I can't understand why so many ppl love these cars! I was an automotive machinist in Toronto Ontario during this period of jaguar "engineering" and every time we spoke to Jag mechanics they would regail us with tales of torture working on these! I was lucky enough to never have to do any re and re's! BUT my gawd! just rebuilding these POS' was a challenge! "pinning" the hardened steel lifter buckets because they came loose and smashed the cam, dealing with the 3 stage (different threads) studs that hold in the cams,l you name it! these cars are great if you love wrenching! lol
I've enjoyed your program for at least two years now and I really appreciate what you have taught all of your subscribers. I have learnedto be patient with the shop that services our car, thanks to your thorough explanation of all the problems that repair-facilities face.
Your honesty is great, 50% of your viewers are hooked on that. The other 50% we are watching the diagnosis and repair, sure that must include all that comes with it, the Good the Bad and the Ugly. Always tell it like it is and be worry free. Thank you
The x308's have a trick to get to that rear spring pan stuff without risking your digits. If I remember right it goes like this: -Remove calipers and wheel speed sensor harness, and hang on body somewhere (bump stop?) -Slightly preload lower wishbone with a jack -Undo 4x nuts that hold upper spring pan to frame -Remove shock lower eyelet bolt -Remove preload on lower wishbone, allow it to drop -Rotate halfshafts so that the U-joints allow for the most flex At this point you should be able to pull the vertical link down enough that you can pull out the upper pan, spring, shock all together out of one side. You might need to undo the rear truss to let the A-frame pull away from the frame a bit for that extra clearance. That's how I did my shocks+bushings job, never needed to touch a spring compressor, and relatively low risk. Not sure if the x300's have changes in the design which prevent this trick from working. That center support bearing (again this is x308 experience speaking) isn't sold by Jag parts shops or dealers, as far as I remember, but you can buy the bearing direct from manufacturer. Powertrain industries 3080-25 (again that's if the x300 uses the same driveshaft, I know it's similar but maybe not identical)
You may have missed the underlying cause of the stripped spark plug. These heads have recessed spark plugs which collect sand, grit and oil. When the plugs are removed the grit falls into the plug hole. Then, when the new plugs are installed the threads are destroyed. Everything is OK until the next mechanic comes along and removes the spark plug. It is vitally important to blow off any debris before removal and carefully clean the spark plug seat before reinstalling. As far as the spring mounts are concerned, you may have replaced them the hard way. For many models it is straightforward to put the car on a lift and lower the entire rear suspension assembly onto drums as a single unit. Then, they are very easy to work on. Hope this helps.
Jags from this era are 100% worth fixing when done correctly, like anything in life, "look after it and it will look after you" I have one of the last 2009 XJ x358 and had it for some years now, absolutely no intention of changing it any time soon, it simply dives as elegant as it looks....Love It.....
Don't get rid of it I've owned a lot of jags in my life I sold my XJC coupe 4.2 in British racing green and I've regretted ever since I traded it in for a BMW 635 CSI what a mistake that was
@@tonybooth4 yes stunning the one I had was a 4.2 manual it was a 1978 I bought it 1986 for £400 and it came without a vinyl roof apparently that's very rare wish I had kept that jag
My thoughts exactly. That's why I ALWAYS do plugs by hand never with a power tool. Changed hundreds of plugs in my time by hand and never any issues and it stands to reason if the person had done it this way Mr Wizard wouldn't be having this problem now. The Jag V12 is an interesting engine,you just need the proper knowledge to repair and maintain it.
Oh so true, Weeezard .... I've tried to tell friends many times that (1) you don't want an older car with ultra low mileage and (2) you want to drive any vehicle you own at least once a month for 20-30 minutes to keep everything working as intended. I'm glad to see another seasoned mechanic with good common sense.
On Jaguars the bolts for the drive line flex coupling if removed have to be put back in the same spot when reassembled. Jaguar uses bolts with different weights for balancing at the factory. So over the years if a mechanic worked on the drive line and didn't put the bolts back into the same holes, it could cause drive line vibration. Don't ask me how I know. 🥴
I would recommend ordering your parts from Denooyer Jaguar in Kalamazoo, MI. The parts professionals there have decades of experience with Jags and other British vehicles. Hell, one person there actually worked in an MG parts department in the late 70's. Not only are they a Jaguar dealership, they are also an importer of parts for classic Jags, MGs, Austin Healey, and Triumphs, under the name Engel Imports. I used to work there over a decade ago. All of the same parts professionals from then are still there.
Coming across these unforeseen issues is such a bummer. The other day we replacing the t-belt and water pump in out Camry, which you have been a relatively easy job until we found the crank bolt wasn’t budging. In the end, just removing that bolt took longer than the book time to complete the hole job.
We had a 95 Jaguar XJS convertible that had something that could only be described as a wiggle at higher speeds. It was this way from new and the dealer tried everything to fix it including changing the wheels and tires. They finally diagnosed that it had a warped drive line. After that, it was fine. We had the car 14 years and it was high maintenance, but overall very reliable.
How right you are about old cars and hidden problems. After 24 years of driving the same car there was a bridged fuse in the fuse panel that could have burn't this car to the ground and it was a one owner car that when bargaining the price the owner took my first offer what a nice surprise and now the reason is apparent. Just glad that I lead a charmed life !
As a Jag tech I would strongly advise you have those Fuel Injectors checked for spray pattern and operation - Ultrasonic cleaning is my preferred method also renew the "O" rings to ensure you don't have air leaks into the inlet manifolds. PS Fuel additive is not thorough enough to clean this type of injector.
A transmission filter change can also turn into a much longer job when the previous well meaning person torques the pan bolts to OEM specifications, but the OEM specifications are for a perfectly clean, dry, tapped hole. Unfortunately, most people don't clean out transmission pan mounting holes with brake cleaner and compressed air before torquing the pan screws, so they almost always over torque them. A bent pan or stripped hole are the result. Fortunately, it's easy to fix, and the well meaning previous "mechanic" should be commended for caring enough to change the transmission filter. Over torquing is a very common issue with valve covers as well.
Mr Wizard is correct! Ahh, the young fast mechanic, air impact and ram em in. Fast Fast Fast! , gets you the paycheck. I always hand screw in plugs, with at little silver anti-seize on the 3rd thread up from the bottom. I repair all my cars, never bring them into a “Shop” for maintenance. But i did get tires once on my pick-up truck. Three weeks later, I had to put my 4’ snap on floor jack handle on a 3/4 drive breaker bar and jump on it to break the lugs loose. Next time I’ll buy a tire machine. Love your videos, I have a V12 XJS.
Helpful tip! On the spark plug tap, when i used mine, i load it up with grease in grooves to catch the metal shavings and crud, keeps it from falling into the cylinder
Yep, use grease to collect the shavings. Do a little at a time and clean the shavings off often. There's a $7 tool available which is a tap and assorted length sleeves (not helicoils) to do the job. I just used it on my Ford. Fords have sparkplugs in same place for past 20 years, so I don't know why he called their placement on Jags unusual.. maybe for the time... South Main Garage has video of doing this job, but he uses a $250 tool that must have sponsored him...
Happy New Year to Car Wizard & Ms. Wizard! Looking forward to continued great content in 2023! Jag V12's can be a PITA to access sparkplugs! I also sympathize with the infamous "we can order it for you" phrase dealing with auto parts vendors, can sometimes take weeks instead of days. Firing order is 1A, 6B, 5A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 6A, 1B, 2A, 5B, 4A, 3B. Barrel of fun! I like our '52 Jag XK120 w/3.4L inline 6, plugs are all right on top and can be changed in about 15 min. Thanks for a cool video!
They actully are simple, A bank is 1,5,3,6,2,4, B bank is 6,2,4,1,5,3. I feel for you on that plug hole, hopefully you won't find any more bad plug holes. Do you have the driveline alignment tool, or is it not needed on that model?
@@billvose7360 Yes or you can just do it the way I do it and that's 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4 on each bank forgetting the Jag cylinder numbering. Just view B bank as A bank and like A bank, plug every second wire at the cap end.
love the round headlight jags, such a pretty car! i hope it treats you well edit: a lesson on older cars, i have not owned a car that i didnt build or rebuild from an empty shell, so i know all of the secrets of the car. my favorite was sadly taken from me by a red light runner, but that car was completely fresh top to bottom, just waiting on paint (that i still have). started in -30F temps, handled snow and ice, great mileage, and my wife and kids loved cruising in it. and it was from 1987. if you know where the secrets can hide, you can enjoy beautiful older cars with all that character.
I found your channel today. I am a nurse practitioner…not mechanically inclined. My beloved ‘99 daily driver XJ8 VDP has not started since 26 Dec, and I am holding my breath, hoping she can be repaired. Appreciate your channel and agree that newer cars are not as stylish. Enjoy your new Jaguar.
