[Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating

Tue Jul 29 15:00:32 MDT 2008

Be smart with your money. Send the carbs to one of the Carb specialty
shops available on the Monster list like Apple Hydraulics. Same goes for
lever shocks, brake and clutch master cylinders. That's what I did. Left
the heavy lifting for BEM putting a good block and head together and
doing the details of installing the rebuild into the car. My cost from
BEM 5K for all of his work... Maybe $500 for all the detaily stuff,
powder coating intake manifold, ceramic coating for exhaust manifold in
a local shops. Bought electric fans, oil cooler and lots of other stuff
from valve cover etc. Those on the list that participate in the rides
have seen the quality of work produced. I am well pleased with it's
performance, looks and quality of work. No financial interest except for
paying for the work done.

I used to do everything myself. Way to busy living life right now to do
that anymore. I now leave the REALLY big stuff to the experts. Brakes,
suspension, shocks, clutches I still go hands on. Easy money on our
LBCs.

-----Original Message-----
From: nobbc-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:nobbc-bounces at autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Dawson Church
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:21 AM
To: North Bay British Car Club
Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Xk 120 over heating

I got a $400 quote for rebuilding the carbs on my Lotus.

Then when I went to pick it up, a bill for $1500!

I could have bought remanufactured carbs and bolted them on myself for
less....

Dawsno

On Jul 29, 2008, at 10:58 AM, wendell bain wrote:

> 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 at autox.team.net [mailto:nobbc-
>> bounces at 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 at noleak.com>
>>  To: North Bay British Car Club<mailto:nobbc at 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 at autox.team.net<mailto:nobbc-bounces at autox.team.net>
>> [mailto:nobbc-bounces at 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 at autox.team.net<mailto:nobbc-bounces at autox.team.net>
>>> [mailto:nobbc-bounces at 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
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