Where can I get a new engine for an XK8?

[Mon Ami Mate]

Newly acquired XK8 convertible showing 35 on the blow-by test and using lots of oil. Seller has agreed to pay for a reconditioned or replacement engine. Any idea where I can get one - preferably with a warranty?!!

[Speedracer329]

Have a look on ebay, just had a quick look & there are a few there, prices about £1300 to £1500.

[RW774]

I rebuild the V8s.Ring me if you are interested.

[oldboyswithtoys]

try eurojag they will supply u a guaranted engine with new chains and tensoiners fitted at a very reasonable price

[pete5570]

If you can get your engine rebuilt as stated above, that's what i would do. You know you will have a good engine. Some places even do an exchange for a recon. I wouldn't go for a used one personally.

[a8hex]

RW774 said:

I rebuild the V8s.Ring me if you are interested.

Paul, I know some else who was rebuilding them and put them back together as 4.2s. Is this something you've looked at?

[XKRacer]

a8hex said:

Paul, I know some else who was rebuilding them and put them back together as 4.2s. Is this something you've looked at?

I have done this Not a cheap route to go though will cost you much more than a rebuild, much cheaper just to fit a 4.2 using all the 4.0 ancillaries and coil packs (4.2s are digital 4.0 are analogue)

I had a good nikasil engine and have stroked it to 4.2 using the crank, conrods and pistons from a 4.2 but just those things alone new will set you back a couple grand!

4.2 engines also cost a premium around the £2.5K mark. To have a 'properly' rebuilt engine I would of thought would of cost you more still, to replace rings, big ends, little ends, end float, have the crank checked, all new seals, heads rebuilt/reground is going to cost more than £2.5K (I would of thought). Just the gasket headset will cost £250.

Cheapest option as already been said, get a 4.0 engine from EuroJag that they are willing to guarantee for 6 months and get it fitted should not be no more than £2.5K (seems to be a bit of a magic number that)

[S2 Giles]

Just out of interest, why has the Nikasil problem only just shown up, where has the car been, locked in a garage for 8 years ?

They should all of been sorted by now, so has the previous owner been filling it with oil & smoking down the road for the last few years ?

[Mon Ami Mate]

I don't know that it's a nikasil problem. Could be rings, piston, valve seals...

[NormanD]

Mon Ami Mate said:

I don't know that it's a nikasil problem. Could be rings, piston, valve seals...

This is a piston from a Member's car in the XKEC Club

[Mon Ami Mate]

One would assume this would lead to far more obvious symptoms than a little blue smoke and 35 on a blow-by test?!!

[P700DEE]

That is the end result You will not get a Nikasil failure now, however other issues will show the same symptoms (blow by)and these can easily occur with steel lined engines too

[XKRacer]

I would not of thought 'blow by' would of caused that piston to melt, a lean mix causing detonation definately making it to run too hot.

Do beleive that was from a steel lined engine also looking at the pictures, but I could be wrong, possibly the ring around the bore top could just be the head gasket mark, but the bore is also melted!! Very nasty!!

[NormanD]

XKRacer said:

I would not of thought 'blow by' would of caused that piston to melt, a lean mix causing detonation definately making it to run too hot.

Do beleive that was from a steel lined engine also looking at the pictures, but I could be wrong, possibly the ring around the bore top could just be the head gasket mark, but the bore is also melted!! Very nasty!!

Here is are pictures of the bore

[Mon Ami Mate]

Just to report back on this. The engine was rebuilt by the National Engine Centre in Cardiff and returned to us last week. We've had it compression tested and blow-by tested and it is perfect. Drives beautifully. The bill was £2,300 and was paid by the dealer we bought from. Very good result!

[RW774]

Generally speaking if it`s too good to be true ( the price)then it`s too good to be true. To re liner a block ,crank overhaul, oil pump, gaskets and a tensioner kit, head overhaul, valves and guides would come to much more than £2300, unless you `cut` some major corners, such as 60% of the work.Price is up yourself, you will see it is impossible to do.
The horror....the horror...

[Mon Ami Mate]

It has a 12 month, unlimited mile guarantee. We've had it inspected and it has been given the thumbs up. And we didn't pay for it. I'll report back in 12 months!

[Markymark69]

RW774 said:

Generally speaking if it`s too good to be true ( the price)then it`s too good to be true. To re liner a block ,crank overhaul, oil pump, gaskets and a tensioner kit, head overhaul, valves and guides would come to much more than £2300, unless you `cut` some major corners, such as 60% of the work.Price is up yourself, you will see it is impossible to do.
The horror....the horror...

Serious question, so in your opinion what have they done to that engine for 2300 quid?

[Mon Ami Mate]

I should add that, given the choice, I would far rather have had you rebuild the engine Paul, but the person who sold us the car was the customer - he was funding the operation - and he obviously wanted a more cost-effective solution. Swallows Jaguar tested the engine for us when it came back and the only fault they could find was a broken breather pipe, which they fixed. We have a 12 month warranty on the engine rebuild. If anything goes wrong in the next 12 months we will send it back to the National Engine Centre for them to correct it. If anything goes wrong with it after that it is our problem - we can either send it up to you and get you to rebuild it or find another engine.

[ENGINECENTRE]

Hi, in reply to the posting "it can't be done for the money" I can assure you it can. We work on a fixed price basis, if we collect a vehicle and the engine is nikasil lined as a last resort we will reline it,but this is only if the owner insists on keeping an original engine no, normally though we will replace the block with an all ready steel lined one.
All the reconditioning work is carried out by a firm called South Wales Pistons who are F.E.R registered, the gaskets and timing chain kits are supplied from Stratstone Jaguar in Cardiff. We buy brand new crankshaft kits in at a discounted price so these are very rarely reground unless the stock is unavailable
The No1 failure on all petrol v6 or v8 jag engines is piston ring wear, leading to high oil consumption, which in turn results in a lack of oil normally followed by a knocking or seized crank.

regards peter