In Jaguar nomenclature the area between the two heads is known as the valley of death. It should be entered cautiously with magnetic pickup tools and inspection mirrors. The 6.0L with coil packs were much easier than the older dual teir distributor setup. Even still we used to use what's called a may head spark plug socket. It's kind of a crows foot spark plug socket. Be grateful you have one of the V12s with modern wiring. The old ones would get brittle and crack if you bent them too much. I'm a former factory trained Jaguar tech. Really enjoy going down memory lane with these videos. My favorite x300 sedan is the 96 xj12. The acceleration of the V12 needs to be experienced, you don't realize how much vibration you feel with the V8. It's incredible how smooth they are, occasionally they would lose six cylinders because of ignition problems and all the customers would notice was that they were lacking power.
I love those 6.0 V12s. Did plugs and wires on many V12s. I found taking the compressor off the 5.3 V12s made it safer to do the front two. Also, that single wiper is awful. I was happy to sell my 97 VDP with the single wiper. Finally, did many rear shocks on them. Very difficult job. Patience is necessary. Well Done Wizard!
I learned the hard way about changing spark plugs that hadn’t been changed in a long time in aluminum heads. I cross threaded the passenger rear spark plug hole and had to buy a thread chaser to clean up the mess. Also found that vacuuming out the metal shavings in the repaired spark plug hole makes inserting a new plug much easier. Continue to enjoy the channel with all the different vehicles that get worked on, plus seeing The Wizards professionalism and also supply problems that plague automotive shops today.
Wizard , the reason for the plugs in the centre of the engine is because it is a "Heron" head engine, with the combustion chambers in the heads of the piston rather than the cylinder heads. To get effective combustion, the spark needs to be quite central in relation to the Heron recess in the piston.
Those plug wire coil side ends look like Ford style clips on them. Are they Ford 6 cylinder coil packs? Like their use of two 4 cylinder Ztec packs on the 4.6l. Or was it half of the 4.6l. set up on the Ztec?
@@raynic1173 There is nothing in my Jaguar history about redesigning the cylinder heads of the V12. Given that production of this engine, by the time the 6 litre came along, was only a few hundred units a year, I doubt that the expense of the extensive redesign to change from Heron combustion chambers, making new cylinder head casting patterns, new piston design and new longer con rods, would have been economical. The specific output of the V12 engine remained very modest at barely over 50 BHP/litre, when for example the contemporary BMW M series engines were approaching 100 BHP/litre.
@@wilsonlaidlaw Utter nonsense. First of all the Heron heads were done away with in 1980, with the switch to the "HE" design, so the idea that the spark plugs had to go there because of the dished pistons is moot: Jaguar V12s, both 5.3 and later 6.0 litre versions, didn't have Heron heads after 1980. (And the idea that they "wouldn't have gone to the expense" is silly to begin with; after all the 6.0 had a completely different crankshaft! Not to mention the entirely different electronics system (including the Nippondenso distributorless ignition system unique to the XJ12)... Secondly, the spark plug access location had nothing to do with the original Heron head design anyway: they were accessed from the middle of the vee-nearer the intake ports-simply because the intake manifolds were located on the outside of the vee, above the exhaust manifolds. This was done to keep the overall assembled height of the engine lower to fit under the very low hoods of the E-type, XJ and XJ-S! This significantly limits the efficiency of the engine's "breathing", which resulted in the ~50 hp/L output. (The contemporary BMW M70 V12 made ~60 hp/L.) If the spark plugs were located outside the vee (like in a Heron-headed Ford Essex V6 in a Capri, for instance) they'd have been completely inaccessible without taking the intake manifolds off!
@@mark_p300 indeed my E32 750 made 300 bhp was 5.0 the later 6.0 litre motor in the E65 made 450 and only the twin turbo models made closer to the 100 per litre. But these motors were all so smooth. My old lecturer at uni had the 5.3 series III just a piece of sculpture, what happened to Wizards project car with the old V12?
Nice start to the ownership haha. When I worked for Jaguar, we found lots of people also made problems for themselves by using non-genuine parts. We'd have a car come in and get moaned at that we were asking to replace something the owner had got some other garage to replace 6 months earlier. It amazed me how some folk couldn't understand that the part generally costs more because it's better quality, not because of the fancy box it comes in.
Keep hammering home that message that stuff happens with cars. I have good relationships with the shops and mechanics we use because I know how little things can completely derail what looks like a simple job. I once picked up a van I used to own after a service, drove around the corner and lost power and a colossal misfire made itself known. I stopped and could see what the issue was when I did some basic checks. Both the oil and the coolant had turned into a milkshake. I continued around the block and back into the mechanics bay and said, "I think the head gasket has blown, is it OK to leave it here until you can find a spot to look at it and replace it and I'll get the train home?" They were dumbfounded that I wasn't screaming and ranting that they'd broken my car. It was just one of those things. We had a good chat about looking for other potential issues with the coolant system and engine block and at 3pm the next day they rang me to pick the car up and they charged me for the parts only, as it was such a simple job and I hadn't been a dick. I made sure that their Friday night beer fridge was in good order.
This is a GREAT lesson to learn, especially for backyard mechanics like me. I’m glad you’re showing the hard stuff that you’re going to run into. Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Wizard!
Jaguars are the best. I grew up with Jaguars. My father had a 1987 Jag XJ6, a 1989 XJS , a 1998 XJ8 and a 2001 S-type. i had a 2002 X-type, 2005 X-Type,and a 2003Stype R . Your XJ 12 is perfect. Very beautiful.
I’m very excited to see the video about the driveshaft bearing. I believe my -95 XJ6 X300 has the same issue. It’s gonna be very helpful to see the repairs.
I used to work on those VJ12 and XJS 20 years ago. I still have my 94 XJ12 I used to daily back then. I know how much you're enjoying it. Seeing you work on your beauty reminds me of doing all those jobs on customers' and my cars. Thanks for the great videos!!
I bought an XJS V12 and it had a misfire. After waiting until it was dark in the evening I opened the bonnet and saw what looked like the aurora borealis jumping around from the ignition leads. New leads were ordered and fitted. No misfire anymore
That is a lovely car you have there! I am English but no live in France! I had an uncle that had exactly the same Jag but a 1960's one and that was so silky smooth! I can understand why you Brough it! I know you do not need me telling you this but I say it, in the sprit of kindness! Good Luck with it all! Oh yes! I wish you and your dear wife and your guys at the Shop! I wish you all, a Happy and Prosperous new Year! 🤩🥳😉😜
I knew exactly what that sag was about! I had to do the same on my x308. Great to not sound like there was a dead body in the trunk anymore... Edit: I did it in under an hour with no spring compressors... just loosened under the diff, disconnected the bottom of the shock and used a scissor jack to push the control arm down.
Nice cars when they run. Encountered one of 'em with the V12 in a parking lot in Lincoln Park in Chicago back in the 80s. The hood was up, a guy was standing next to it with tears streaming down his face. Knew a mechanic back then who worked on 'em, "Two and a half hours to pull one spark plug."
Levelled, it looks even better now. So much for the story I heard about removing the guards to change plugs on the V12! Best wishes for the year ahead at Omega.
Back in 1984, at 21 years old, I bought an S2 Daimler Double Six, last of the carb V12’s, it took me 2 hours to change out its plugs, the 2 at the firewall end had never been changed as they’re awkward to get at, I managed that without stripping the threads, and replaced the diaphragms in the stromberg cabs, changed out the thermostats, changed the oil, etc; but as a novice back then I took better care of it than Jaguar technicians evidently did, it came with a full JSH, and it had only ever been half done, but when I finished and spent a couple of days on it, it became a 2 ton flying machine! At that time, there wasn’t a faster car on the road, it whipped 323i BMW’s, wiped the floor with Mercedes, Audi’s, you name it, it whipped it! It did the 150mph they said it would, it got to 60 in around 5 seconds, that’s a 1974 British sedan! Only downside was it eventually shredded its torque converter and an engine out job to replace it, which I did, but one very underrated sleeper, it’s old 5.3 was bulletproof, one very fast magic carpet ride, it guzzled fuel at 8-10mpg, but who cares, finished in BRG with doeskin interior, mint, chrome factory steels with hubcaps, it was a peach! Wish I still had it now, it loved the red line and I wasn’t scared to drive it hard, what a lot of car then for less than £1000!! 300hp on tap! It met its demise when some drunk idiot drove into the side of it parked up, tore the side out of it, wrecked it, lucky the impact put him in hospital....!
Around last year I purchased a 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV for my girlfriend for 2 grand, in coincidentally the same hunter green color as your new Jag. We got it at 219,000 miles BUT, I knew after looking it over quickly that it was not a rust filled piece of junk and it’s a Toyota so I trusted it to work as a daily driver. When we got it the only things it needed were new rear struts and new tires all around. Today it has just shy of 232,000 miles on it and the only thing really wrong with it is it will burn maybe a quart of oil every month or so, so I’ll top it off every month to keep it in check. That’s just from poor maintenance in its past but really with 232,000 miles on it it’s not a big deal. We’re just going to continue using it until it can’t run anymore. The proof is in the pudding guys. When the car wizard suggests buying a Toyota product for the best reliability, he means it. It’s not because he gets a cut from Toyota to promote their cars. Their cars are actually just that good. Not without fault because they will have problems, but compared to other makes they have proven to be the most reliable! Thanks Car Wizard for all you do for us and the content you provide on your channel. Happy New Years to both you and Mrs. Wizard🎉
I felt like a novice the first time I realized one at a time was the best way to do plug wires, glad to hear that it’s the way you do them and that is the easy way therefore the best way
Just this week for the first time I was tuning a small Honda engine and when I went to put the spark plug back in I cross threaded the head. I learned about the thread chaser. It works so well. I have new confidence in my mechanical skills. Wizard you need to do a video to show home mechanics how to use a thread chaser. Thank you.
