Like a lamb to the slaughter.

[ARAF]

I've never had a Jag before, so don't know what I'm letting myself in for.

I got offered a Jag yesterday. 2000 supercharged XJR (were all 'R's supercharged?) with 107k on the clock for very little money. I had a good look around it today, and took it for a test drive, and decided that I could live with it for a while. Last 6 of the chassis number starts with an 'F' so I won't have to worry about the Nikasil problem, but I just need to know if the later cam chain tensioners would have been fitted from new, or whether that's something that I should factor in as expense in the near future. There's no chain noise from the engine, so hopefully it's okay. Thank-you to the posters on here (and elsewhere) that make it easier for people like me to get a bit of background information before spending our hard-earned cash.

If this part of PH is anything like other parts of the site, then people will ask for pictures if I don't post one, so here you go.

Edited by ARAF on Monday 18th October 15:06

[plasticpig]

The tensioner thing is a bit complex. There are three versions of the tensioner:

Version 1 was fitted 1997 to 1999 (plastic)
Version 2 was fiited 2000 to 2005 (plastic)
Version 3 was introduced in 2005 and are metal.

Version 2 tensioners are supposed to survive far better than version one but if you want to be absolutely safe then get metal ones fitted.

[ARAF]

Thanks for that. Am I right in thinking that the top ones are fairly easy to do? If so, would it be worth replacing just those, or should they all be done together?

[SimonV8ster]

Looks like a tidy car

You'll be wofting along with glee soon enough !!

I asked the same thing about tensioners in this thread -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I also phoned up Arun Jaguar (Independant dealer in Sussex) and they said to me 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. They did say they inspect the tensioners when serviced and then advise accordingly. The all in one price currently is 1150 for the whole lot to be changed.

I think people say put some money aside in case it needs doing rather than do it as soon as you get it.

[ARAF]

SimonV8ster said:

Looks like a tidy car

You'll be wofting along with glee soon enough !!

I asked the same thing about tensioners in this thread -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I also phoned up Arun Jaguar (Independant dealer in Sussex) and they said to me 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. They did say they inspect the tensioners when serviced and then advise accordingly. The all in one price currently is 1150 for the whole lot to be changed.

I think people say put some money aside in case it needs doing rather than do it as soon as you get it.

That's okay then. There's no cam chain noise - which I remember the sound of from 80s motorcycles, so I'll leave it be for now.

[SimonV8ster]

Those wheels look different ? Are they XK8 wheels ?

[plasticpig]

I have now found the post I was going to refer to in my previous reply. This gives all the information you need on the various Jag X308 issues

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[ARAF]

SimonV8ster said:

Those wheels look different ? Are they XK8 wheels ?

No idea. You tell me.

[drummerboyXJR]

Yep, they are XK8 'flutes'

[ARAF]

plasticpig said:

I have now found the post I was going to refer to in my previous reply. This gives all the information you need on the various Jag X308 issues

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Thanks for that. Like many cars nowadays, knowing the faults is half of the battle.

[ARAF]

drummerboyXJR said:

Yep, they are XK8 'flutes'

I'll have a look at the paperwork tomorrow, and see if they were on there from new, or if they have been put on later. Tyres are quality brand - Pirellis on the back, and Dunlops on the front, so I don't think it's been maintained on a shoe-string budget.

[Mattmeister]

not an option from new, but seen a few XJR's with XK wheels so not necessarily a problem. prefer the std ones but just personal opinion.

I love this shape XJR.

[varsas]

All X300/X308 (the shape you are looking at is the X308, previous ones that look very similar but with a different dashboard are X300) XJR's were supercharged, either 4litre striaght 6 (in the X300 322bhp) or 4 litre V8 (in the X308, 370bhp). The later, X358, aluminium cars had a 4.2 supercharged V8 with 400bhp.

Tl:Dr version 'Yes'

[Jaguar steve]

ARAF said:

SimonV8ster said:

Looks like a tidy car

You'll be wofting along with glee soon enough !!

I asked the same thing about tensioners in this thread -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I also phoned up Arun Jaguar (Independant dealer in Sussex) and they said to me 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. They did say they inspect the tensioners when serviced and then advise accordingly. The all in one price currently is 1150 for the whole lot to be changed.

I think people say put some money aside in case it needs doing rather than do it as soon as you get it.

Don't fix what ain't broke eh? Sounds like you've been talking to an idiot to me. Of course Arun wouldn't say anything else because if they did then that'd be admitting there was a potential problem with any plastic tensioner car they have in stock or have sold in the past.

Inspect the tensioners when serviced? How exactly? Are they saying they take both cam covers off every car that goes through the workshop? Yeah right.

Don't be fooled by a lack of noise either, You'll maybe get a bit of rattle with a mk 1 tensioner, but the mk 2 has a spring on the piston precisely to keep it quiet.

Only safe answer is to fit metal bodied ones IMO. It's an easy enough DIY job and you can hire the tinming tools from the JEC for about £40. Parts are about £100 and maybe a bit more if you change the gaskets too. That adds up to less than the price of a towtruck home let alone the cost of a top end rebuild.






That's okay then. There's no cam chain noise - which I remember the sound of from 80s motorcycles, so I'll leave it be for now.

[robsco]

I like that a lot, very classy.

[Markymark69]

Must admit i agree with Jaguar Steve about the tensioners.

As for Arun inspecting them while in for a service, my arse. The only thing they are any good at is over pricing average cars.

[ARAF]

Okay, I'll have to have a look through the bills, and have a poke around.

Did I read right, that a tensioner can be seen if you remove the rocker cover on the right hand side?

[Jaguar steve]

ARAF said:

Okay, I'll have to have a look through the bills, and have a poke around.

Did I read right, that a tensioner can be seen if you remove the rocker cover on the right hand side?

Yes you can - the only reason for suggesting the RH cam cover is that it's the easiest of the two to get off.

The tensioner is clearly visible between the two cam sprockets. If the body is an reddish orange or cream plastic then it'll really have to be changed. If it has a dull grey metal body or you've got a reciept showing the work has been done using part numbers C2A1511 / C2A1512 and 4xbolts JFB10607E then you're OK.

You may well come across earlier cars which have paper evidence of tensioner change - Jaguar issued a TSB about start up rattle - but only from the 1st gen plastic type to the second, hence the need to be specific about part numbers and date if you've got a receipt showing the job has been done.

[ARAF]

Thanks for that.

[P700DEE]

Get the tensioners etc. done As you probably have the MK II tensioners they are spring loaded so no noise before they go ! It can be the followers rather than the tensioners that snap the chain so at 100K + miles a change is a good idea. Shop around , Design XKR does them for £950 + Vat