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Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating

To: "North Bay British Car Club" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating
From: "Paige, Dean" <DPaige@ci.santa-rosa.ca.us>
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:43:39 -0700
Comparable to any other charges for auto repairs in reputable shops in
this area. Highly qualified mechanics. Owner Mark Singleton a Brit
trained in the UK. Knows Brit cars inside out. A large portion of his
business is in restorations, and I have to say BEM restorations are
incredible. I've known Mark since 1988, while I gasped over price
sometimes I was always pleased by the quality of work. He kept an 85
XJ-6 of mine running and beautiful for 225 K miles until it's untimely
demise in a crash that ended with me and the car under a center divide
guardrail caused by a Ford 250 that rear ended me & hit the gas instead
of brakes and literally drove me under the rail. Only alive because I
saw it coming and laid down over the consule. Roof came down to the dash
board. Seat head rest was sticking up through the smashed left rear
window. I digress.

BEM has been taking care of my 98 VDP since and also built an engine for
my TR-6 after the original went irreparably at 320 K.

You get what you pay for.

Deano
-----Original Message-----
From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of wendell bain
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:58 AM
To: North Bay British Car Club
Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating

Hi Charlie,

I had the shop in Rohnert Park, British European, make up a brake line
for me when I didn't have the flaring tool for the Morgan. He did a good
job and it wasn't very expensive. It was also more than ten years ago.
I understand from others that the shop is quite expensive to have them
do repairs. Other than that I have no experience with them. There are
frequently very interesting cars in their parking lot.

Good luck,
Wendell

On Jul 28, 2008, at 8:55 PM, Charlie Saul wrote:

> Robin,
>
> Thanks so much for your very constructive suggestions.
>
> If being a mechanic was a prerequisite for buying and appreciating a
> classic, I would be banned. I know just enough to be dangerous.
> Therefore, I shall take up all of your suggestions with a mechanic; in

> fact I'll print out this stream and we'll go over each any every point

> to be sure.
>
> I used to bring my car to a chap in the San Rafael canal area. I know
> there is a rather expensive shop in Greenbrae. Does anyone know about
> the shop along the highway in Rohnert Park?
>
> Thanks a bunch,
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net [mailto:nobbc-
> bounces@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Robin Jackson
> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 5:03 PM
> To: North Bay British Car Club
> Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating
>
> Hello Charlie - My gosh! before you add fans, an oil cooler, or have
> an overhaul, consider this: Your Jag  was not designed to overheat;
> altho it was for a cooler climate and shorter runs than we do in CA.
> All mechanics in the car being good, it should not overheat and
> coolers and fans will not fix the real problem, whatever it is.
>
> I don't know what you mean by overheat. Does it reach 220, 240?
> Does it
> "boil over", hence the overflow tank? Does it blow steam like the
> Edinbrough Express?
>
> First things to check are: coolent level, slipping fanbelt, defective
> water pump, sticking/closed thermosat, rust and scale clogging the
> system, airflow through rad, external leaks.
>
> If these elements are right, then start thinking about hot gases
> getting into the coolent through an internal leak.
>
> Thermstat check is easy: let it idle and watch the temp gauge. it
> should rise to as much as 200 and then drop back to 160 or 180
> (whatever your thermstat is). You can put your hand on the top hose
> and feel the warm coolent flow when it opens.
>
> When was the last time you flushed and changed coolent in the rad?
> (Always run 50/50 coolent and distilled h2o). Just a few tubes
> obstructed can cause a loss of cooling.
>
> Do a pressure check on the system. Pump it up to 15psi and see if it
> leaks down.(Napa has this tool.) Yes? look for external leaks - hoses.
> No? Maybe an internal leak, but let a pro test for it,(you could scald
> yourself.)
>
> Any water bubbles on the dip stick?
>
> Have you had to fill the system lately? When filling a cooling system,

> it is usually necessary to "burp" the system as air pockets can cause
> problems.
> Again, this can burn you if you don't know what you are doing.
>
> Too much retard and lean carbs, as someone else said, can contribute
> to heating, but I think you would have been concerned about poor
> running.
> It is always good to frequently check timing, dwell and carb mixture.
> (part of the fun of our old girls is fussing with them.)
>
> I am not an automotive engineer, but these comments come from 55 years

> of working on Brit cars and 15 for a livelyhood.
>
> Although I don't think I have suggested anything whereby you can hurt
> yourself, I just need to remind you that hot cooling systems under
> pressure are very dangerous and can cause you severe injury. Be
> careful.
> I don't know what your experience is.
>
>
> BTW, overflow bottles are a good addition and will help to preserve
> the environment, drip by drip.
>
>
> Robin
>
>
>   From: Charlie Saul<mailto:csaul@noleak.com>
>   To: North Bay British Car Club<mailto:nobbc@autox.team.net>
>   Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 9:12 AM
>   Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating
>
>
>   Thanks so much Dick,
>
>   I'll be sure to have the advance checked.
>
>   Hope to be cool running soon!
>
>   Charlie
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From:
> nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net<mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net>
> [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net]
>   On Behalf Of Richard Anderon
>   Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 7:34 AM
>   To: North Bay British Car Club
>   Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating
>
>   Hi Charlie,  I have a '67 XKE and agree with Dawson on both.
>   Hopefully the raised bottle will help.  If needed, fan kits with
> shroud
>   are available from most Jag parts houses.  Mine runs cool and have
> found
>   that the tune of the engine helps that.  Don't be to lean and check
> the
>   advance.
>
>   Dick
>   On Jul 27, 2008, at 5:28 PM, Charlie Saul wrote:
>
>> Hi Dawson,
>>
>> You got it; the bottle is mounted too low. Great suggestions; will
>> check it out!
>>
>> Thanks a bunch,
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
> nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net<mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net>
>> [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net
>> ]
>> On Behalf Of Dawson Church
>> Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 9:47 PM
>> To: North Bay British Car Club
>> Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating
>>
>> Are you sure your radiator overflow bottle is ABOVE the level of the
>> radiator. I had a mechanic "helpfully" install one in my Lotus, it
> was
>
>> BELOW, and drained water from the radiator when hot!
>>
>> I solved the overheating problem in my 2 Lotuses by installing
>> electric fans that come on a low temperature. Torqueflow brand,
>> installs in about an hour, sold at Autozone, turned on by a sensor
>> that goes through the radiator fins. You MUST get a sensor that
>> triggers at low temperature, the regular ones trigger too high, the
>> engine is already cooking before they signal the fans to turn on.
>>
>> Dawson
>>
>>
>> On Jul 26, 2008, at 7:06 PM, Charlie Saul wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All:
>>>
>>> Trying to get my xk 120 back on the road:
>>> I installed a radiator overflow bottle and it overflows a lot when
> I
>>> drive for 15 minutes and turn the car off.
>>> One mechanic says car is overheating due to rings, valves, head
>>> gasket
>>
>>> etc.; car engine needs to be overhauled.
>>> Another mechanic says that since I likely will drive the car less
>>> than
>>
>>> 1000 miles a year, I should just have an oil cooler installed.
>>> Will this bring the temp down significantly?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Charlie
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Nobbc mailing list
>>> Nobbc@autox.team.net<mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net>
>>>
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