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1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Still one of the best looking saloons IMO, from memory the first Series 1s had straight exhaust tailpipes anyway, the cranked extensions were introduced to avoid fumes being sucked into the boot area I think.

RJ
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badhuis



Joined: 20 Aug 2008
Posts: 1390
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice car! Good to see you exchanged the aftermarket wheel to the original version. I did the same on my car when I bought it. Most owners do it the other way around, I think the originals are much more suited to the car.

I had seen many S1s before but could not find a decent one for a good price, ended up buying a 420 instead.
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
There are still a few jobs to do, since being laid up she has started getting warm in traffic. The rad is getting re-cored and there'll be a Kenlowe fan getting fitted.


You may recall me saying this in my last update?

Well, I had the radiator re-cored, an excellent job done as well.





After coming back from Tatton Park, I stopped at a shop, got back in and when I started up I was treated to clouds of white smoke that rapidly dissipated. I went under the bonnet for a quick check and found the breather for the brake servo on the inlet manifold soaking wet with brake fluid. So next day I pulled the master cylinder to find a substantial leak into the servo.





After fitting a rebuild kit to the master cylinder and a new servo valve, I reassembled it all and started up to let the excess fluid burn off. After 15 minutes of white smoke (!!) the exhausts returned to normal.



I noticed that every time I started the car I'd get white smoke. Not as heavy but enough to cause concern. She wasn't overheating but was using a small amount of coolant. The oil seemed ok until I took the engine breather off...



This had also bunged up the pipes where they enter the carbs causing the crankcase to over pressurise and blow the dipstick out along with lots of oil!

I did a compression test getting an average of 130psi on 1,2,3 and 6. 4 and 5 were at around 150psi, the cause of the higher readings confirmed when looking down the plug holes to see lots of water!



So, the job I was dreading having to do since buying the car, failed head gasket!

Anyway, not thinking about it too much, I decided to adopt a confident approach...



Anyone who has done a head gasket on these 'long stud' XK engines fitted to the XJ will be fully aware of the common practice of the head corroding itself to the head studs with spectacular results if the antifreeze isn't regularly replaced. With this in mind, I removed all the head nuts and blasted them with PlusGas and WD40 for a week while I removed all the other ancillaries.





While trying to remove the stubborn Inlet manifold, the head cracked free from the block so I decided to take it all in one go. After putting a bottle jack in between the cylinder head flange and cylinder block flange, the head was free.





I was going to strip the head myself but I decided to sent it to a local engineering firm as while it was off for a top end rebuild on account of the rubbish compressions.

With the head away, I knocked out the core plugs to clean the block and to assess the head studs. The horror stories I'd heard with regards to the studs snapping when re-torquing convinced me to replace them all.



After another 6,000 gallons of WD40 to the base of the studs, they let go with a crack. While they were out I decoked the piston tops and cleaned up the block before replacing the studs.



The head came back on Friday with new seats valves and head refaced and the tappers shimmed up. It'll be getting a lock of paint before being refitted towards the end of the week.



In other news, I managed to find a manual choke conversion for the AED. It hasn't given any trouble since its rebuild but I see it as a worthwhile upgrade. I need to change the choke handle though, I hate it! I've also fitted the Kenlowe fan. I wasn't a fan of the aftermarket switch with its integral light so I obtained a sixties style warning light that I fitted to the bottom right of the dash and a Lucas toggle switch on the side between the dash and the door.





I've also, at last, sorted a full size rear plate.



Thanks for reading, more news as it goes back together...
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Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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D4B



Joined: 28 Dec 2010
Posts: 2083
Location: Hampshire UK

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great work Cool Cool
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kevin2306



Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 1359
Location: nr Llangollen, north wales

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gorgeous car

Kev
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting update, thanks, I remember dad doing a similar job on his SIII XJ6 years ago.

RJ
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the comments gents!

Just a quick update, managed to paint the head yesterday, all ready to be fitted back on today. I got this composite head gasket, the original was metal, from Jaguar Classic Spares, highly recommended. I applied a very light coating of copper slip to the long head studs to prevent corrosion.



Then I got the head ready with new manifold studs for inlet and exhaust and a final wipe over with white spirit...



Before lowering slowly onto the block...



And there we are! Also replaced the cylinder head dome nuts for some shinier numbers.



More soon.
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Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had a good day today, pretty much everything refitted now. Only a few things left to do. The radiator not going back in was down to, annoyingly, the lack of 2x 10mm nuts for the new Kenlowe fan. I also need a new throttle cable and to secure the exhaust down pipes to the manifolds. After that it's oil, coolant and then a week of running her before changing the oil and filter again to get the last of all the crud out of the oil ways.

I'm going to change the cam cover nuts for some nice, shiny chrome jobbies as well, they look rubbish with the new head nuts.

Some pics:





Finish line now in sight!