I bought a low miles 03 Grand Marquis. In under a year it's needed brake rotors and pads, front struts, rear air ride conversion (to coil springs), and a transmission fluid/filter change. The tires were 8 years old and NOW the intake manifold gasket has a leak. The last item is the signal to upgrade the coils, replace the plugs and wires as well as upgrade to a performance intake manifold. Even a legendary car with a good powertrain is going to require the deferred maintenance to be caught up.
Thank you for such great insight as always. I replaced the plugs and packs on my 2007 boxster. No real issues but it is time consuming and having never done that before, it’s all new to me. But having patience and the right parts and tools helped me to keep the frustration to a minimum.
Boy, did that cross-threaded spark plug bring back memories! I am 73 and back in 1966, I decided to change the spark plugs on my first Jaguar XK-120. I got the plugs out with no problem. BUT I cross-threaded one of the replacements into that aluminum head! I thought I destroyed the engine. Fortunately, the foreign car service shop where I worked after school as a parts chaser, repaired the problem with a Helicoil. I still remember that moment! I also remember that 120 took 11 or 12 quarts of oil!
The only reason I'd buy this year of a Jag is to get one with the straight six. When I was a kid we had a brand new '89 XJS with the V12; one that a local dealer gave to my family on a trade in '87 Sovereign that also junk from the factory (if I recall; there was a part in the motor that required a machine to remove of which there was only one in the country so it was not feasible to do within a reasonable time.. at least the dealer did something though.. imagine going through this today with a new car, you'd likely be stuck with it!). The XJS ended up with the fuel injector problems, naturally; as well as other issues over the years. As a new car the XJS broke down on a road trip and the motor had to be removed just to replace a power steering line!? At the same time back in the day we had an '87 Cadillac with the 4.1 which had less problems and was therefore more often used as a daily driver; now THAT is saying something!
Remove the engine to replace a power steering hose? Your mechanic was playing you for a fool. It's an awkward job (done it on XJ12 and XJR-S) but the engine doesn't have to come out. While you've in there replace the rack bushings with polly items.
@@albanana683 Just to document the story correctly for once and for all, I have actually asked my family member (now in their 80s trying to recall it) what happened after I read your comment. When this happened I was probably a toddler. As the car was being fueled in Eugene, Oregon it was realized the antifreeze was leaking out all over the place. The fellow working at the gas station suggested it be topped up with water and driven to the mechanic across the street. The mechanic across the street didn't want to touch it so called a tow truck to have it brought to the only dealership in town at the time which was a Subaru dealership. One of the fellows who was a mechanic there happened to work in the Jaguar factory years earlier in Coventry. He was able to take a Subaru hose off the shelf, cut the ends of it, and rig it into place in order to get the cooling system working again. However, somehow in this process the power steering line got cut and the car was soon without power steering for the rest of the trip. Upon returning through Eugene, the mechanic did not want to take responsibility for the problem. Once back in town from the trip, the car was brought to the dealership and fixed properly. As I recall the story as originally told to me, the motor was removed for this; though this part of the story wasn't exactly confirmed just now. The car was not likely under warranty at the time.
Have been in a similar situation, drilled a hole down centre of tap to blow compress air through as I turn it while piston at TDC with valves closed so swarf is blown out of tap releafs , happy new year , keep up the good work
I worked on the straight 6 and V12 jags years back, good luck, wait until the coolant level drops, and or, the intake temp sensor goes, and raw fuel starts pouring out of the tail pipe.
Happy New Year to all the car guys and gals, and to the @ Car Wizard . Watching these videos are entertaining, informative, and remind me why I don’t own a Jag or other European cars lol. Beautiful looking cars though!
Thanks for the great video, Wizard. I work on PC's but I'm very meticulous just like you are. I take pictures, I draw diagrams, and don't unscrew or unplug anything unless I know why. If I'm pulling a broken part out, and I have to disconnect, unplug, or change something that I don't want to, I'll take out some snips and cut it or something so I can get it out.
Beautiful Jag - they are classy and timeless unlike so many luxury cars. It’s worth sorting these problems as will have a wonderful car to show for it. Great video Wizard. All the best to you both and the family for 2023
“Cream puff car”. I had an 03 XJ8 with 110,000 on it. I loved it. Thought it would be worth giving the attention it needed. Problem was, it never stopped needing attention. Similar to yours, it started with the strut mounts being replaced in the front. It went downhill from there. MAF sensor, fuel level sending unit, vacuum leaks, etc. I gave up. I hope you get her to run flawlessly and she stays running flawlessly. Mine was a money pit.
My husband had to replace the top rear shock isolators on our 1995 X300 4.0 Sport as they had completely disintergrated resulting in loud bangs whenever we hit a bump. It took him one day to do one side & half a day to do the other side as he learnt a few tricks doing the first side. He didn't compress the spring. He lowered the rear sub-frame. He replaced the shocks while he was doing the job as he did not want to have to do the same work in a year or two to replace the shocks.
Another great video Wizard! Too bad about the wires and plug, but you don't allow these things to get to you. Blessings to you, your family and your team for a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!
I think I'd like to see some video of how rethreading spark plugs works. For some reason I can just imagine bits of metal from the hole landing on the piston and causing problems later on. Maybe just using a broken head on the workbench :)
@@alcool0828 . If you can also put that piston at TDC, you can also use a vacuum on the plug hole. Another trick is to fire it up with that plug removed and anything on top should blow out. My Stag V8 was helicoiled in situ by that method
Yes, use grease to collect the shavings. Do a little at a time and clean the shavings off often. There's a $7 tool available which is a tap and assorted length sleeves (not helicoils) to do the job. I just used it on my Ford. Fords have sparkplugs in same place for past 20 years, so I don't know why he called their placement on Jags unusual.. maybe for the time... South Main Garage has video of doing this job, but he uses a $250 tool that must have sponsored him...
My favorite surprise was 20 years ago I got a hold of a one owner 40000 mile Dodge Dart Swinger loaded, 318, front discs, factory AC, vinyl top, beautiful untouched little old ladymobile, but it needed valve cover gaskets and the driver side valve cover had THREE cross-threaded bolts from the factory and the passenger side had one.. Mopar quality....
When the first 5.3L Jaguar V12s came out in the early '70s, some genius engineer decided to put the ignition coil in the V. A few thousands of miles later the engine ran poorly because the coil overheated. I use e3 plugs in my AJ6 engine (AJ= Advanced Jaguar) without any problem. Just installed the 2nd set a few months ago. 10 min. job. (159k on the clock). I also did the rear insulator job but I made the isolators on the top of the shocks out of polyurethane.
As you know, we all love the videos with u wrenching, it teaches us alot, I have 93 xjs convertable, 12 cylinder, I love it except the inboard rear brakes
I got to work on some of the first Jag V 12s that came into the US- beautiful cars, but even a factory supported import warehouse didn't have nearly all the parts in stock to do "pre sales" and pre warrantee" work. The batteries were just lousy- fully a third were warrantable bad on arrival, and most of the rest got replaced under warrantee by dealers. We were twice told not to use "domestic spark plugs", even though the Lucas plugs were virtually unobtainable in the US. Great car, lousy factory support on their better days. Best one I had had a Chevy small block and had been largely rewired- I got it as an insurance write off and fixed it- put 60k on it before somebody offered me more than I thought it was worth. Loved the ride, just as you have; what an "evolution" for a suspension that was designed for high performance driving! It should be no wonder that Ford's ride control engineers had a ball figuring out how that was done- and the Crown Vics of that era as well the Lincolns show it. FR
Hi: On My 82 XJS V12 getting at the plugs was a bige job in case of the from two you have to remove then the AC pump and few other had to use a special wrench from Jaguar for several other plugs. Many of these cars you will find the front wo are never changed. Christopher Ottawa Canada. Love your channel and Jags.
Obviously someone was ham fisted installing the last set of plugs. Such a inconvenience when you discover these problems. Love your channel and insight to automotive repair.
I wonder if only one was buggered up? People that leave cross threaded plugs in a head, instead of fixing it after making the mistake, usually repeat errors because they are incapable of learning.
This Cross-threaded Plug is one reason that I always start everything that has threads with my fingers-hand tightened them first before using a electric wrench that most mechanics use these days and Do Not Over-Tighten...
