Rebuilding the engine of an E type.

Hi Robert,
Thank you for the tip. It is going to be very useful.
Sorry for the late reply. I spent a lot of time at the hospital.
My wife is on the verge of giving birth.
Thank you, once again.

Hi Yann,
I talked to George to see if he would take on any more customers and he said OK. This fellow is very knowledgable and extreemly honest. George Camp 803 760-9460

Edited on 2006-08-04 20:54:28

Robert,
After 15 weeks ... I am still waiting to drive the car.
So i really do not know how is the car. Yet, the car will have to be regularly checked and improved. The car was built in 1965 (like me!) and i intend not only to keep it but to make it better and better through the years. So yes, I would be very grateful if I can have the address of this mechanic. And I really want to be able to have a casual discussion with a mechanic without wondering how much trust i can put into his words, the quality of his work and if his fees are either normal, expensive but worth every penny or outrageous.

Yann, There is a top notch Jaguar mechanic in Columbia who will probably see this post. How about it Major, are you interested?

Thank you Pascal. Thank you very much.

Thank you Pascal. Thank you very much.

Thank you Pascal. Thank you very much.

the south carolina club is very active, nice guys, they can help you find a good shop.

one thing to check is the condition of the rail frames as these support the engines and suspension. they should not be cracked or damaged, and they can't be welded (special alloy). welded frames must be replaced.

good luck !

Pascal

Edited on 2006-08-04 14:01:28

The head was, i believe, reconditioned. As i said, my wife paid the $3000.
I did not accept to pay the additional $2500 for the replacement of the pistons, rings and the bearing in the lower half of the engine.

It is a very sad story. You dream for 20 years about this kind of car.
You look for more than 9 months for a decent car and a honest dealer.
You read more about it, you called people, you dream a bit more ...
Then finally, you take a decision. Family is happy ... the dealer told us that the car would be ready within 2 weeks (I answered that he could use more time. I wanted the work to be well done) ... yet weeks after, you stilll have to question the integrity of the people you are involved with.

I now purchased the car 15 weeks ago. It should be ready within 10 days.
Back then, the dealer based in NYC described the car (correct engine, all matching numbers) as rather rust free despite 80 000 miles (no tin worm, no filler; floor/sills/doors are supposed to be fine; edges of the rear wings are good -underneath too-; the well is fine), without previous accident and with a sound underneath structure. It was stored at the Auburn Museum for a couple of years.

After getting the car, i intend to check once again rear suspensions, the presence or not of worn splines (rear wheels) and the conditions of the disc brakes & oil seals.

I was wondering if some other points were as important and should be checked once again?

I will be moving to South Carolina (between Greenville and Spartanburg) within few weeks. Does anyone know there a reputable shop?

Has this head been rebuilt? Regardless, a head should never be stored off the car with the camshafts attached and tightened. Like this, the open valves will likely touch if the head is placed on a flat surface. Even if it had spacers to prevent this, the cam shaft locking tools should be in place, preventing a cam from turning! Jaguar affectionado and etc.

Thank you to all of you for your time and help. I really appreciate.
Your comments just confirmed my suspicions.

Sadly, my wife paid the $3000 in June to the dealer based in NYC after he called her. I was in Mexico for a dig; she was not able to join me and she fully trusted him since he is a professional. She neither got a receipt nor a detailed invoice. The dealer cashed the check but the mechanic did not benefit from it.

Attached a picture of the head which cost me $3000 in plus of our deal (replacement of the clutch, rebuilding of the engine, repainting the front hood). The car is 1966 OTS.

Well ---- I worked for a couple of reputable shops back in the dark ages, and a rebuild for someone who was not a millionaire consisted of the following: grind valves, replace rings and bearings, hone cylinders, replace parts that were US (chains, rods, pistons, etc). If the cylinders were worn past specs, bore and replace pistons. If crank was scored, grind and fit undersize bearings. Piston pins new if sloppy. Ditto cam bearings. It's not necessary to replace all the pistons, valves, rods, cams, etc, etc unless they need it. Having said that, I can't believe that the dealer wants $2500 for six pistons and a set of rings and bearings. I know that I'm out of date, but that's about $1500 too much, in my book. Unless, of course, the 'rebuild' you bought was a valve grind. Then actually doing a rebuild would indeed be another $2500. 1969 E Type

Get advice from someone knowledgeable right away. What you have been told suggests that the "dealer" DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. That being the case it is unlikely they could even do such a job properly! Have you actually signed an agreement? Jaguar affectionado and etc.

I completely agree with Pascal--if you already paid for the engine rebuild as part of the deal, then they should be replacing all the rings, pistons, bearings as part of that engine rebuild. You shouldn't have to pay extra.
Chuck Berray, '61FHC

a poorly rebuilt engine (by someone not familiar with the XK or V12) is useless and just as bad as a worn engine...

no idea what treating the front head against corrosion means... never heard of that !

rings, pistons, bearings, yep... that's part of a rebuilt.

something smells very fishy there... make sure someone who knows E-type inspect it carefully...

Pascal
72 2+2