E-TYPE SERVICE

Perfect your cat at home in one weekend

What’s it like to work on?

The E-type’s price tag may put it in the exotica category, but in engineering terms it’s quite straightforward. Routine servicing is well within the capability of an enthusiast. The huge bonnet tips forward to give excellent access to both sides of the engine, plus the front hubs and suspension. Do watch your head on the bonnet’s lower corners, though. The inboard rear disc brakes are a fiddle, but other serviceable items are reasonably accessible.

Some more advanced maintenance tasks are quite complicated – notably setting the valve clearances and overhauling the rear suspension. The former involves removing the overhead camshafts and replacing shims. It’s possible to do it at home, as detailed in the March 2016 issue of Practical Classics, but it’s a complex job.

Parts and support

Parts availability is excellent and prices are lower than you might expect. No E-type owner should be without a Jaguar workshop manual relating to their specific model. These are invaluable resources.

Jacking care

Care needs to be taken when jacking and supporting an E-type. It is essential that the jack and axle stands are placed beneath sound parts of the main structure – such as suspension mounting areas – and not under sections of sheet steel. Severe distortion can occur through careless jacking.

This also applies to…

Most of the engine procedures apply to other Jaguars fitted with the XK engine. These include the XK120, XK140 and XK150 sports cars, the stately Mark VII, VIII and IX saloons, and the later Mk1 and Mk2 saloons.

Thanks to Bill Rocstro, owner of the superb 4.2-litre E-type featured here. John Copleston at Phoenix Classic Cars (01202 622808, phoenix-classics.co.uk).

1 Front suspension

Support the car with the wishbones hanging. Use a lever to check for play in the four balljoints and make sure their boots are intact. Check the wishbone and anti-roll bar bushes for play and deterioration. Inspect the torsion bars for rust and worn splines.

2 Front grease points

Apply grease to the upper balljoints – plus the lower balljoints and trackrod ends if they’re fitted with nipples – every six months or 2500 miles. Also administer a couple of squeezes to the nipples on the front hubs that serve the wheel bearings.

3 Front wheel bearings

Rock each front wheel in-and-out to check for movement. End-float should be 0.003 to 0.005in. Check with a dial indicator if you have one. If not, tighten the hub nut while spinning the hub until very slight drag is felt, then slacken it off one flat.

4 Steering

Check the steering rack gaiters and trackrod end boots for deterioration. Rock each front wheel side-to-side and look/feel for play in the rack and trackrod ends. Sparingly apply grease to the nipple on the pinion housing at the base of the column.

5 Wire wheel hubs

Closely examine the splines of the hubs and wheels. They should fit together precisely with no play. Any wear is cause for concern. Lightly apply copper grease to the splines. Also make sure the chamfer close to the hub is in good condition.

6 Rear hubs and driveshafts

Spin the wheel to check for rough bearings. Clean the top of the hub carrier, prise out the grease plug, fill the cavity with grease and refit the plug. Don’t overfill. Check the driveshaft universal joints for play and apply grease to their nipples.

7 Brake hydraulics

Check the brake pipes for rust and the flexi-hoses for deterioration. Make sure the servo operates correctly and its vacuum pipe is leak-free. Check all parts of the system for fluid leaks. Replace the fluid every two years or 24,000 miles.

8 Disc brakes

Inspect the calipers for leaks and damaged dust boots. Make sure the pistons move freely. Check the pads for wear; investigate if it’s uneven. Inspect the discs for wear, grooving and corrosion. The inboard rear brakes are often neglected.

9 Handbrake

Inspect the cable and ensure the mechanism moves freely. Grease all moving parts. Ensure the rear wheels lock firmly with the handbrake applied. The handbrake has separate pads and calipers, accessible by removing the axle cover in the boot.

10 Rear suspension

Check for play in the inner and outer suspension arm pivots. Apply grease (two nipples at the inner end; one at the outer). Check the strut and trailing arm bushes. Inspect the springs and anti-roll bar, including its mountings and link rods.

11 Gearbox

Check that the gearbox is filled with oil to the base of the filler aperture. Top up if necessary. Drain and replace the oil every 10,000 miles with the transmission warm. Capacity: overdrive – 4.0 pints (2.3 litres); no overdrive – 2.5 pints (1.4 litres).

12 Final drive

Make sure the final drive is filled to the base of its filler aperture. Top up with EP90, if necessary. Drain and refill with the transmission warm every 10,000 miles. Capacity 2.8 pints (1.6 litres). Check for oil leaks from the pinion and output oil seals.

13 Structure

Check everywhere for rust, but pay particular attention to the scuttle area, battery box, front subframe tubes, inner and outer sills, floorpans, boot floor, rear subframe and mountings, door bottoms and bonnet (particularly around the ‘mouth’).

Don’t forget… 14Clutch system

Check the master and slave cylinders for leaks and correct operation. Change the fluid every two years or 24,000 miles. On 3.8-litre cars, set the free play between the slave cylinder and operating lever to 1/16in (1.6mm). The 4.2-litre has automatic adjustment.

15 Propshaft

Check for play in the universal joints. Apply grease if the joints have nipples. On early 3.8-litre cars, the front joint is accessible from inside through a hole in the gearbox cover.

16 Interior

Make sure all switches, instruments and warning lights function. Check the brake and clutch pedal rubbers, and seat belts if fitted.

17 Valve clearances

Setting the clearances is time-consuming, but checking them is straightforward. Remove the cam covers. Measure between the back of the each cam lobe and its follower. Cold clearances: inlet – 0.004in (0.10mm); exhaust, 0.006in (0.15mm).

18 Engine oil and filter

Drain the oil with the engine warm and refill will 20w50 every 2500 miles or annually. Clean the filter housing and replace the filter element and seal. Oil the seal on reassembly and fit a new sump plug washer, if necessary. Capacity: 15 pints (8.5 litres).

19 Distributor

Examine the HT leads, cap and rotor arm. Clean the points and gap to 0.015in (0.4mm) every 2500 miles. Renew every 5000. Lightly grease the cam lobes. Add drips of oil to the points pivot, distributor shaft and advance mechanism.

20 Spark plugs

Remove the spark plugs, clean the electrodes with a brass wire brush and set the gaps to 0.025in (0.65mm) every 5000 miles. Replace every 10,000. Spark plug types: 3.8-litre – Champion UN12Y (or equivalent); 4.2-litre – Champion N5 (or equivalent).

21 Carburettors

Undo the two wingnuts that secure the airbox to the carburettors. Unclip and remove the top to access the filter element. Clean the inside of the airbox. Renew the filter every 24,000 miles or if it’s visibly dirty. Top up the carburettor dashpots with SAE20 or SAE30 (engine oil will do at a pinch). A synchrometer (from £35) is recommended for balancing the twin or triple SU carburettors. Set the idle to approximately 700rpm with the engine warm.

22 Cooling system

Check the radiator, expansion tank, both caps, heater, hoses and clips for leaks and deterioration. Flush the system, test the thermostat and fill with blue antifreeze mix every two years. Capacity including heater: 32 pints (18.2 litres).

23 Other under-bonnet jobs