Fuel - whats the best for a Series 2 E type

slurpysi · Post by **slurpysi** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:55 pm

Hello all,

I have just purchased a series 2 1970 E type 4.2. I presume it is ok to run on unleaded, do I need to put in an additive occasionally ? I don't believe the car has had any major engine work recently.

Thanks

Post by **Heuer** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:13 am

All XK engines can run happily on unleaded fuel (no additives!) because their alloy heads had to be fitted with hardened valve seats. However Jaguar specified 5* petrol because of the 9:1 compression ratio so I suggest you use Super-unleaded wherever possible - Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate or Total Excellium. A small price premium but given you are unlikely to be using the car as a daily driver it will be money well spent with no pinking and a more spirited performance. I posted some Road-Dyno graphs showing the difference between unleaded (95), super unleaded (98 ) and leaded fuel (101) and the results came out in that order.

Larry Wade · Post by **Larry Wade** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:48 am

David is right.

Choose the highest quality/octane fuel and then go drive!

You do not ever need additives. They will not help you and may hurt.

Cheers,
Larry

slurpysi · Post by **slurpysi** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:39 am

OK thanks for the advice,

If it ever stops raining I will go and fill up and actually have a drive - hopefully this weekend !

Herzeg · Post by **Herzeg** » Sat Apr 30, 2016 2:56 pm

Hi

Only owned my S2 OTS for less than two months so still learning. Always filled up with super unleaded and starts first time on full choke.

Last time I tried 95 octane. Left the car sitting for a week as was away. This morning it took five attempts to start, although after that ran fine. Could this be because of the 95 octane fuel?

John

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Sun May 01, 2016 6:58 am

Unlikely to be connected. Much more likely that the rather damp atmosphere we are currently ( ? ) experiencing caused it - and the fact that in a week the long inlet tract "dries out" whereas used every day it retains some fuel on its walls

Stuart Exelby · Post by **Stuart Exelby** » Sun May 01, 2016 7:36 am

At the risk of opening a thorny debate, I always use Tesco Momentum - which quotes an equivalent 99RON - in all three of my classics - the XJ6, 240 and E-Type. Have not done any tests to prove anything - but it seems to work fine for me!

Herzeg · Post by **Herzeg** » Sun May 01, 2016 8:42 am

Thanks for comments.

I'm going to see how it performs this this morning. May go back to 99 octane for the time being as I also have a misfire which Angus says is because I have the wrong dizzy fitted. I might sort this out first and then look at it again

Herzeg · Post by **Herzeg** » Sun May 01, 2016 10:30 am

Just been round to get the car and it started first turn so probably right about the time and dampness. That's good, it will save money on fuel!

Post by **Heuer** » Sun May 01, 2016 10:55 am

Yes, you can put the money you save on the fuel towards the head rebuild you will need because of all the pinking! On the other hand if your car has an 8:1 compression ratio (most USA cars do) then you will be fine.

Moeregaard · Post by **Moeregaard** » Sun May 01, 2016 1:35 pm

Heuer wrote:Yes, you can put the money you save on the fuel towards the head rebuild you will need because of all the pinking! On the other hand if your car has an 8:1 compression ratio (most USA cars do) then you will be fine.

To the best of my knowledge, 9:1 was the standard CR for all E-Types, with 8:1 fitted as an option. I've never seen an E-Type with the 8:1 stamp on the cylinder head on this side of the pond. I'm not saying it never happened, but I haven't seen it. Many E-Types did get 8:1 pistons fitted over here, during the bad old days of the '70s and '80s, when U.S. fuel quality was at its worst--and this was probably most prevalent in California cars, where fuel chemistry was dictated by politicians. I'm digressing a bit here,but the number you see on fuel pumps in the U.S. reflects an average of the RON and MON ratings. David is correct about fuel-quality, though; your pistons and the rest of the engine will thank you for using the highest octane available.

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Sun May 01, 2016 2:29 pm

Perhaps you've never seen an -8 suffix because by the time they were fitting the 8:1 emissions setup they had stopped stamping the heads?

I'm not sure exactly what the difference is between restarting after a day or a couple of weeks, asuming the fuel pump is allowed to fill the fuel bowls. It makes you think there is residual fuel from the previous day, but I doubt it's a wet manifold because there will have been an hour or two of shutdown heat driving off any wall wetness. Not sure it would re-condense even in the confined space between a closed throttle and a closed valve but seems unlikely.

Moeregaard · Post by **Moeregaard** » Sun May 01, 2016 3:16 pm

That is correct, Pete. All the pre-emissions cars I've dealt with were stamped -9. I looked in Haddock's book for any information regarding this, but couldn't find anything in my pre-coffee morning fog.

Post by **1954Etype** » Sun May 01, 2016 3:43 pm

I have seen 2 Series 1 cars with 8:1 stamped blocks and heads. One was a 61 car which was exported (can't remember where).

Herzeg · Post by **Herzeg** » Sun May 01, 2016 5:30 pm

I will bow to superior knowledge and only put the best in from now on. Just in case.

Now discovered I have a boot smelling of petrol so I guess that's tomorrows job if I can escape for a couple of hours!

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Sun May 01, 2016 6:50 pm

Herzeg wrote:Now discovered I have a boot smelling of petrol so I guess that's tomorrows job if I can escape for a couple of hours!

Fuel smells/couple of hours.....
Ah, the optimism of the newbie! :-) so refresshing ....

JagWaugh · Post by **JagWaugh** » Sun May 01, 2016 6:57 pm

PeterCrespin wrote: Fuel smells/couple of hours.....
Ah, the optimism of the newbie! :-) so refresshing ....

I'm a bit surprised that nobody told him the truth: that what they run best on is premix.... 50% patience, 50% money.

nefematic · Post by **nefematic** » Sun May 01, 2016 7:45 pm

Now discovered I have a boot smelling of petrol so I guess that's tomorrows job if I can escape for a couple of hours!

Herzeg,

locating a fuel smell can turn in to real work of trial and error. Check fuel lines, gaskets for pump and sender, (their fastening screws are an area of concern as well)and if your tank has never been out check for pinholes in the tank which might be leaking. I recommend searching the archives a few hours on fuel smell.

Martin

Herzeg · Post by **Herzeg** » Mon May 02, 2016 8:44 am

Fuel smells/couple of hours.....
Ah, the optimism of the newbie! Smile so refresshing ....

It's nice to be a virgin again after so many years!

Checked the boot last night and there's definitely something damp around the tank. Tightened everything up and will have a proper look next week.

Off to the Ace Cafe Jaguar meet this morning, hope the weather holds up.

John

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Mon May 02, 2016 10:50 am

Herzeg wrote:Tightened everything up and will have a proper look next week.
John

Lesson number one Grasshopper: over-tightening causes leakage.

Well, it can do and probably has in the past, if not now on your car. The fuel level sender has a fragile rim tightened onto a soft squishy cork gasket. The thing only needs to be nipped down onto a good gasket with a light smear of petrol-proof compound like Hylomar or Red Hermetite (NOT silicone, which degrades in fuel).

Over tightening distorts the flange badly and causes weeping. Use of too-long screws also punctures the sealed threaded holes. The larger fuel pick-up plate is sturdies but threads can be stripped or banjos weep, along wigh filler hose clamps etc and pin holes underneath. Good luck and I hope the Ace was nice. A bit too 'gentrified' for my taste compared to how it was but still a fun place.

Pete

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Fuel - whats the best for a Series 2 E type

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