I have orders to bring to life a 1989 V-12 Jaguar XJS that hasn't been started in five years.


I am almost to the point where I can look into the engine compartment on this thing without vomiting.



How important is it that I replace any given fluid?

Personally I imagine that it'd be foolish to not do an oil change before starting it, and that the gasoline is likely dead but I'm not going to hurt anything by trying to start it with old gas. I imagine that the coolant and ATF would be fine for running it for a few hours before I sell it.

What precautions does everyone else take when firing up an engine that hasn't ran in years?

 

I always use a little marvles mystery oil in each cylinder, and roll it over 10 or 15 times (with the plugs out) . New gas , new oil all the fluids and before hooking up the battery make sure theres nothing as far as wiring thats been eaten or damaged...The last thing you want is a car up in flames!

 

Wow Remind me NEVER to buy anything from you.

 

 

If it were me I would pull the cylinder heads or use a boroscope to at least LOOK inside the cylinders.

I would also disconnect the fuel injectors and crank it over for a bit until it has good oil pressure before I tried to start it.

New gas with a can of seafoam, change oil and filter, new spark plugs, new air filter, and change the rest of the fluids.

I would also take off most of the air intake tubing to make sure mice haven't made that their home.

But thats just me.

 

Pull the cylinder heads?

Inspect all 12 cylinders with a boroscope? Maybe while I have the plugs (all freaking 12 buried plugs) out to drop in a few squirts of ATF... But it's not like anything I see in there is going to change anything.

This car is luckily free of any kind of furried woodland creatures due to it's location.

 

Never worked on a Jag. Is an 89 fuel injected? If it is you may have lucked out there. A carb sitting for 5 years is no bueno for $hit. Atleast an oil change and fresh fuel!

 

If I was going to sell it I would. Depending on what I find, It may not change the fact that I'm going to sell it but I would at least be honest and up front with whoever was buying it.

Thats what you get when a dumbass lets the car sit for 5 years. Tell him you need to get some of the money when its sold.

 

Don't pull the heads on that engine unless you plan on doing a complete rebuild.

Jag V12's are wet sleeve...if it has been sitting for that long not running chances are the heads will stick to the liners and pull them up when you have to use a pry bar to get the head off the block, and once the liner is lifted a bunch of old coolant, etc is going to get under the lower liner seal and uber up the short block...then you gotta tear down all the way.

Not to mention the living bitch it is to get the timing set apart. Internal engine work on a Jag V12 is best left to a shop specializing in them---been there, done that, not fun.....at all.

The block and heads are aluminum....if the coolant is still decent, you're probably fine in that regard, but if the coolant looks like baby **** then you better flush it out and hope nothing is pitted.

Check the oil, if it looks okay you should be fine for a bit. No sense changing it @ this point unless it smells like **** or gas.

Pull the plugs...yes it bites *** but pull ALL 12 OF THEM. Shoot some Marvel Mystery Oil down there, let it sit a bit.

Disconnect the fuel lines and get the engine to turn over. I would try it by hand first to make sure nothing is stuck, then get a good battery or solid jump pack/charger of some sort and get the engine to spin over for a while. Try to get some oil onto the timing chain and up to the cam followers.

I wouldn't run shitty fuel through the injection system. JMHO but anything that say Lucas on that car is quirky, expensive, and a pain in the ***--last thing you wanna do is tempt fate.

Basically, if you get it turning over and things 'seem' okay....perhaps a quick (okay not quick on that car) compression test, check spark, get some better fuel in it, clean the plugs...see what happens.

If it starts, let it run for a bit, check all the fluids, etc. The transmission will likely need to be gear cycled quite a few times before you'd tempt to drive it...seals & such, after five years of sitting around.

Brakes, steering...etc etc etc.

I could write more but this is a novel already....

 

5 years ain't that bad if it's been stored somewhere decent. I would top the tank off with fresh gas, hook up a battery charger and let her rip. I would run the gas through it so it's at least running on fresh gas, it will be easier to sell it if it's running good. Did the same to a pinto that had been sitting outside for about 5 years. Ether down the carb and fresh gas in the tank and away she went, drove the car for another 20,000 miles before selling it at auction for twice what I paid for it.

Could something go bad if you just fire it up? Sure! But odds are you'll be just fine.