Maintaining Your Jaguar E-Type

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So, my aunt has been sending me stuff that she's found over the years that they got out of my grandfathers house after he passed in 2003. One of the things she sent me is an "Operating, Maintenance, and Service Handbook" for his old 4.2 E-Type he restored ages ago. I got to flipping through it and there are some things that folks here will get a kick out of, so I scanned a few pages for your viewing pleasure.

Of interest:

Your first maintenance trip (At 1000 miles) is FREE! It includes the cars first oil change, gearbox oil change (Both auto and standard) and retorque the head bolts.

Oil changes are every 3000 miles, unless you do a lot of low speed city driving particularly in cold weather you should change it every 1000 miles! The oil filter is apparently a metal mesh type and must be cleaned.

Thought everyone would get a kick out of it, I'll eventually get around to scanning the whole thing and then probably put it up on Ebay.

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What a blast from the past!

British Leyland products were all rather maintenance intensive back then, but so were American cars. I owned a 65 Triumph TR-4, which was not quite a Jaguar. But it still required constant tinkering and adjustment to get it to run sharp...
 
The 4.2's weren't bad for reliability, the later, emission strangled V12's could be problematic, with subsequent cars being a true challenge to own; especially the XJS, etc. The oil filters on the 6 cyls are cartridge types, but the cartridge is disposable like modern cars. Interesting that they called for UCL, many of the British cars called for it until the mid/late 70's.

Few engines sound as nice as the Jag 6 in the XKE, makes all the effort worth it.
 
Like Chevy's. you did not really need to change oil every 3000 miles. They leaked and consumed oil at such a rate, that any oil in there had less than 3000 miles on it.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
I thought most Jaguar owners had a mechanic follow them in their tow truck? Maybe that was only the older ones with a V12 or V10 cylinder engine.


Yup, those V10s were really unreliable.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by Donald
I thought most Jaguar owners had a mechanic follow them in their tow truck? Maybe that was only the older ones with a V12 or V10 cylinder engine.


Yup, those V10s were really unreliable.


That must be why you never see them!
 
The little chart in the second picture is actually a stamped piece of metal which sits under the hood for reference. Imagine seeing that on your modern Hyundai!
 
Top up Carburetor Hydraulic Piston Dampers.

Back in 1960-1961, I had a Triumph TR3A.
I knew nothing about how cars worked.
My Triumph started running terrible. I lived on the island of Cyprus at the time. Took car to a Greek mechanic friend. Unscrewed the top cap from the SU carbs. The rid was bone dry. Filled with engine oil Voila. Car ran perfect

I learned a lot.
 
I had a variety of British cars. Mark 1 Sprite, 850 mini, 1968 TR4A w/IRS (one of my favorite drives - someone rear ended it while it was parked) Raced a TR3B, Drove a TR3A for many years.

I would like to get another TR4A w/IRS and Overdrive. I know just about all the Bugaboos and what to do about them. First on order would be to go to Nipon Denso Alternator. New cars are ridiculous. My neighbors Lincoln has a transverse 4.5 liter V8. Front wheel drive. Had to remove the wheel, Inner fender, etc just to replace the water pump. Next car for me is going to be front engine, Manual transmission, rear wheel drive.

That said modern cars have their good points (or no points to adjust) Computerized engine management, OHC, Variable valve timing, fuel injection.
 
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Originally Posted by atikovi
WTH is cylinder lubricant? A fancy name for motor oil? Why would the upper cylinder need different lubricant from the lower cylinder?


It is a lube you add to the gasoline..for ring, piston, valve lubrication. Crankcase oil not up there in quantity.
Not such a strange idea. How many threads here about adding outboard 2 stroke oil to your gas tank? Marvel mystery oil etc.
 
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Originally Posted by ammolab
It is a lube you add to the gasoline..for ring, piston, valve lubrication. Crankcase oil not up there in quantity.
Not such a strange idea. How many threads here about adding outboard 2 stroke oil to your gas tank? Marvel mystery oil etc.

I always struggle with this one. So there is inadequate lubrication in the "upper cylinder? Is this all engines or just some? I have well over 400,000 miles on my old Sienna, and nearing 300,000 miles on my other vehicles. Is there improper or inadequate upper cylinder lubrication in my engines?
 
Lubrication, machining tolerances, metallurgy have vastly improved since the E type came out 58 years ago. Enzo Ferrari proclaimed it to be the most beautiful car ever.
 
Although not the same, I was surprised to see in the manual for the 1950 Buick Super straight 8 I had, was to re-grind the valves every 15,000 miles!
 
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The lead in gas helped lubricate valve stems and guides. Doing away with leaded gas forced manufacturers to put better metal in valve guides. You can have just about now wear on valve guides after 200,000 miles now. No valve guide wear reduces the need to regrind valves.
 
Not a terribly difficult car to maintain (especially compared to the modern stuff), but the number of grease nipples is dizzying compared to the mostly sealed for life stuff. Rear brakes are easy to change, but if you need to change the calipers you literally have to drop the entire rear out of it. The installed base is served very well by outfits like XK's Unlimited, and others, that have managed to replicate basically everything. Electricals are simple enough.

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Few engines sound as nice as the Jag 6 in the XKE, makes all the effort worth it.


Yeah it pulls like crazy too. Really needs a 5th gear though. 3500rpm just to do 65 is annoying as h*ll, especially for an engine that certainly would have no trouble with overdrive gearing. On the plus side, I've yet to find a hill or mountain steep enough that required downshifting with the 4.2L and 4 speed. Maybe if I went down to Beartooth Pass or something, which certainly is on my bucket list...
 
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