Jaguar Oil Seal Sizing Tool

[greenrat]

I'm having a nightmare trying to source an oil seal sizing tool for the old Jaguar XK engine (Part no. JD17B). Several companies offer them but none have managed to deliver to date. Anyone got one they don't want anymore, or one that I can measure to have one made? I have a stripped and machined engine ready to go back together but would quite like the rope seal not to leak straight away.

[No ideas for a name]

greenrat said:

I'm having a nightmare trying to source an oil seal sizing tool for the old Jaguar XK engine (Part no. JD17B). Several companies offer them but none have managed to deliver to date. Anyone got one they don't want anymore, or one that I can measure to have one made? I have a stripped and machined engine ready to go back together but would quite like the rope seal not to leak straight away.

Jaguar Enthusiasts Club used to hire them and, I believe, sell them.
Ken Jenkins is your man.
http://www.ukjag.org.uk/index.php?route=product/pr...

[Jaguar steve]

These are a PITA.

I believe there was a kit available at some time in the dim and distant to convert the rope seal housing on the XK engine to a type that would accommodate a conventional silicone one.

[ExVantagemech..]

You need to have the crank and rear housing machined to take a more conventional oil seal.
Took one of our guys a while to fit the rope seal even using the tool. He flattened it after soaking in the Jag oil then we made a special tool that resized the seal before finally using the Jag tool. Have you tried Rob Beere racing?

[mph]

ExVantagemech.. said:

You need to have the crank and rear housing machined to take a more conventional oil seal.
Took one of our guys a while to fit the rope seal even using the tool. He flattened it after soaking in the Jag oil then we made a special tool that resized the seal before finally using the Jag tool. Have you tried Rob Beere racing?

As mentioned earlier the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club hire them out via Ken Jenkins. The cost is £10 per week. I've just returned one last week.

The Rob Beere conversion is excellent but you're looking at a cost of £1200 - plus the additional work to remove your crankshaft and send it off for machining.

This is against a few pence for the cost of a new seal.

I could only justify the seal conversion if it was an expensive car undergoing an engine rebuild.

[klunkT5]

Dont forget a smear of colloidal graphite on the inner faces of the rope seal when you are sizing it and when you build it back up and put the crankshaft in

[greenrat]

Thanks all for the feedback. I'm in touch with Ken and he's given me some great advice on my rebuild. He has tools coming in soon but has also suggested a lip seal kit too. However I'm minded to try the original set up first and see how I go. That way I haven't done anything I can't reverse and, as the car won't be a daily driver, if the lump needs to come back out so be it.

Or at least that's today's logic. Let me try fitting the original first...I may change my mind real fast.