The look of disappointment is real Car wizard. That rethread tool is amazing. I know the feeling with hidden secrets I'm a mechanic as well and the day is 5 minutes away from blowing out
Good news, Rockauto has those wires on wholesale for $3.55, wild! Then a range of choices from $37-45 per set. From the pics they appear to be correct for coil packs too. Nice looking ride!
before we had everything on computers a spare parts sales guy usually knew more about your car than you did. They could often recommend alternatives if the part you wanted was unavailable. Now people just trust what the computer says and as the old saying goes 'garbage in- garbage out'. the worst things are when changes are made mid model. One of my friends experienced this with her Nissan Micra. We ordered new from suspension parts but found they were totally different to what was on the car. Hers was later than the parts supplied. They got exchanged Ok but it meant she didn't have her car for Christmas.
Welcome to the world of Jaguar, especially something considered "vintage". While a lot of stuff is out there with time, you will run into the NLA parts (as I'm sure you know) and when nothing used is any better than what you have, its time to get really creative. Great looking car BTW...super jealous.
you pull the plug out and you put the plug in do the sparky parky, turn the plugs round and round, that's what it's all about I lost my 91 G20 to someone before me. They changed the thermostat and no anti-sieze or anything, so when I went to change it, a bolt twisted off. I had a second 5.7 TBI engine on a pallet so I thought it would be easier to change the intake out than drill out the bolts under the cowl. Yeah, no. They must have had the intake off, for some reason it was painted black, and the two front bolts also twisted right off. At which point I had a van I couldn't even drive to the garage as the intake was loose. In 2021 I got my current 94 G20 with 47,000 miles on it. It weeps some oil out of the front of the engine but in 6000 or so miles no puddles, no major leaks. Knock on rust.
Agree reference parts - my 2007 Merc CL500 is having a holiday at a workshop for 3 weeks waiting on a rear brake caliper. None in Australia, minimum 10 working days from Singapore. With Christmas and New Year that’s likely to be mid Jan….
Stripping a spark plug hole happens on aluminum heads when you change the plugs while the engine is hot. Do it gently and do it when the motor is COLD. Great video!
I saw it first had when idiots install them with power tools. Goes for any nut or bolt really. Always hand start them so you know it is not cross threaded. Then don't over torque them. This will stop this problem 99% of the time.
I bought a xjs that had a pickup coil issue. I got that fixed and went for a test drive. It blew a plug out about 5 minutes in. Somebody had JB Welded the plug in. I had to get in there and Helicoil It. V-12s are a little more Labor Intensive requiring some wobbles, adaptors and some disassembly to change all the plugs.
Very simply said - in a V12, every moving part has a counterpart that moves in the opposite direction and cancels out its momentum. That is why a V12 is, by nature, a vibration-free and smooth engine, even vithout balance shafts. Next best balanced configuration is a straight 6. That is why straight sixes are often scaled up to enormous sizes in trucks, trains and ships - they run vibration free, unlike a V8.
I have a 92 XJS Face lift coupe and most fuel related parts for that MY are mislabeled by so-called Jag expert shops. Somehow in their parts world for a V12 stops to exist somewhere in the Lucas area. It's been difficult to source the right parts for anything newer than 1991 since Jaguar has mad a lot of parts changes over the remaining years of the classic Jag 6s and V12s. Any Ford owner should be familiar with this type of business.
Your words are my main man’s exact words,,, I bought an 04 xj8 Vanden Plas 6 years ago for 8300$,, and he said this is a relationship that will need attention, sure for the most part suspension (air) stuff and other things that happen far enough apart to still love her, particularly liked the part when you said about one plug at a time and the young techs don’t listen ,,, my guys number one complaint, at the end of the day I live my xj and want her to go to 200k and maybe I’ll consider buying a new daily driver
The one thing about these older Jags I learnt from experience is to go into owning one with your eyes wide open. There is no doubt there is nothing like a purring v12 accompanied with a Jag suspension ride. Even a well maintained Jag will need work but I look at it as a hobby & always have a Toyota as a daily ... 🤔
Power ratchet to remove plugs? Wow, I have a serious issue with that. I've even seen guys install plugs with a power ratchet, which is nuts. Remove and install plugs by hand, please. That way, you can feel what's going on. Put a light coat of grease on the threads of that spark plug tap, before you run it in. It'll prevent bits of metal from dropping into the combustion chamber. Swapping out that V-12 for a Chevy 327 V-8, is a common fix for all the complications which crop up in those fussy V-12's.
Yes take out the one thing that makes the car interesting and different. I understand taking an xj8 or 6 engine out but a 12? Unless youre swapping it for an aston v12 or something whyyyy
So do I and he unfortunately has all the time, LOL. I'm not a huge fan of foreign cars but watching you over the years I have been able to get them to grow on me and I learned that you have to do massive research on it before you buy it. I got a 2007 Subaru Impreza NA 2.5l manual. I didn't do enough research and bought it to find out it is a one year wonder and the parts are year only specific. Not before or after will work on the car. Lesson learned from the mistake on my part. I am still trying to get on the foreign band wagon and I am going to ease into it. I couldn't afford another mistake like that older Subaru. Runs great it is things like axle shafts, bearings, etc. Expensive an special order only.
Powerbuilt 640811 14mm Back-Tap Thread Repair Tool is what I use in this type of circumstance. It works from inside to the outside so debris is on the outside than inside. It also should reduce all the time required due the compact design.
Great Jag Content Wizard! Love that V12! They are such a joy to drive. Sad to see a hack mechanic did that to the plug threads but at least it's in good hands now. You need to rep some fender covers 😁 Awesome that you, AutoAlex, and Drivetribe all have some great content. I've always been biased to Jags but nice to see others appreciate how great they really are.
A bunch of them broke when I did my XJS V12 and luckily I only had one take the threads with it. I had to chase the threads which were about 60-70% still ok and seal them with liquid steel epoxy because the compression on these is so high (I did copper anti seize on all the others). Ignoring the general consensus, I did Iridium plugs gapped to factory spec instead of the OEM copper ones because there is no way I am ever doing this job again. She runs as smooth as silk now.
Sorry to hear about your spark plug headache but, as a jag owner, the 6 cylinder engine is much easier to work on. These cars develop unusual problems such as bad output shaft bearings due to no rear upper control arms, circuit board problems due to poor QA/QC, wheel bearings, nearly impossible starter replacement ,difficult to reach coolant hoses, body rust, sticky door locks, etc, not to mention parts procurement challenges. Good luck finding a new shifter cable when the time comes!
Never a good day when you are waiting for parts and the wrong one shows up. I hope that you have a great day and I hope that you two have a Happy New Year and may it be better than last year. I'm a sucker for the 1970 Ford wagon with 20k and end up wrenching on it , at least I can get the parts for it for now, I have to get the one year only car out of my head because it is a nice little rig and I wouldn't mind getting something else a little bit better and easier to get parts for. I just don't know what I would get being new to the used foreign market and watching you, I have learned that you have to be extremely careful on what you are going to buy. Great day again to you both.
Great work keeping the Big Cat up to spec - must be great to have the brains to do it ! Guess spares can be pricey but worth doing things right. ' may the force be with you ' Grace and pace !!
Those cars are lovely . But required constant attention if the weather changes will change with it. At least it's in competent hands Enjoy all your hard work and the guys work as well.
Did a transfer case oil replacement on my 2007 rx350 that I got a year before in great condition, the person who did the job before rounded the drain port. $70 worth of tools and parts and one sacrificial Walmart ratchet wrench later the job was finally done.
I know on Srettin's M539 channel had a simillar issue on his e31 850 with a spark plug thread that was literally pulled and had to tap in larger threads and put a sleeve so that the plug can be torqued in the head.
having owned multiple Jags in my life - anyone who buys a v-12 Jag deserves all the entertainment that they can harvest
I can't understand why so many ppl love these cars! I was an automotive machinist in Toronto Ontario during this period of jaguar "engineering" and every time we spoke to Jag mechanics they would regail us with tales of torture working on these! I was lucky enough to never have to do any re and re's! BUT my gawd! just rebuilding these POS' was a challenge! "pinning" the hardened steel lifter buckets because they came loose and smashed the cam, dealing with the 3 stage (different threads) studs that hold in the cams,l you name it! these cars are great if you love wrenching! lol
I've enjoyed your program for at least two years now and I really appreciate what you have taught all of your subscribers. I have learnedto be patient with the shop that services our car, thanks to your thorough explanation of all the problems that repair-facilities face.
Your honesty is great, 50% of your viewers are hooked on that. The other 50% we are watching the diagnosis and repair, sure that must include all that comes with it, the Good the Bad and the Ugly. Always tell it like it is and be worry free. Thank you
The x308's have a trick to get to that rear spring pan stuff without risking your digits. If I remember right it goes like this:
-Remove calipers and wheel speed sensor harness, and hang on body somewhere (bump stop?)
