Breaker Bar
Definitely one for your arsenal. Essential for releasing cylinder head bolts and stubborn nuts, (together with penetrating oil). There are many makes, so the choice is yours. Also known as a Flex Bar or Flexible Head Bar.
To clean brakes, it is recommended that brake cleaner is used. This normally comes in aerosol form and can cost about £4 a time. A cheap alternative is to use methylated spirit. This can be applied by brush or spray. It works just as good. Petroleum based products should not be used.
Cook
"Cooking" the engine is where the head gasket has blown or gone, or there is insufficient coolant because of leakage and you continue to drive the vehicle. Because of insufficient coolant within the system, the head will exceed the normal operating temperature and may consequently warp, rendering it unusable or irreparable.
Engine Cleaner
To clean engines, there are many brands of degreasants available. Most of them are brush/spray on and then rinsed off with water. If you want to clean your engine, get the engine warm and "bag" distributors, ignition amplifiers and coils etc (electrical) before applying degreasant. Food bags and tie wraps do the job just fine. When finished, rinse off with water. As soon as the engine is rinsed, start the engine, bonnet up and run the engine until you are satisfied that the water is gone. If you have a problem starting the engine, remove each spark plug cap and squirt some WD40 in each cap. This should solve the problem. Cleaning engines is best done when it is a nice hot sunny day. If you have a V12 and the thought of spraying water on the engine is a worry, then fear not. To clean the engine, get some panel wipe. It is a solvent based degreasant used to wipe down car panels prior to spraying. It evaporates so need to rinse with water. Simply brush/spray on, wipe off and leave to evaporate. 5 litre can will cost about £10. Penetrating oil or paraffin can also be used.
Mayonnaise
When a head gasket "goes", it causes the oil and water to mix and the result is an emulsion which is white in colour. Removing the oil filler cap (red) will give evidence of this, there will be a coating of the tube which will look, literally, like mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is commonplace in engines during winter periods, so don't be alarmed. It does not necessarily mean the head gasket has gone. To check if the head gasket has "blown", remove the coolant cap, and check if the coolant is "blowing back" (engine running) within the expansion tank together with clouds of white smoke from the exhaust. If these are evident, do not drive the car, better to be recovered, otherwise you will "cook" the engine.
Try making your own. Paraffin and gear oil, that's what I use. Judge for yourself the ratio. Generally I use 50.50 and it works OK. Apply with brush or spray. As good as anything on the market, but much cheaper. Can also be used to clean the engine. If you change your diff oil, save it for making penetrating oil.
Red Rubber Grease
A grease specially formulated to be used on rubber and is red Very useful when servicing brake calipers with service kits, lubricate all the rubber components prior to relacement. Also smear some rubber grease on the inside of rubber hoses and they slide on effortlessly. Large tub will cost about £5 and will probably last you for the rest of your natural.
Sharp Intake of Breath
What a mechanic does when you ask him about a job or problem with your car and it's a Jaguar.
Tools
Tools can be expensive. Try and get the best tools you can; but you must decide on how much to spend on each tool. You must determine the usefulness against the cost. Sockets, for example, will always be used or most jobs, so buying a quality set will be justified. To buy tools I use the following equation:
Cost of job in garage - cost of parts = amount available to spend on tools.
Remember, the main cost of most repairs is the time spent by a mechanic. Do not try and cost your time, your car should be your enjoyment, not your business. Having the right tools can make all the difference.
Torque Wrench
Essential for the home mechanic. Torque wrenches permit nuts and bolts to be tightened to the correct tightness. Basic wrenches can be obtained for about £15-£25 and can cost more. Many makes available, they all do the same job. Jaguar workshop manuals have all the torque settings, so why not use them?
Sockets 6 Point
Sockets with six point contact. These sockets grip the nut or bolt on the flats, so there is less chance of rounding the nut or bolt you are trying to undo. Trade names include "flat drive", " surface drive" and "flank drive". Generally are dearer than conventional socket sets.
Sockets 12 point
Sockets with 12 point contact. The normal socket sets which can be obtained anywhere. These sockets grip anywhere, including the corners. They have a tendency to round corners with seized, stubborn nuts and bolts.. Generally cheaper than 6 point sockets. When it comes to undoing nuts exposed to atmosphere/road conditions, you will wish you had 6 point sockets. Its worth spending the extra.
Spark Plug Tool
Spark plugs can be difficult to put back because of their location and there is the ever present possibility of cross threading. To make a spark plug tool, all you need is a length of rubber hosing which will grip the top of the plug. If the bore is too narrow, make a small cut lengthways along the hose about half an inch. The hose should now grip the plug enough for the plug to be inserted into the engine. If the plug can not be gripped securely, wrap a small rubber band around the end to make it tighter. The plug can also be turned in the bore if it is seated correctly. If the plug cannot be turned and just the hose is turning, the plug has not been seated properly. Withdraw the plug and repeat until the plug can turned slightly within the seating. The plug is now correctly seated and can be tightened with a plug spanner/socket. NEVER force a spark plug or there is every chance you will cross thread it and it could ruin the plug bore (and be expensive to have repaired). I always use a dab of anti-seize compound on the thread. (Copaslip, Copperease)
Try a Ship/Yacht Chandler. I bought a 10 metre reel for £4.60. For larger quantities buy Stainless Steel MIG welding wire.
T Bar
The odd bar you get with socket sets. You should never (although we all do) try to undo nuts/bolts with the ratchet. Start off with the T-bar (or Breaker Bar) and once the initial lock is relieved, use the ratchet to speed up the undoing of the nut/bolt
Workshop Manuals
JDHT have the Jaguar Service Manuals on CD. The details can be found in the JEC Magazine and can be ordered through Jaguar dealers. The best thing about the CD is that you can print out the pages needed and if the pages get dirty, they can be thrown away. Written in non mechanic jargon and easily understood. Highly recommended. Haynes Manuals are also available.
This page was last updated on 03/08/03.