WORKSHOP: E-TYPE

E-type 4.2 Series 1 oil and spark plug change

It’s back to basics as we visit Ken Jenkins to run through an oil and plug change on a Series 1 E-Type

W O R D S & P H O T O G R A P H Y R O B H A W K I N S

MOST OF us dread the thought of draining old engine or transmission oil, but it’s an important job should you want to preserve the components that this oil lubricates.

With an E-type 4.2 Series 1 on the ramp at independent Jaguar specialist Ken Jenkins, and in need of a thorough service, we’re looking at how the engine, gearbox and diff oils are drained and replenished. And we’ve also managed to squeeze in a few steps for changing the spark plugs, which is another routine job that often gets overlooked, especially on classic Jaguars that cover very little mileage from year to year.

THANKS TO

Ken Jenkins independent Jaguar specialist

Unit A Holme House Farm Owday Lane Worksop S81 8DJ 01909 733209 www.ukjag.co.uk

DOING IT YOURSELF

Difficulty Time required: 5 hours On your own? Yes

TOOLS

■ Air blower ■ Feeler gauges ■ Funnel with long spout ■ Oil drain tray or containers ■ Pick ■ Red rubber grease ■ Screwdrivers ■ Sockets/spanners: 7/16-7/8in ■ Spark plug socket 13/16in ■ Squeezy bottle ■ Vice grips

ENGINE, GEARBOX AND DIFF OILS

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With the E-Type on a four-post ramp, mechanic Dan starts with draining the engine oil and notices the drain plug has had an aftermarket repair since all E-Types had a hex drain plug. Vice grips undo it in this case

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There’s roughly eight litres of oil to drain from the engine, so it’s collected in a large container and left for 10-15 minutes. Dan raises the front of the car to help drain all the oil from the sump

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The oil filter for this E-type’s XK engine is contained inside a canister, accessed from the offside of the engine bay. Dan uses a 5/8in socket with a ratchet to undo the securing bolt

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The canister is carefully lifted out of the engine bay and we quickly notice the filter inside it is slightly twisted, but it luckily hasn’t broken down. The oil is old and black, so it definitely needs changing

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A rubber seal remains attached to the oil filter housing on the engine, so Dan uses a pick to extract it. There are two different sizes of seal supplied with the new filter. We need the thinner of the two Dan cleans all of the components for the oil filter canister using a parts wash solution. The casing, securing bolt, large steel washer and a spring can all be reused, so need to be cleaned

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Here are all the components that make up the oil filter and its canister. As Dan explains, it’s important to fit them in the correct order to avoid the risk of oil leaks and oil pressure problems

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Dan visually inspects the rubber seal on the underside of the head of the securing bolt and suggests it should be replaced because it has perished. He uses a pick to extract the old one

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A smear of red rubber grease is added to the new seal before it’s carefully fitted inside a groove in the oil filter housing on the engine. Dan uses a screwdriver to push it into position With the oil filter canister assembled, it’s fed into position on the engine, holding it secure whilst turning its securing bolt by hand, then nipping it up with a socket and 3/8in ratchet

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Ken Jenkins prefers to use Millers Oils 20W50 multigrade Classic Sport engine oil. After refitting the sump drain plug, Dan carefully pours eight litres into the engine

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The engine oil dipstick is on the nearside rear of the engine bay. It’s extracted, cleaned, refitted and extracted again to check the oil level reading. After running the engine, it’s checked again

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Before draining the gearbox oil, Dan checks he can undo the filler plug –it’s no use draining the oil if it cannot be refilled. There’s an access hole in the cabin, but it can also be undone from underneath

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Confident the gearbox can be refilled with oil, Dan slackens the drain plug with a 13/16in spanner. The exhaust is close by, but he’s confident oil won’t drip all over it and it can be cleaned off

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Unlike the engine oil, the gearbox oil in this case is very clean looking. There’s also much less of it (roughly 2.4 litres), which is drained into a container and left for several minutes

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The drain plug is refitted, then Dan moves to the cabin, peels back the carpet from the passenger side of the transmission tunnel and releases an access panel to see the filler hole for the gearbox oil

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There’s room to fit a funnel with a long spout and pour roughly 2.4 litres of EP90 gear oil into the gearbox before the level is just below the filler hole. Dan refits the filler plug and tightens it

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The final oil-related job is for the differential. Dan uses a 1/2in ratchet and extension bar to undo the filler plug to check he can refill the diff with oil before he drains it. Access is tight, but a wobble bar helps

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The drain plug for the diff has a square head, which in this case can be undone using a ¼ Whitworth open-ended spanner – sometimes a 9/16in AF spanner is required. The old oil has a noticeably strong odour Using a one-litre squeezy bottle, Dan feeds 1.5 litres of LS 90 gear oil into the diff after refitting the drain plug. When oil starts to trickle out of the filler hole, he refits the filler plug

REPLACING THE SPARK PLUGS

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Before extracting the spark plugs, Dan uses an air line and blower to remove any dirt from around them that could otherwise fall into the engine. He then prises off the HT leads and notes their positions Using a 13/16in spark plug socket and ratchet, each spark plug is undone and extracted. Surprisingly, the front-most spark plug has been overtightened, whereas the other five are easier to undo

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After checking the new spark plugs (NGK BP5ES) are the same thread length as the old plugs, Dan checks the electrode gap is 25-thou’ and adjusts any that are too much or too little

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Each new spark plug is initially fitted by hand, then sufficiently tightened with the socket and ratchet to crush the spark plug’s washer. The HT leads are refitted in their original order

13 ISSUES FOR JUST £37.99