-Slightly preload lower wishbone with a jack
-Undo 4x nuts that hold upper spring pan to frame
-Remove shock lower eyelet bolt
-Remove preload on lower wishbone, allow it to drop
-Rotate halfshafts so that the U-joints allow for the most flex
At this point you should be able to pull the vertical link down enough that you can pull out the upper pan, spring, shock all together out of one side. You might need to undo the rear truss to let the A-frame pull away from the frame a bit for that extra clearance. That's how I did my shocks+bushings job, never needed to touch a spring compressor, and relatively low risk. Not sure if the x300's have changes in the design which prevent this trick from working.
That center support bearing (again this is x308 experience speaking) isn't sold by Jag parts shops or dealers, as far as I remember, but you can buy the bearing direct from manufacturer. Powertrain industries 3080-25 (again that's if the x300 uses the same driveshaft, I know it's similar but maybe not identical)
You may have missed the underlying cause of the stripped spark plug. These heads have recessed spark plugs which collect sand, grit and oil. When the plugs are removed the grit falls into the plug hole. Then, when the new plugs are installed the threads are destroyed. Everything is OK until the next mechanic comes along and removes the spark plug. It is vitally important to blow off any debris before removal and carefully clean the spark plug seat before reinstalling. As far as the spring mounts are concerned, you may have replaced them the hard way. For many models it is straightforward to put the car on a lift and lower the entire rear suspension assembly onto drums as a single unit. Then, they are very easy to work on. Hope this helps.
Jags from this era are 100% worth fixing when done correctly, like anything in life, "look after it and it will look after you" I have one of the last 2009 XJ x358 and had it for some years now, absolutely no intention of changing it any time soon, it simply dives as elegant as it looks....Love It.....
Don't get rid of it I've owned a lot of jags in my life I sold my XJC coupe 4.2 in British racing green and I've regretted ever since I traded it in for a BMW 635 CSI what a mistake that was
@@thomasshepard6030 have you seen Harry's rebuild?
@@tonybooth4 yes stunning the one I had was a 4.2 manual it was a 1978 I bought it 1986 for £400 and it came without a vinyl roof apparently that's very rare wish I had kept that jag
Mrs. Wizard isn't the only one who is a teacher. Great explaination of the problem(s). All the best for the New Year!
My thoughts exactly. That's why I ALWAYS do plugs by hand never with a power tool. Changed hundreds of plugs in my time by hand and never any issues and it stands to reason if the person had done it this way Mr Wizard wouldn't be having this problem now. The Jag V12 is an interesting engine,you just need the proper knowledge to repair and maintain it.
They both explain things with incredible detail ..very teacher like..
Oh so true, Weeezard .... I've tried to tell friends many times that (1) you don't want an older car with ultra low mileage and (2) you want to drive any vehicle you own at least once a month for 20-30 minutes to keep everything working as intended. I'm glad to see another seasoned mechanic with good common sense.
Agreed
On Jaguars the bolts for the drive line flex coupling if removed have to be put back in the same spot when reassembled. Jaguar uses bolts with different weights for balancing at the factory. So over the years if a mechanic worked on the drive line and didn't put the bolts back into the same holes, it could cause drive line vibration. Don't ask me how I know. 🥴
I would recommend ordering your parts from Denooyer Jaguar in Kalamazoo, MI. The parts professionals there have decades of experience with Jags and other British vehicles. Hell, one person there actually worked in an MG parts department in the late 70's.
Not only are they a Jaguar dealership, they are also an importer of parts for classic Jags, MGs, Austin Healey, and Triumphs, under the name Engel Imports. I used to work there over a decade ago. All of the same parts professionals from then are still there.
Coming across these unforeseen issues is such a bummer. The other day we replacing the t-belt and water pump in out Camry, which you have been a relatively easy job until we found the crank bolt wasn’t budging. In the end, just removing that bolt took longer than the book time to complete the hole job.
We had a 95 Jaguar XJS convertible that had something that could only be described as a wiggle at higher speeds. It was this way from new and the dealer tried everything to fix it including changing the wheels and tires. They finally diagnosed that it had a warped drive line. After that, it was fine. We had the car 14 years and it was high maintenance, but overall very reliable.
How right you are about old cars and hidden problems. After 24 years of driving the same car there was a bridged fuse in the fuse panel that could have burn't this car to the ground and it was a one owner car that when bargaining the price the owner took my first offer what a nice surprise and now the reason is apparent. Just glad that I lead a charmed life !
As a Jag tech I would strongly advise you have those Fuel Injectors checked for spray pattern and operation - Ultrasonic cleaning is my preferred method also renew the "O" rings to ensure you don't have air leaks into the inlet manifolds.
PS Fuel additive is not thorough enough to clean this type of injector.
A transmission filter change can also turn into a much longer job when the previous well meaning person torques the pan bolts to OEM specifications, but the OEM specifications are for a perfectly clean, dry, tapped hole. Unfortunately, most people don't clean out transmission pan mounting holes with brake cleaner and compressed air before torquing the pan screws, so they almost always over torque them. A bent pan or stripped hole are the result. Fortunately, it's easy to fix, and the well meaning previous "mechanic" should be commended for caring enough to change the transmission filter. Over torquing is a very common issue with valve covers as well.
Mr Wizard is correct! Ahh, the young fast mechanic, air impact and ram em in. Fast Fast Fast! , gets you the paycheck. I always hand screw in plugs, with at little silver anti-seize on the 3rd thread up from the bottom. I repair all my cars, never bring them into a “Shop” for maintenance. But i did get tires once on my pick-up truck. Three weeks later, I had to put my 4’ snap on floor jack handle on a 3/4 drive breaker bar and jump on it to break the lugs loose. Next time I’ll buy a tire machine. Love your videos, I have a V12 XJS.
Helpful tip!
On the spark plug tap, when i used mine, i load it up with grease in grooves to catch the metal shavings and crud, keeps it from falling into the cylinder
Yep, use grease to collect the shavings. Do a little at a time and clean the shavings off often. There's a $7 tool available which is a tap and assorted length sleeves (not helicoils) to do the job. I just used it on my Ford. Fords have sparkplugs in same place for past 20 years, so I don't know why he called their placement on Jags unusual.. maybe for the time...
South Main Garage has video of doing this job, but he uses a $250 tool that must have sponsored him...
Happy New Year to Car Wizard & Ms. Wizard! Looking forward to continued great content in 2023!
Jag V12's can be a PITA to access sparkplugs! I also sympathize with the infamous "we can order it for you" phrase dealing with auto parts vendors, can sometimes take weeks instead of days.
Firing order is 1A, 6B, 5A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 6A, 1B, 2A, 5B, 4A, 3B. Barrel of fun! I like our '52 Jag XK120 w/3.4L inline 6, plugs are all right on top and can be changed in about 15 min.
Thanks for a cool video!
A '52!! AWESOME!
They actully are simple, A bank is 1,5,3,6,2,4, B bank is 6,2,4,1,5,3. I feel for you on that plug hole, hopefully you won't find any more bad plug holes. Do you have the driveline alignment tool, or is it not needed on that model?
@@billvose7360 Yes or you can just do it the way I do it and that's 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4 on each bank forgetting the Jag cylinder numbering. Just view B bank as A bank and like A bank, plug every second wire at the cap end.
love the round headlight jags, such a pretty car! i hope it treats you well
edit: a lesson on older cars, i have not owned a car that i didnt build or rebuild from an empty shell, so i know all of the secrets of the car. my favorite was sadly taken from me by a red light runner, but that car was completely fresh top to bottom, just waiting on paint (that i still have). started in -30F temps, handled snow and ice, great mileage, and my wife and kids loved cruising in it. and it was from 1987. if you know where the secrets can hide, you can enjoy beautiful older cars with all that character.
I found your channel today. I am a nurse practitioner…not mechanically inclined. My beloved ‘99 daily driver XJ8 VDP has not started since 26 Dec, and I am holding my breath, hoping she can be repaired. Appreciate your channel and agree that newer cars are not as stylish. Enjoy your new Jaguar.
In Jaguar nomenclature the area between the two heads is known as the valley of death. It should be entered cautiously with magnetic pickup tools and inspection mirrors.
The 6.0L with coil packs were much easier than the older dual teir distributor setup. Even still we used to use what's called a may head spark plug socket. It's kind of a crows foot spark plug socket.
Be grateful you have one of the V12s with modern wiring. The old ones would get brittle and crack if you bent them too much.
I'm a former factory trained Jaguar tech. Really enjoy going down memory lane with these videos.
My favorite x300 sedan is the 96 xj12. The acceleration of the V12 needs to be experienced, you don't realize how much vibration you feel with the V8. It's incredible how smooth they are, occasionally they would lose six cylinders because of ignition problems and all the customers would notice was that they were lacking power.
I love those 6.0 V12s. Did plugs and wires on many V12s. I found taking the compressor off the 5.3 V12s made it safer to do the front two. Also, that single wiper is awful. I was happy to sell my 97 VDP with the single wiper. Finally, did many rear shocks on them. Very difficult job. Patience is necessary. Well Done Wizard!
