Jaguar Engine Question

[Lizey]

i may be talking out my ass...but how hard would it be to put a small block American V8 into an old Jag??
particularly.. this one..

http://up.craigslist.org/cto/2308590860.html

[Cooter]

Nothing is impossible, but I would think that's a little more work than your used to. I dumped a SBC in one that was a little older and while it fit, EVERYTHING had to be fabbed up...After it was all said and done, it wasn't any cooler (Different/odd/cool), because evidently, everybody had heard about the swap...Plus, depending on where you live, State inspection/emissions testing would prolly cause you to pull it off the road.


I think I'd find a small 1972 Vega GT and dump a SBC in it before I did with another one of these...

[greenpigs]

They make a swap kit for that at one time but not sure if they are still in business.

A V8 Vega would be cool and they are out there for 800(stock)but you may have to look for a bit as many have the V8 swap done allready.

[440]

I used to work in a machine shop where we made the 350 Chev engine mounts for a company that sells conversions for Jags. 

[mikesbbody]

I too have heard of the 350 Chevy going in Jags

[Aero426]

John's Cars, in Texas offers the conversion kits.  You can Google them.   I would not bother with a beat up XJ-S.   They are beautiful but complicated cars, with complicated electrics.   If you want one, buy the best garage pampered car you can find.     Personally, I would want mine to have the original V12.   

[Troy]

Pretty easy - a friend of mine has an E-Type with a Chevy 350 (been that way for 30+ years) and a guy I knew a while back had an XJS with a Chevy 350 as well.

Troy

[b5blue]

It's been being done for many years.....everyone knows Jag V-12's make great coffee tables.    No really Jag used GM 400 trannys for many years. Try looking into "Jagulet" conversions.

[Aero426]

Pretty easy - a friend of mine has an E-Type with a Chevy 350 (been that way for 30+ years)

That's just wrong...       Please tell me it doesn't have an automatic.

[Aero426]

This is a great article if you are considering a "cheap" XJ-S

http://www.sportscarmarket.com/car-reviews/affordable-classics/2018-jaguar-s-xecrablejs

"A bad XJS will rip at your wallet the way an actual Jaguar tears flesh from a gazelle"   

[BlueSS454]

Pretty easy - a friend of mine has an E-Type with a Chevy 350 (been that way for 30+ years)

That's just wrong...       Please tell me it doesn't have an automatic.

Yeah it is, it should have been a 454  .  I measured between the frame rails of my mom's 67 XKE Roadster, it WILL fit but I'm not sure the rest of the car could handle that kind of torque.  I couldn't quite convince her to let me do it anyway.  Here it is as it sits now...

[moparstuart]

Pretty easy - a friend of mine has an E-Type with a Chevy 350 (been that way for 30+ years)

That's just wrong...       Please tell me it doesn't have an automatic.

Yeah it is, it should have been a 454  .  I measured between the frame rails of my mom's 67 XKE Roadster, it WILL fit but I'm not sure the rest of the car could handle that kind of torque.  I couldn't quite convince her to let me do it anyway.  Here it is as it sits now...

[NorwayCharger]

i may be talking out my ass...but how hard would it be to put a small block American V8 into an old Jag??
particularly.. this one..

http://up.craigslist.org/cto/2308590860.html

No problem http://www.jaguarv8conversions.com/
http://www.jaguarspecialties.com/v8_kit.asp
http://www.brokenkitty.com/xke/xke12.htm

[femtnmax]

I used to turn wrenches at a Jaguar service dealer.  IMO I would go completely thru the wiring...maybe even convert to other brands of relays, switches, etc.  At the dealership we had so much trouble with the V12 cars...We ran alot of new circuits rather than trying to fix the oem stuff.  Customers appreciated the cheaper labor hours/bills too.
Lots of people doing the V8 conversion, but how much does it change the front-rear weight balance?   Is it like the V8 conversion for Datsun 240Z, looks and sounds cool but handles far worse than the oem setup.

