacement DOHC V-6s or V-8s. Plus as much as a DOHC 4 valve set-up has better RPM capability let's be honest. Just how much time does the average vehicle driven on public roads spend in the upper RPM range. 5%? Less? More than likely. A track car is a different proposition. But even then if it is a car meant to be driven between home and the track. And back or the occasional cars and coffee type event. It's going to spend more time puttering along at low rpm.

[@jamestyndall529]

Don't forget to put never cease on your spark plug

[@SilentServiceCode]

the bosch platinum plus has the center electrode flush with the ceramic, those plugs look normal

[@robp2728]

I’d sure make those valve covers match. That’s the kind of thing that tips off buyers to believe folks cut corners with it.

[@GFS695]

140k miles is a good amount but nothing crazy imo.

[@Jim.Thunda]

I love the S type, manual but would love it better with an engine transplant to a 350 Chev andxa 9 inch diff.

[@dzireearthwater1781]

All coils MUST be all of the same set and new for an engine to work

[@billpar]

love you are fixing this jaguar

[@Sickiey]

OMG impact driver on the sparks ,, Internet crazy lol .... I love these jags (S-type) , the shape n size everything about them

[@12yearssober]

I always check the gap on so called pre gapped plugs. I've found more than a few not correctly gapped.

[@greathornedowl3644]

🤦‍♂Brittle plastics at 140k, reminded me of a first-gen Porsche Cayenne plastic cooling tube across the engine cracking at 65k

[@jeremyr6576]

I would love to find one of those around here that is that clean. In Michigan, anything that age has basically returned to the earth. Even if you had to do the timing chains, it looks like you could do it with the engine still in the car. I can't say the same about my Fusion.....

[@Stressless2023]

Yeah I'm in Michigan too and I had a clean one of these back in 2015 that I bought for I think $700 (silver 2000 S-Type 4.0) and couldn't believe how good it looked since S-Types were already turning into rust buckets even then - The owner did THOUSANDS of dollars worth of work to the engine with receipts, mostly timing chain related, and just let it sit in his driveway for a year before posting it on Craigslist for almost free when I saw it lol... I stupidly drained and refilled the trans fluid as preventive maintenance right after buying it and it started slipping right after smh. Sold it for a profit still though lol.

[@lefuedebout]

An S-Type with 140,000 miles? That's just 225,000km, so it's a mid-life makeover for that vehicle. I regularly see 300k + km on S-Types in Europe and 500k is not unusual. Treat it right, oil and water regularly + take care of the plugs and it'll go on and on!

[@tonywilliams4066]

Bosch were not the original plugs. Original plugs were a Ford owned brand. I just removed mine, with 59,000 original miles.

[@alpha2gproject783]

Reminds me of what my papaw always told me. You can buy a car with 10,000 miles that runs like one with 500,000 or one with 500,000 that runs like one with 10,000. The first 100,000 are the most critical and if you don't take care of it then you might as well throw it out after.

[@rayadams5076]

"If it ain't (completely) broke, don't fix it!"

[@P.Galore]

Finally a car worth working on!

[@bearing_aficionado]

We have a Truffles sighting!

[@coryvreeland3163]

I never thought I'd comment on one of your videos but I love watching we need longer videos everyone I watch makes 1hr to 2hrs I'd be cool with 35 min. Videos would be amazing please and thank you

[@WatchJRGo]

This was 45 minutes when I started editing it... I try to cut all the boring parts out 😬

[@coryvreeland3163]

@@WatchJRGo oh lol 😆

[@vaggelisdogas]

@@WatchJRGo To be honest a little bit more back and forth with the thinking process isn't too bad

[@wernerdanler2742]

@@WatchJRGo they might seem boring to you. 😆 🤣 😂

[@대격변이퍽내가바로]

@@WatchJRGo nah speed them up if u want but dont leave them out they are fun to watch

[@dhennessey1970]

The Old (younger)JRGo would have rattle canned those valve covers midnight black prior to slapping them back on the jag.

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

He'll do it when the front end comes off for the chain guides...

[@ashleydubbeld9236]

Durtex but they like to mark there territory we had a 1998 sable great runner but tune up was pain in the butt

[@MrDportjoe]

Least you have the skill set and pockets to keep it from being dumped for scrap. I live near some lower end dealers and wow have I seen a LOT of Jags they sell wind up in the impound lot near me.

[@joeventura1]

A jaguar a nightmare? No say it isn't so!! LOL

[@robertvance1873]

Never trust that plugs are gapped properly you will be surprised how far off they can be

[@wriddle082]

This is true. Doesn’t take very long at all to at least check the gap before installing.