I learned the hard way about changing spark plugs that hadn’t been changed in a long time in aluminum heads. I cross threaded the passenger rear spark plug hole and had to buy a thread chaser to clean up the mess. Also found that vacuuming out the metal shavings in the repaired spark plug hole makes inserting a new plug much easier.
Continue to enjoy the channel with all the different vehicles that get worked on, plus seeing The Wizards professionalism and also supply problems that plague automotive shops today.
Wizard , the reason for the plugs in the centre of the engine is because it is a "Heron" head engine, with the combustion chambers in the heads of the piston rather than the cylinder heads. To get effective combustion, the spark needs to be quite central in relation to the Heron recess in the piston.
Not sure that's true, I thought Heron heads were dropped in the '80's. That was '50-'60's tech.
Those plug wire coil side ends look like Ford style clips on them. Are they Ford 6 cylinder coil packs? Like their use of two 4 cylinder Ztec packs on the 4.6l. Or was it half of the 4.6l. set up on the Ztec?
@@raynic1173 There is nothing in my Jaguar history about redesigning the cylinder heads of the V12. Given that production of this engine, by the time the 6 litre came along, was only a few hundred units a year, I doubt that the expense of the extensive redesign to change from Heron combustion chambers, making new cylinder head casting patterns, new piston design and new longer con rods, would have been economical. The specific output of the V12 engine remained very modest at barely over 50 BHP/litre, when for example the contemporary BMW M series engines were approaching 100 BHP/litre.
@@wilsonlaidlaw Utter nonsense. First of all the Heron heads were done away with in 1980, with the switch to the "HE" design, so the idea that the spark plugs had to go there because of the dished pistons is moot: Jaguar V12s, both 5.3 and later 6.0 litre versions, didn't have Heron heads after 1980. (And the idea that they "wouldn't have gone to the expense" is silly to begin with; after all the 6.0 had a completely different crankshaft! Not to mention the entirely different electronics system (including the Nippondenso distributorless ignition system unique to the XJ12)...
Secondly, the spark plug access location had nothing to do with the original Heron head design anyway: they were accessed from the middle of the vee-nearer the intake ports-simply because the intake manifolds were located on the outside of the vee, above the exhaust manifolds. This was done to keep the overall assembled height of the engine lower to fit under the very low hoods of the E-type, XJ and XJ-S! This significantly limits the efficiency of the engine's "breathing", which resulted in the ~50 hp/L output. (The contemporary BMW M70 V12 made ~60 hp/L.) If the spark plugs were located outside the vee (like in a Heron-headed Ford Essex V6 in a Capri, for instance) they'd have been completely inaccessible without taking the intake manifolds off!
@@mark_p300 indeed my E32 750 made 300 bhp was 5.0 the later 6.0 litre motor in the E65 made 450 and only the twin turbo models made closer to the 100 per litre. But these motors were all so smooth. My old lecturer at uni had the 5.3 series III just a piece of sculpture, what happened to Wizards project car with the old V12?
Nice start to the ownership haha. When I worked for Jaguar, we found lots of people also made problems for themselves by using non-genuine parts. We'd have a car come in and get moaned at that we were asking to replace something the owner had got some other garage to replace 6 months earlier. It amazed me how some folk couldn't understand that the part generally costs more because it's better quality, not because of the fancy box it comes in.
Keep hammering home that message that stuff happens with cars. I have good relationships with the shops and mechanics we use because I know how little things can completely derail what looks like a simple job. I once picked up a van I used to own after a service, drove around the corner and lost power and a colossal misfire made itself known. I stopped and could see what the issue was when I did some basic checks. Both the oil and the coolant had turned into a milkshake. I continued around the block and back into the mechanics bay and said, "I think the head gasket has blown, is it OK to leave it here until you can find a spot to look at it and replace it and I'll get the train home?" They were dumbfounded that I wasn't screaming and ranting that they'd broken my car. It was just one of those things. We had a good chat about looking for other potential issues with the coolant system and engine block and at 3pm the next day they rang me to pick the car up and they charged me for the parts only, as it was such a simple job and I hadn't been a dick. I made sure that their Friday night beer fridge was in good order.
This is a GREAT lesson to learn, especially for backyard mechanics like me. I’m glad you’re showing the hard stuff that you’re going to run into. Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Wizard!
Jaguars are the best. I grew up with Jaguars. My father had a 1987 Jag XJ6, a 1989 XJS , a 1998 XJ8 and a 2001 S-type. i had a 2002 X-type, 2005 X-Type,and a 2003Stype R . Your XJ 12 is perfect. Very beautiful.
I’m very excited to see the video about the driveshaft bearing. I believe my -95 XJ6 X300 has the same issue. It’s gonna be very helpful to see the repairs.
it's so cute that the two of these luv birds run this channel.
Happy New Year 🎉
I used to work on those VJ12 and XJS 20 years ago. I still have my 94 XJ12 I used to daily back then. I know how much you're enjoying it. Seeing you work on your beauty reminds me of doing all those jobs on customers' and my cars. Thanks for the great videos!!
I bought an XJS V12 and it had a misfire. After waiting until it was dark in the evening I opened the bonnet and saw what looked like the aurora borealis jumping around from the ignition leads. New leads were ordered and fitted. No misfire anymore
I bet that Jag looks beautiful in the sunlight ! 😊 always been my dream color combo & model of Jag on my wish car list
That is a lovely car you have there! I am English but no live in France! I had an uncle that had exactly the same Jag but a 1960's one and that was so silky smooth! I can understand why you Brough it! I know you do not need me telling you this but I say it, in the sprit of kindness! Good Luck with it all! Oh yes! I wish you and your dear wife and your guys at the Shop! I wish you all, a Happy and Prosperous new Year! 🤩🥳😉😜
I knew exactly what that sag was about! I had to do the same on my x308. Great to not sound like there was a dead body in the trunk anymore...
Edit: I did it in under an hour with no spring compressors... just loosened under the diff, disconnected the bottom of the shock and used a scissor jack to push the control arm down.
Nice cars when they run. Encountered one of 'em with the V12 in a parking lot in Lincoln Park in Chicago back in the 80s. The hood was up, a guy was standing next to it with tears streaming down his face. Knew a mechanic back then who worked on 'em, "Two and a half hours to pull one spark plug."
The Jag content on TH-cam is rich right now. Between you and the XJ12, drivetribe’s pair, auto Alex and his, I’m here for it.
Not to mention Watch JR Go :)
@@johnvender cannot forget!! I do miss his S Type R.
How about Harry’s 2 door XJ V12
Makes me wish I hadn’t gotten rid of my ‘85 XJ6 or ‘00 XJ8. Never mind.
Also, Harry's garage.
I love your honesty, things are not always easy. Keep up the good work.
Levelled, it looks even better now.
So much for the story I heard about removing the guards to change plugs on the V12!
Best wishes for the year ahead at Omega.
Back in 1984, at 21 years old, I bought an S2 Daimler Double Six, last of the carb V12’s, it took me 2 hours to change out its plugs, the 2 at the firewall end had never been changed as they’re awkward to get at, I managed that without stripping the threads, and replaced the diaphragms in the stromberg cabs, changed out the thermostats, changed the oil, etc; but as a novice back then I took better care of it than Jaguar technicians evidently did, it came with a full JSH, and it had only ever been half done, but when I finished and spent a couple of days on it, it became a 2 ton flying machine! At that time, there wasn’t a faster car on the road, it whipped 323i BMW’s, wiped the floor with Mercedes, Audi’s, you name it, it whipped it! It did the 150mph they said it would, it got to 60 in around 5 seconds, that’s a 1974 British sedan! Only downside was it eventually shredded its torque converter and an engine out job to replace it, which I did, but one very underrated sleeper, it’s old 5.3 was bulletproof, one very fast magic carpet ride, it guzzled fuel at 8-10mpg, but who cares, finished in BRG with doeskin interior, mint, chrome factory steels with hubcaps, it was a peach! Wish I still had it now, it loved the red line and I wasn’t scared to drive it hard, what a lot of car then for less than £1000!! 300hp on tap! It met its demise when some drunk idiot drove into the side of it parked up, tore the side out of it, wrecked it, lucky the impact put him in hospital....!
I love wizards video because they explain everything so well and the wizards voice is so calm and relaxed. keep it up !!!!!
Around last year I purchased a 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV for my girlfriend for 2 grand, in coincidentally the same hunter green color as your new Jag. We got it at 219,000 miles BUT, I knew after looking it over quickly that it was not a rust filled piece of junk and it’s a Toyota so I trusted it to work as a daily driver. When we got it the only things it needed were new rear struts and new tires all around. Today it has just shy of 232,000 miles on it and the only thing really wrong with it is it will burn maybe a quart of oil every month or so, so I’ll top it off every month to keep it in check. That’s just from poor maintenance in its past but really with 232,000 miles on it it’s not a big deal. We’re just going to continue using it until it can’t run anymore. The proof is in the pudding guys. When the car wizard suggests buying a Toyota product for the best reliability, he means it. It’s not because he gets a cut from Toyota to promote their cars. Their cars are actually just that good. Not without fault because they will have problems, but compared to other makes they have proven to be the most reliable! Thanks Car Wizard for all you do for us and the content you provide on your channel. Happy New Years to both you and Mrs. Wizard🎉
I felt like a novice the first time I realized one at a time was the best way to do plug wires, glad to hear that it’s the way you do them and that is the easy way therefore the best way
I have never been that sensible! Now I take a few photos before starting
Just this week for the first time I was tuning a small Honda engine and when I went to put the spark plug back in I cross threaded the head. I learned about the thread chaser. It works so well. I have new confidence in my mechanical skills. Wizard you need to do a video to show home mechanics how to use a thread chaser. Thank you.