[200MPH]

stealthconversions.com

is one of the best and has refined the swaps mentioned here many years ago... I wonder if a 440 would fit in there make your own jensen interceptor type of vehicle?

[64dartgt]

I didn't know the meaning of automotive pain and suffering unless you own a until I bought the Wife a Jag after having guilt pangs over all my toys.  I didn't do my homework, bought a car down south off ebay from an owner that committed fraud (different car from the photos on ebay was sold to me).  I got money back on the deal, but there is no such thing as a deal on an XJS.  The only way to buy one is to buy the most expensive one you can find that some other poor bastard has already put twice what he is asking for into it.  That way you at least start with a well maintained car.  The thing is a frigging nightmare to work on.  Parts and designs changed over the twenty year manufacturing run so you can surf the boards for a cure for something, order and expensive part, then find out the part isn't even for your model year.  I did that once before learning to be VERY careful before buying anything.  Even changing a power window motor turned into an adventure, as an exact replacement part wasn't available and the mounts had to be adapted and the power plug changed.  I must have $7K into that $2K car and the heat and AC don't work and are super complicated to fix.  Plus it needs bodywork and paint.  And after all that my Wife says to me that, although I bought a gold car specifically because she asked for gold, she "really wanted a green one" and could I sell it for $5K as she thinks she could buy a green one for $5K.  I had to enlighten her about automotive math...no dear...we would be lucky to get our $2K back and then would need to dump $5K into your new $5k Jag to get it into the same mechanical shape as the gold one (which has a new cooling system and new suspension).  We'd be ahead of the game if we kept the gold one for spares (UK lingo for parts).   

[BlueSS454]

E Types like the one that's in my garage are no picnic either.  The wiring system is a complete electrical nightmare.  Nothing is color coded or has individual plugs making it a plug n play setup.  What do they do you ask?  They put 4 of the same color wire in a bulkhead connector that go to 4 different locations.  They also have ballast wires in them..oh joy!  I can't put the bonnet harness together because there is an electrical junction block with 500 spots in it that I can't figure out where it goes.  I'm half tempted to rip all that Lucas BS wiring out and wire the whole car from scratch.  What's better yet, I try to talk to some of these yahoos that own an E Type, they don't know a damn thing about the car.  I'm surprised they can start the car.  They own this thing and know absolutely NOTHING about it 
Now let's get into the mechanical aspect of it.  The clutch is a mother to bleed (hydraulic).  You can't really get a bleeder wrench on the valve because of how they installed it on the bell housing.  you can't use the clutch pedal to bleed it like a brake system, you have to disconnect the linkage from the slave cylinder and manually engage it with a prybar then hold it with you somehow try to close the bleeder valve  .
Then there is the wonderful fuel system.  There is an electric fuel pump in the trunk that works...sometimes.  We had rebuilt it and it was fine, now over the last year, it has developed a sever leak and gas comes out and goes all in the trunk that I spent all this time painting so now I have to rebuild it AGAIN 
Now let's talk about the carburetors on it.  When they are in tune, they can't be beat BUT...try to tune the damn things.  There is a procedure in the service manual on how to do it.  I did it verbatim using the unisyn tool and it still has a nasty bog off idle 

[64dartgt]

The funny thing is that the 12 cyl has such a bad reputation.  The engine is beautiful.  Nearly 300hp and runs unbelievably smooth with a flat powerband.  The crime is that it was mated to a GM turbo 400 tranny in a jag case and was wired (some tend to catch fire) and plumbed (overheating is a problem if you don't take care) by absolute idiots.  I'd love to do the 700R4 swap.  Some guy put a 6 speed stick behind one and it blew his mind.

[Arthu®]

I used to turn wrenches at a Jaguar service dealer.  IMO I would go completely thru the wiring...maybe even convert to other brands of relays, switches, etc.  At the dealership we had so much trouble with the V12 cars...We ran alot of new circuits rather than trying to fix the oem stuff.  Customers appreciated the cheaper labor hours/bills too.
Lots of people doing the V8 conversion, but how much does it change the front-rear weight balance?   Is it like the V8 conversion for Datsun 240Z, looks and sounds cool but handles far worse than the oem setup.

