Any XJ6, 8, 12, R owners? (~99)

"Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)" (vicarious-chair)
11/01/2015 at 17:09 • Filed to: Jaguar, Xj8

I might have an extra cushion of cash and I’d love to work on one of these. The one I’m looking at has a ‘starter issue,’ which doesn’t really scare me. But, I’d rather first see if anyone who owns one hates or loves the vehicle, needs to work on I all the time, has ongoing issues, etc.

Any help is appreciated.

*lower than I want, and with larger wheels than I like, but a similar example of the end result I’d like to achieve.

DISCUSSION (11)

Noah - Now with more boost. > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/01/2015 at 17:15

This is an XJ 6 - but the XJ-8 supposedly has transmission issues that the XJR does not due to having and upgraded transmission to handle the power.

Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair) > Noah - Now with more boost.
11/01/2015 at 17:24

Xj6 for cleanness, but thanks for the tranny info. I was starting to check for anyone with manual conversions, but that might be over my head.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Noah - Now with more boost.
11/01/2015 at 17:25

do the XJ6 and XJ8 have the same transmission?

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > OPPOsaurus WRX
11/01/2015 at 17:46

I can’t speak for the XJ8 but XJ6’s had a borg warner 66 transmission in them

Noah - Now with more boost. > OPPOsaurus WRX
11/01/2015 at 17:50

Idk unfortunately! Might be on Wikipedia

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/01/2015 at 18:07

Didn't the V12s come with a GM T400?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/01/2015 at 19:25

I’ve got an XJ40 4.0l manual that I daily drove for a year, pulled the rear suspension to put in a limited slip diff, bolted everything back up and now it’s waiting for me to get round to changing the diff bearings I should have changed when it was apart the first time...

I also have another XJ40 that I was most of the way through a manual transmission swap before a tree fell on it. It’s a big job, but not beyond the scope of an amateur. Helps if you can get it high enough into the air to work nicely under it (which we couldn’t)...

What do you want to know?

Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair) > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
11/01/2015 at 19:48

I guess Id just like to know what the availability of parts would be like, how well the engine holds up, and if any components deserve to be swapped with 3rd party replacements.

Also if you want to lightly dive into what goes into the manual swap and if its possible on the later models (95 and on), I’d appreciate it

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/01/2015 at 19:52

Here’s some pics btw...

Kinja'd!!!

someassemblyrequired > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/01/2015 at 22:44

Looked at these hard back a few years ago, but ended up buying an X type (actually shockingly ended up being a great car that I sold for not much less than I paid a few years later). If I had to do it again though, I would go to the bigger XJs, Materials and parts are vastly superior. 6s are bulletproof (mostly), 12s are finicky, depending on vintage, and some will have rubber fuel lines that should be replaced on principle. 8s have bad tensioners up until the mid-2000s, when they were upgraded. XJRs are apparently great, though I think still susceptible to timing chain issues except for the 6s (95-96 IIRC). Check the forums -they are awesome for helpful advice. I used to get my Jag parts from FCP in CT and from various places in the UK. parts prices, especially from the UK were pretty cheap given the cost of the cars new.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Xazzaphonic (previously known as Vicarious-Chair)
11/02/2015 at 04:30

Hmmm, parts availability isn’t stunning, but you can still get most things and everything important. I’ve heard it’s tricky to get engine bearings for the 6-cylinders but if you’re at the point of doing that you can probably source others that fit with a little modification.

Any of the 6-cyl cars you should be able to get all the bits and pieces for a manual swap from factory cars. You’ll need the gearbox, flywheel, clutch, pedal box, clutch master, clutch slave, pipes to connect the two, propshaft, ECU and gearbox mount. It took me a little while to get everything together, and I’m in the UK so I’m not certain if you’ll have to buy parts from here...

On V8 cars it’s a bit trickier as there wasn’t a manual option and the engine ECU is tied into the gearbox. There are people who do I kit if memory serves me right, but I can’t remember who. You could either work something out to trick the engien into thinking there’s a gearbox there or run standalone engine management.