I bought a low miles 03 Grand Marquis. In under a year it's needed brake rotors and pads, front struts, rear air ride conversion (to coil springs), and a transmission fluid/filter change. The tires were 8 years old and NOW the intake manifold gasket has a leak. The last item is the signal to upgrade the coils, replace the plugs and wires as well as upgrade to a performance intake manifold. Even a legendary car with a good powertrain is going to require the deferred maintenance to be caught up.
Thank you for such great insight as always. I replaced the plugs and packs on my 2007 boxster. No real issues but it is time consuming and having never done that before, it’s all new to me. But having patience and the right parts and tools helped me to keep the frustration to a minimum.
Boy, did that cross-threaded spark plug bring back memories! I am 73 and back in 1966, I decided to change the spark plugs on my first Jaguar XK-120. I got the plugs out with no problem. BUT I cross-threaded one of the replacements into that aluminum head! I thought I destroyed the engine. Fortunately, the foreign car service shop where I worked after school as a parts chaser, repaired the problem with a Helicoil. I still remember that moment! I also remember that 120 took 11 or 12 quarts of oil!
The only reason I'd buy this year of a Jag is to get one with the straight six. When I was a kid we had a brand new '89 XJS with the V12; one that a local dealer gave to my family on a trade in '87 Sovereign that also junk from the factory (if I recall; there was a part in the motor that required a machine to remove of which there was only one in the country so it was not feasible to do within a reasonable time.. at least the dealer did something though.. imagine going through this today with a new car, you'd likely be stuck with it!). The XJS ended up with the fuel injector problems, naturally; as well as other issues over the years. As a new car the XJS broke down on a road trip and the motor had to be removed just to replace a power steering line!? At the same time back in the day we had an '87 Cadillac with the 4.1 which had less problems and was therefore more often used as a daily driver; now THAT is saying something!
Remove the engine to replace a power steering hose? Your mechanic was playing you for a fool. It's an awkward job (done it on XJ12 and XJR-S) but the engine doesn't have to come out. While you've in there replace the rack bushings with polly items.
@@albanana683 Just to document the story correctly for once and for all, I have actually asked my family member (now in their 80s trying to recall it) what happened after I read your comment. When this happened I was probably a toddler.
As the car was being fueled in Eugene, Oregon it was realized the antifreeze was leaking out all over the place. The fellow working at the gas station suggested it be topped up with water and driven to the mechanic across the street.
The mechanic across the street didn't want to touch it so called a tow truck to have it brought to the only dealership in town at the time which was a Subaru dealership.
One of the fellows who was a mechanic there happened to work in the Jaguar factory years earlier in Coventry. He was able to take a Subaru hose off the shelf, cut the ends of it, and rig it into place in order to get the cooling system working again. However, somehow in this process the power steering line got cut and the car was soon without power steering for the rest of the trip. Upon returning through Eugene, the mechanic did not want to take responsibility for the problem.
Once back in town from the trip, the car was brought to the dealership and fixed properly. As I recall the story as originally told to me, the motor was removed for this; though this part of the story wasn't exactly confirmed just now. The car was not likely under warranty at the time.
Have been in a similar situation, drilled a hole down centre of tap to blow compress air through as I turn it while piston at TDC with valves closed so swarf is blown out of tap releafs , happy new year , keep up the good work
I worked on the straight 6 and V12 jags years back, good luck, wait until the coolant level drops, and or, the intake temp sensor goes, and raw fuel starts pouring out of the tail pipe.
Happy New Year to all the car guys and gals, and to the @ Car Wizard . Watching these videos are entertaining, informative, and remind me why I don’t own a Jag or other European cars lol. Beautiful looking cars though!
Thanks for the great video, Wizard. I work on PC's but I'm very meticulous just like you are. I take pictures, I draw diagrams, and don't unscrew or unplug anything unless I know why. If I'm pulling a broken part out, and I have to disconnect, unplug, or change something that I don't want to, I'll take out some snips and cut it or something so I can get it out.
How do you stop swarf from the re-tapping from getting into the cylinder?
Beautiful Jag - they are classy and timeless unlike so many luxury cars. It’s worth sorting these problems as will have a wonderful car to show for it. Great video Wizard. All the best to you both and the family for 2023
And often sparkless as well
“Cream puff car”. I had an 03 XJ8 with 110,000 on it. I loved it. Thought it would be worth giving the attention it needed. Problem was, it never stopped needing attention. Similar to yours, it started with the strut mounts being replaced in the front. It went downhill from there.
MAF sensor, fuel level sending unit, vacuum leaks, etc. I gave up. I hope you get her to run flawlessly and she stays running flawlessly. Mine was a money pit.
My husband had to replace the top rear shock isolators on our 1995 X300 4.0 Sport as they had completely disintergrated resulting in loud bangs whenever we hit a bump. It took him one day to do one side & half a day to do the other side as he learnt a few tricks doing the first side. He didn't compress the spring. He lowered the rear sub-frame. He replaced the shocks while he was doing the job as he did not want to have to do the same work in a year or two to replace the shocks.
Either you have the patience of a saint or a great editor to edit out the colorful vocabulary. Love the informative real world videos.
Another great video Wizard! Too bad about the wires and plug, but you don't allow these things to get to you. Blessings to you, your family and your team for a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!
I think I'd like to see some video of how rethreading spark plugs works. For some reason I can just imagine bits of metal from the hole landing on the piston and causing problems later on. Maybe just using a broken head on the workbench :)
I believe there's a grease you apply to the rethreading tool which will collect the metal bits as you rethread it.
@@alcool0828 . If you can also put that piston at TDC, you can also use a vacuum on the plug hole. Another trick is to fire it up with that plug removed and anything on top should blow out. My Stag V8 was helicoiled in situ by that method
Yes, use grease to collect the shavings. Do a little at a time and clean the shavings off often. There's a $7 tool available which is a tap and assorted length sleeves (not helicoils) to do the job. I just used it on my Ford. Fords have sparkplugs in same place for past 20 years, so I don't know why he called their placement on Jags unusual.. maybe for the time...
South Main Garage has video of doing this job, but he uses a $250 tool that must have sponsored him...
My favorite surprise was 20 years ago I got a hold of a one owner 40000 mile Dodge Dart Swinger loaded, 318, front discs, factory AC, vinyl top, beautiful untouched little old ladymobile, but it needed valve cover gaskets and the driver side valve cover had THREE
cross-threaded bolts from the factory and the passenger side had one..
Mopar quality....
Congrats on your purchase. 1995-1997 Jaguar is my favorite production.
When the first 5.3L Jaguar V12s came out in the early '70s, some genius engineer decided to put the ignition coil in the V. A few thousands of miles later the engine ran poorly because the coil overheated.
I use e3 plugs in my AJ6 engine (AJ= Advanced Jaguar) without any problem. Just installed the 2nd set a few months ago. 10 min. job. (159k on the clock).
I also did the rear insulator job but I made the isolators on the top of the shocks out of polyurethane.
As you know, we all love the videos with u wrenching, it teaches us alot, I have 93 xjs convertable, 12 cylinder, I love it except the inboard rear brakes
I got to work on some of the first Jag V 12s that came into the US- beautiful cars, but even a factory supported import warehouse didn't have nearly all the parts in stock to do "pre sales" and pre warrantee" work. The batteries were just lousy- fully a third were warrantable bad on arrival, and most of the rest got replaced under warrantee by dealers. We were twice told not to use "domestic spark plugs", even though the Lucas plugs were virtually unobtainable in the US. Great car, lousy factory support on their better days. Best one I had had a Chevy small block and had been largely rewired- I got it as an insurance write off and fixed it- put 60k on it before somebody offered me more than I thought it was worth. Loved the ride, just as you have; what an "evolution" for a suspension that was designed for high performance driving! It should be no wonder that Ford's ride control engineers had a ball figuring out how that was done- and the Crown Vics of that era as well the Lincolns show it. FR
Hi: On My 82 XJS V12 getting at the plugs was a bige job in case of the from two you have to remove then the AC pump and few other had to use a special wrench from Jaguar for several other plugs. Many of these cars you will find the front wo are never changed. Christopher Ottawa Canada. Love your channel and Jags.
Obviously someone was ham fisted installing the last set of plugs. Such a inconvenience when you discover these problems. Love your channel and insight to automotive repair.
I wonder if only one was buggered up? People that leave cross threaded plugs in a head, instead of fixing it after making the mistake, usually repeat errors because they are incapable of learning.