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Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's alive!!!



Managed to get her started on the choke pretty much first time. With the auto choke (AED) on these there is a pipe that runs from the rear exhaust manifold, around the block and into the AED. Having replaced the auto part of the choke with a manual conversion I left the pipe off altogether. No issue at the manifold end but the AED has a pipe drawing air in. I stuck a crankcase breather filter on this and adjusted the cams on top of the plungers on the choke to close the choke off completely when warm, the whole idea of losing the rubbish auto choke. I retuned the carbs when warm, took her out and......stuttered and spluttered around the test route at about 5mph, fuel starvation and/or blockage. At this point, after all the time, work and money spent, I felt like this:



As I crawled back to the lock up, swearing and considering washing it in petrol and drying it with a match, the old girl must have heard me and took heed. The blockage cleared and she took off like a stabbed rat! I decided to go back, grab some tools and go out for a run to see if it would come back. 60 miles and lots of juice later and she was running sweet as a nut! I had wired the Kenlowe fan up to the Headlights though...





So, needless to say, Oulton Park yesterday and despite my nerves, she never missed a beat. Did 160 miles in it, didn't want to put it away!





Got myself one of these too...





And all tucked up. What a shame Summer is nearly over!


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Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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kevin2306



Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 1359
Location: nr Llangollen, north wales

PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gorgeous motor, I will have one one day

Kev
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Farmer John



Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 181
Location: Manawatu NZ

PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:28 pm    Post subject: Sovereign Fan Reply with quote

Hi Will. Your fan blades are bothering me. Are they the right way round?
Lovely car, Liking how you are taking care of it.

John
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:48 am    Post subject: Re: Sovereign Fan Reply with quote

Farmer John wrote:
Your fan blades are bothering me. Are they the right way round?


Hello John, yes they are, I had to think about it though! Smile

Thanks for your comments Gents!
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Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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XL391



Joined: 07 May 2008
Posts: 147
Location: The Red Side of Liverpool

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Time for another update. Car has ran great since the head work was done, sadly didn't get as many miles on it as I'd have liked last year, except for a trip to Chesterfield to buy another XJ, but hopefully I'll make up for it this year. Managed to keep driving her right up til the end of November this year with the mild weather before she went into hibernation.



Winter is always a good time to work through the list of faults and this had some minor bits and pieces. There was a strong vibration from the transmission tunnel on left turns(??), a knock from the front and wooly steering.

The knock from the tunnel was the rubber cotton reel in the gearbox mount, the rubber having turned into what can only be described as some sort of crumbly cake. Easily sorted.





Me and a few of the other lads decided to get ourselves an early Xmas present, I'd have preferred a two post but it'll still make life a lot easier.





The next job to tackle with our new toy in place was the steering rack bushes. They lead a hard life on the XJ as oil leaks invariably destroy the rubber bushes and the steering feel becomes vague and sloppy. In light of this I decided to replace the bushes with a nice set of Superflex Polyurethane bushes from Jaguar Classic Spares and, wow, the difference! Well worth fitting these to your XJ, especially if you like to 'press on'.

These XJ's ride so well that it can hide the worn stuff quite well unless you go looking or drive a good one. I was truly disgusted at the state of the bottom ball joints and the anti-roll bar drop links, these were next for the chop. I went for 'sealed for life' ball joints and I was advised to stick with the standard bushes for the drop links as the Poly bushes for these are a bit on the harsh side.



The ramp makes these jobs so much easier!



The front shockers had also seen better days, well overdue replacing. I've decided to go for a pair of Gaz adjustables, again through Jaguar Classic Spares. Only fitted them yesterday, I'll have to wait for the weather to sort itself out before I try them out.





Deffo overdue changing!



So hopefully the old girl will be a fair bit sharper at the front end now. Set correctly, there is apparently no difference in ride quality.



Few things to do before Spring, the Kenlowe fan packed up just before she was put into hibernation, traced to a faulty Thermal Switch and thankfully not my wiring! I got a new thermal switch sent out under warranty, that should be fitted Saturday, new Rear Wheel Bearings for both sides, spare Brake Master Cylinder to rebuild, Auto box oil & filter change and other small bits and bobs. Few pics from last week with my mate's Supercharged Daimler Super V8.





I'm also on the look out for a rear seat in Tan (believe Jag called it Cinnamon) as mine is too far gone. Id consider a whole interior if need be?



Thanks for reading. I know it's not the most interesting thread, more a visual work diary for if I ever have to sell the old girl (God forbid!!)
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Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Always good to read about work done to the Daimler, I'm jealous of the four-post lift Smile

RJ
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kevin2306



Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 1359
Location: nr Llangollen, north wales

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
Always good to read about work done to the Daimler, I'm jealous of the four-post lift Smile

RJ


I too am jealous of the lift but even more so of the car itself.

Kev
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