Jaguar XK8 Engine problems?

Bradmax57

Bradmax57

Bradmax57

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Joined
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I've for some reason always liked the XK8's and now and again keep looking for one for sale, i know you can get them for next to nothing but what I don't understand is why so many of them have had new engines, do they suffer from a common fault and if they have been replaced are they any less likely to fail in the future? Ok so there are not that many but I do recall seeing a few :)

One for example was a 2002 4.0 55k on the clock advertised as having new engine 22k ago, so thats a new engine at 32k?

I'll probably never get one for this reason alone although would be interested to find out why so many have had new ones put in
 
Rotty said:
wasn't there an issues with the nicasil liners but this only affected early cars ?
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What this man said, Nickasil lined engines suffered from bore wash.... Search it online plenty of stuff to read!
 
I believe from 2000 onwards they had steel lined engines, then from 2003 onwards they had the new generation of AJ34/S V8s the 4.2 N/A and 4.2 S ...which never suffered the same problems. Tbh though, even a Nikasil unit is ok now, if it's still going fine now it'll be alright, some say arguably stronger than a steel one. The 2003+ cars with the newer engines and updated interior etc are considerably more expensive as you no doubt noticed.

Anything with a replaced engine, which will be quite a lot of the earlier cars should be fine now. Any 4.0 litre engine though (not the 4.2s) does need the timing chain guides and tensioners changing for the more modern and better designed type too really, for longevity ...Diamondmark can tell you about that though, since he had it done on at least one of his Jags.
 
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The new and the old are superb, but the older ones do have a few weak points that people should address sooner rather than later if they want them to last another 10 years +
 
ramirez said:
XJR Owner here with a 135k nikasil engine still going strong :)
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One thing I have heard about the Nikasil engines, is that if they're going to go, they go early. So if it's got a decent mileage on it, and still on the original engine, chances are it'll stay fine.
 
Anyone with a nikisil engine now probably wont be having any problems, after the removal of sulpher in petrol from 2000 onwards.

At the time Jaguar did a blow by test on suspected engines and any with a score of i believe over 35 failed and got a new engine.

There is a train of thought that says a nikisil engine surviving today will in fact be stronger than a steel lined one, im not sure which i believe.

The other thing that sent a few but not that many of these engines to the grave was snapped timing chains, because the first 2 revisions of these were made of plastic, it wasnt until rev 3 they made them from metal.

If you want a bomb proof engine get a 4.2 from late 2002 onwards.

But to put some perspective on this, my XK8 is a 2003 4.2 and my XJ8 is a 1999/V Nikisil, i didnt let the horror stories put me off, i just bought the best example of each i could find as i intended to keep both these cars for ever, just store them.

Iv had loads of Jags i always loved them, its a shame they look so ****ing ugly now or id have a new XJ.
 
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