This Cross-threaded Plug is one reason that I always start everything that has threads with my fingers-hand tightened them first before using a electric wrench that most mechanics use these days and Do Not Over-Tighten...
The look of disappointment is real Car wizard. That rethread tool is amazing.
I know the feeling with hidden secrets I'm a mechanic as well and the day is 5 minutes away from blowing out
Good news, Rockauto has those wires on wholesale for $3.55, wild! Then a range of choices from $37-45 per set. From the pics they appear to be correct for coil packs too. Nice looking ride!
The rare bread of an honest mechanic! At larger European cars nothing goes smoothly!
before we had everything on computers a spare parts sales guy usually knew more about your car than you did. They could often recommend alternatives if the part you wanted was unavailable. Now people just trust what the computer says and as the old saying goes 'garbage in- garbage out'. the worst things are when changes are made mid model. One of my friends experienced this with her Nissan Micra. We ordered new from suspension parts but found they were totally different to what was on the car. Hers was later than the parts supplied. They got exchanged Ok but it meant she didn't have her car for Christmas.
Those jags are some of the most beautiful cars ever made and that v12 makes them even sweeter.
I love that you now show the actual work. With real problems
Welcome to the world of Jaguar, especially something considered "vintage". While a lot of stuff is out there with time, you will run into the NLA parts (as I'm sure you know) and when nothing used is any better than what you have, its time to get really creative. Great looking car BTW...super jealous.
you pull the plug out and you put the plug in do the sparky parky, turn the plugs round and round, that's what it's all about
I lost my 91 G20 to someone before me. They changed the thermostat and no anti-sieze or anything, so when I went to change it, a bolt twisted off. I had a second 5.7 TBI engine on a pallet so I thought it would be easier to change the intake out than drill out the bolts under the cowl. Yeah, no. They must have had the intake off, for some reason it was painted black, and the two front bolts also twisted right off. At which point I had a van I couldn't even drive to the garage as the intake was loose.
In 2021 I got my current 94 G20 with 47,000 miles on it. It weeps some oil out of the front of the engine but in 6000 or so miles no puddles, no major leaks. Knock on rust.
Agree reference parts - my 2007 Merc CL500 is having a holiday at a workshop for 3 weeks waiting on a rear brake caliper. None in Australia, minimum 10 working days from Singapore. With Christmas and New Year that’s likely to be mid Jan….
Stripping a spark plug hole happens on aluminum heads when you change the plugs while the engine is hot. Do it gently and do it when the motor is COLD.
Great video!
I saw it first had when idiots install them with power tools. Goes for any nut or bolt really. Always hand start them so you know it is not cross threaded. Then don't over torque them. This will stop this problem 99% of the time.
@@bassntruck Sage advice.
A dab of copper compound antisize on the threads is good practice too.
with basically all gas heads being aluminum now, this is even more important to note.
If you buy a double six you get a free bag of problems and a good knowledge of petrol (gas) stations. It is a car that has it's own unique presence.
I bought a xjs that had a pickup coil issue. I got that fixed and went for a test drive. It blew a plug out about 5 minutes in. Somebody had JB Welded the plug in. I had to get in there and Helicoil It. V-12s are a little more Labor Intensive requiring some wobbles, adaptors and some disassembly to change all the plugs.
Very simply said - in a V12, every moving part has a counterpart that moves in the opposite direction and cancels out its momentum. That is why a V12 is, by nature, a vibration-free and smooth engine, even vithout balance shafts.
Next best balanced configuration is a straight 6. That is why straight sixes are often scaled up to enormous sizes in trucks, trains and ships - they run vibration free, unlike a V8.
This is why you go by book time not what it takes you time - most of the time you faster than book time
I have a 92 XJS Face lift coupe and most fuel related parts for that MY are mislabeled by so-called Jag expert shops. Somehow in their parts world for a V12 stops to exist somewhere in the Lucas area. It's been difficult to source the right parts for anything newer than 1991 since Jaguar has mad a lot of parts changes over the remaining years of the classic Jag 6s and V12s. Any Ford owner should be familiar with this type of business.
Your words are my main man’s exact words,,, I bought an 04 xj8 Vanden Plas 6 years ago for 8300$,, and he said this is a relationship that will need attention, sure for the most part suspension (air) stuff and other things that happen far enough apart to still love her, particularly liked the part when you said about one plug at a time and the young techs don’t listen ,,, my guys number one complaint, at the end of the day I live my xj and want her to go to 200k and maybe I’ll consider buying a new daily driver
The one thing about these older Jags I learnt from experience is to go into owning one with your eyes wide open.
There is no doubt there is nothing like a purring v12 accompanied with a Jag suspension ride.
Even a well maintained Jag will need work but I look at it as a hobby & always have a Toyota as a daily ... 🤔
Power ratchet to remove plugs? Wow, I have a serious issue with that.
I've even seen guys install plugs with a power ratchet, which is nuts.
Remove and install plugs by hand, please. That way, you can feel what's
going on.
Put a light coat of grease on the threads of that spark plug tap, before
you run it in. It'll prevent bits of metal from dropping into the combustion
chamber.
Swapping out that V-12 for a Chevy 327 V-8, is a common fix for all the
complications which crop up in those fussy V-12's.
Yes take out the one thing that makes the car interesting and different. I understand taking an xj8 or 6 engine out but a 12? Unless youre swapping it for an aston v12 or something whyyyy
@@jamesineson4609The same, I don't understand why people go and do those swaps on cars that have special options. But anyways.
Mark the plugs in line with the gap then when installed make sure the gap faces the inlet valve for better spark ignition timing.
So do I and he unfortunately has all the time, LOL. I'm not a huge fan of foreign cars but watching you over the years I have been able to get them to grow on me and I learned that you have to do massive research on it before you buy it. I got a 2007 Subaru Impreza NA 2.5l manual. I didn't do enough research and bought it to find out it is a one year wonder and the parts are year only specific. Not before or after will work on the car. Lesson learned from the mistake on my part. I am still trying to get on the foreign band wagon and I am going to ease into it. I couldn't afford another mistake like that older Subaru. Runs great it is things like axle shafts, bearings, etc. Expensive an special order only.
Guess how long it took me to get a replacement starter for my relatively rare '69 Z28? 20 minutes from my local auto part store. 😁😁😁
Powerbuilt 640811 14mm Back-Tap Thread Repair Tool is what I use in this type of circumstance. It works from inside to the outside so debris is on the outside than inside. It also should reduce all the time required due the compact design.
Great Jag Content Wizard! Love that V12! They are such a joy to drive. Sad to see a hack mechanic did that to the plug threads but at least it's in good hands now. You need to rep some fender covers 😁
Awesome that you, AutoAlex, and Drivetribe all have some great content. I've always been biased to Jags but nice to see others appreciate how great they really are.
A bunch of them broke when I did my XJS V12 and luckily I only had one take the threads with it. I had to chase the threads which were about 60-70% still ok and seal them with liquid steel epoxy because the compression on these is so high (I did copper anti seize on all the others). Ignoring the general consensus, I did Iridium plugs gapped to factory spec instead of the OEM copper ones because there is no way I am ever doing this job again. She runs as smooth as silk now.
Sorry to hear about your spark plug headache but, as a jag owner, the 6 cylinder engine is much easier to work on. These cars develop unusual problems such as bad output shaft bearings due to no rear upper control arms, circuit board problems due to poor QA/QC, wheel bearings, nearly impossible starter replacement ,difficult to reach coolant hoses, body rust, sticky door locks, etc, not to mention parts procurement challenges. Good luck finding a new shifter cable when the time comes!
Never a good day when you are waiting for parts and the wrong one shows up. I hope that you have a great day and I hope that you two have a Happy New Year and may it be better than last year. I'm a sucker for the 1970 Ford wagon with 20k and end up wrenching on it , at least I can get the parts for it for now, I have to get the one year only car out of my head because it is a nice little rig and I wouldn't mind getting something else a little bit better and easier to get parts for. I just don't know what I would get being new to the used foreign market and watching you, I have learned that you have to be extremely careful on what you are going to buy. Great day again to you both.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to Mr. and Mrs. Wizard
Great work keeping the Big Cat up to spec - must be great to have the brains to do it !
Guess spares can be pricey but worth doing things right.
' may the force be with you '
Grace and pace !!
Those cars are lovely . But required constant attention if the weather changes will change with it.
At least it's in competent hands
Enjoy all your hard work and the guys work as well.
Did a transfer case oil replacement on my 2007 rx350 that I got a year before in great condition, the person who did the job before rounded the drain port. $70 worth of tools and parts and one sacrificial Walmart ratchet wrench later the job was finally done.
I've always done tune ups the way you said, 1 plug & wire at a time, learned that lesson from my dad
Wizard is a true wealth of knowledge and wisdom!
I know on Srettin's M539 channel had a simillar issue on his e31 850 with a spark plug thread that was literally pulled and had to tap in larger threads and put a sleeve so that the plug can be torqued in the head.