The front-rear weight balance is not very good to begin with on the V12 cars. They were nose-heavy the six'ers were much better handling cars as far as the E-types go, my bet is that the same applies to the XJ's. I would also go through the wiring, Lucas is a nightmare!

And I would seriously ask you to not convert it, it is such a shame. It would probably fit, the V12's were pretty big in size so a small block should fit, but it is just such a waste. If you want to drive a Jag, drive a Jag, if you want to drive a small block Chevy, drive a small block Chevy. The two shouldn't mix.

Arthur

[Brock Samson]

And the Lister?..

 

I've never heard of a Jag. that didn't have electrical issues.

Lucas Electronics?... 

[Aero426]

The Lister isn't really a Jaguar.   It's a Lister.   Some are Lister-Jaguars and others are Lister-Corvettes.  It just depends on which engine it has.   Some Lister Jags were updated to Chevys in 1959-60 when  the Jaguar six wasn't enough to stay competitive.    The Lister is one of my favorite sports racing cars.    Nice pic Brock.

[Aero426]

Q:   Why do the British drink warm beer?
A:  Because they have Lucas refrigerators.

Q:  Have you heard about the three position Lucas light switch?
A:  Off, Dim and Flicker

[Wango Mango]

On the E Type, the Chevy is too wide, but I remember when I had my 54 XK 120 Roadster, a friend had a SBC in his XK 120 c type.  I've also seen chevys in XK150s.
The small block ford will fit between the frame rails of the E type & think the subframe will handle should handle a moderate build.
The 4.2 6 cyl jag motor made 265 hp & a boatload of torque.  Here's a link that may be helpful.  http://www.johnscars.com/xke/xke6.html
Mopars & Jags, both have a great racing history. 

[stripedelete]

I didn't know the meaning of automotive pain and suffering unless you own a until I bought the Wife a Jag after having guilt pangs over all my toys.  I didn't do my homework, bought a car down south off ebay from an owner that committed fraud (different car from the photos on ebay was sold to me).  I got money back on the deal, but there is no such thing as a deal on an XJS.  The only way to buy one is to buy the most expensive one you can find that some other poor bastard has already put twice what he is asking for into it.  That way you at least start with a well maintained car.  The thing is a frigging nightmare to work on.  Parts and designs changed over the twenty year manufacturing run so you can surf the boards for a cure for something, order and expensive part, then find out the part isn't even for your model year.  I did that once before learning to be VERY careful before buying anything.  Even changing a power window motor turned into an adventure, as an exact replacement part wasn't available and the mounts had to be adapted and the power plug changed.  I must have $7K into that $2K car and the heat and AC don't work and are super complicated to fix.  Plus it needs bodywork and paint.  And after all that my Wife says to me that, although I bought a gold car specifically because she asked for gold, she "really wanted a green one" and could I sell it for $5K as she thinks she could buy a green one for $5K.  I had to enlighten her about automotive math...no dear...we would be lucky to get our $2K back and then would need to dump $5K into your new $5k Jag to get it into the same mechanical shape as the gold one (which has a new cooling system and new suspension).  We'd be ahead of the game if we kept the gold one for spares (UK lingo for parts).   

I had to spend some time in a Jag service department.  The techs used to say, "jags and junk have more than "j" in common". 

[64dartgt]

I always say that you will never hear the words "British Engineering" with out an appropriate four letter modifier ending in -ing.

Two water pumps which fight each other?

Wiring not suited for its location between the cylinders under the low clearance hood in "Death Valley" (hence all the fires since the wires are also next to the fuel injectors.

Inboard rear brakes...the first estimate I got just for labor for a rear brake job was $1500!  Most owners just change the bads quite frequently to avoid rotor wear.  My rotors are just about all done though 

But it is still very fun to drive.  It sounds like a frigging jet plan with the fans running when the idle is high after you start it.  Speaking of which I may drive it today...or the charger...but the passengers window is stuck partially down on the charger at the moment.