[@Darthvolvo]

For the lack of maintenance, that Jaq is a beast of a car.

[@buffy123]

20 years old and poor maintenance it does well to run at all

[@sdn40]

"Looks great" Other than the broken stuff floating around the inside of the engine at 100,000 miles

[@Thompson_H]

Oh no! Fixing more!

[@WatchJRGo]

Never ending things to fix 😂

[@jamesrkilgore8510]

Hey Jr those plugs are old school anti foulers they are nor wore out but they are old the center electrode is hidden inside the insulator so oil don't foul them out old fix for sick engines

[@hugoreyes6757]

Yes can't wait to see it clean

[@InspiredJJ]

I love when he says statements that can be well taken out of context, but he just keeps going like it’s nothing. I must be a 10 year old 🤷‍♂️ at ❤️

[@69Dartman]

It's going to be really nice when done and hopefully you'll make a profit or have another sweet driver /toy👍

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

He just sold the McLaren. And he's gonna keep THIS??🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 He'll probably make something on it if he does it right or fold in some of that KZbin money.

[@Hard_Right]

well it all depends, if he doesn't fix the broken guides AND doesn't disclose it he might be able to turn a profit.... but probably not even then , but that's not where he makes money

[@garysimonson9593]

I'm pretty much a fan of the Duratec V6 series, we've had 2 Fords and one Mercury with the 3.0 - and a Contour with the 2.5 Duratec V6. That was a zippy little car.

[@pedromatajr8725]

You definitely need a shop. I got a little claustrophobia there for a second. I think the car is worth it, you don't see alot of them.

[@guyapeterson]

+1 for the dog cameo!

[@tonywilliams4066]

Just because the manifold gaskets are yellow doesn’t mean they actually changed them…Bosch was not original plugs.

[@doctorzaius4084]

Wow I've never seen a spark plug that bad! Just goes to show you that it really NEVER is the plugs. Even with an electrode completely gone, this still ran pretty good. I'm sure it'll run at least a little better now, and hopefully a Jag autist who can devote way too much time and money to it becomes the next owner. I don't even remember these cars being available with a manual in the US so it's gotta be incredibly rare.

[@littleand9250]

The price to repair is going to total it out

[@repairupdaterepeat5815]

My usual guage for how bad parts are when I pull them out is "wow..... I should make a clock for the garage outta that...."

[@jdenke5873]

Not a lot of threads is not a good thing, it is indicative of the early 2000's Ford engineer that did not understand compression forces and stained the engines with the notoriety of blowing out plugs or stripping the threads badly during replacement.

[@tonywilliams4066]

The right valve cover is painted black from the factory. Left is not painted.

[@mattnsac]

Wow, youre gonna seal it back up without fixing the broken chain guides? Brave man.

[@FreeonRumble]

I used to have a ford 3 valve. Fewer threads on spark plugs scare me.

[@dannycrooks8462]

It's normal for those chain guides to break

[@Failure_Is_An_Option]

To each their own. No such thing as a pre-gapped plugs though. With modern ignition systems on NA engines. It makes very little difference. All the racers In my circle check a plug that is in their hand.

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Oh NO !! Hope things can be fixed 🥰

[@jameskearney4100]

I would have sold you my 4.2 liter V8 S-type. 2003 130000K on it. No problems at all with the car. Damn!

[@smartcarfor2]

Any idea when you will be in another shop? 😊 I imagine you miss the biggest KZbin shop you sold.

[@amarsta]

Is that some kind of high heat paint on the valve covers? I see this problem on all the Jaguars and would like to know how to restore them

[@Autofaze]

Wow, this was in worse shape than I thought! 😳

[@31dknight]

Another great video from JR. Keep it up

[@ingresswizard9044]

Repaint the valve covers since you have them off and cleaned. Why skip out on that simple step???

[@v88dicky32]

My gaskets were green from memory, but that was an X-type 3.0 manual ‘box

[@micksed4875]

The impact and torque wrench bit…☠️☠️☠️

[@toolzshed]

Whoa awesome video John 🤘🏽

[@JrZCarZ]

You never know, ther intake could have been taken off and they just never replaced gaskets. Depends on who did the work

[@sebdries]

LOL, was looking to buy one after your last video. Guess I'm not searching any longer 😂

[@ebred76]

You had said “it has a lot of issues because it has a lot of mikes” if that was a Honda or Toyota you’d likely not have to say that. It has a lot of issues because it’s a jag is a more precise statement. Good news for you though is that you will be able to make an entire series off of repairing g this car: the song that never ends. Lol good luck though love the vids