The 'E' Type Forum

I appear to have a leak, I've changed the washers on the N/S banjo but the leak is still there so I suspect the pipe might be split. I've seen the Rob Beere braided kit, it looks good but for half the price I see that SNGB also offer a braided solution. The SNGB kit however introduced another potential leak point as it doubles up the two head pipes on a single banjo. Has anyone successfully used this SNGB kit or should I fork out for the RB one?

Ian

I have the SNG pipe on both of mine; they do not leak. If you want to try an old one I have a couple that i could send you, although personally I'd go with the braided ones.

Dear Ian,

Copper washers can be reused if they heated till cherry red hot. The pipe can be resoldered or brazed if it is cracked. Alternatively, replace.

The cam is a relatively low pressure application and so long as oil leaks out of the cam bearing caps, no special high pressure measures need be taken:- there is no "upgraded" part to be had in this application, only upgraded marketing hype and cost.

kind regards
Marek

Thanks chaps, I think I'll go for the SNGB braided ones, I accept your point Marek but for the small increase in cost this should avoid a repeat of the leak.

Ian

SNGB Braided hoses fitted this evening, no leaks for now.

Ian

I had repeated leaks on my original pipes and used the 'braided lightweight billet' ones from Rob Beere :D Again expensive but works well and no leaks ever,

Dave

iani wrote:Thanks chaps, I think I'll go for the SNGB braided ones, I accept your point Marek but for the small increase in cost this should avoid a repeat of the leak.

Ian

A caution on the braided units. I had one of these installed and based on measurements by Dick Vandermeyden I checked the interface between the banjo bolt orifices and the banjos on the yokes. The thickness of the internal flanges actually blocked off much of the orifices and reduced the potential flow of oil to the cams. The original sealing washers were very thin copper with a raised compressible annulus. The seals I received most recently are somewhat thicker flat copper and these reduce the exposed area of the orifices even more. If you choose to use Stat-o-seals, aluminum washers with an attached rubber o-ring you lose even more, and worse, the rubber compresses down into the banjo and can completely block oil flow.

I went back to the steel yoke, and added the longer banjo bolts that XKs sells. To be double sure I filed the orifices downward to make it unlikely they could be blocked off in any way. I suggest you inspect the seals and connectors of your cam oil feed yoke very carefully and insure that there is ample area for oil flow in the banjos.

Erica Moss had cam failure due to reduced flow through her braided yoke; mine did not show any unusual wear. Obviously there could be many designs for a braided yoke, and a unit with good banjos would be much preferable to the solid steel yoke. Over the years I have had to replace two of those due to vibration fractures; if somebody finds a braided unit that does not block the oil flow, please let me know!

Jerry

Thanks for the warning Jerry, where had you sourced your braided hoses from?

Ian

I got mine from Classic Jaguar, but I am pretty sure it's produced somewhere else, possibly Rob Beere.

Jerry

Since I have the XJ filter head I bought the later style braided hose that feeds directly from the filter housing unlike the E-Type one which comes from the oil gallery at the other side.
There is plenty of flow with my pipes and 12K miles later I haven't had a problem.

Dave

Hi, Dave! Have you checked the alignment of the banjo and bolt? I was surprised but given the design of the banjo bolts it's really always a concern.

Jerry

Jerry,

No I haven't but whenever I open the oil filler the inside is stuffed full of oil so I take it that the system is working OK. I have enough problems at the moment so I don't want to open another can of worms. Brake master cylinder problem and because I used silicon brake/clutch fluid in the brand new clutch MC the seals disintegrated last week leaving me with a dodgy clutch and a 100 mile drive in rush hour traffic.

A job for the winter I think.

Dave

Dave

Dave K wrote:
I have enough problems at the moment so I don't want to open another can of worms. Brake master cylinder problem and because I used silicon brake/clutch fluid in the brand new clutch MC the seals disintegrated last week leaving me with a dodgy clutch and a 100 mile drive in rush hour traffic.

A job for the winter I think.

Dave

Ooh! no fun at all. You don't hear about silicone fluid causing seals problems very often. Good luck!

As far as oil, it would definitely be possible that the oil filler hole is always showing oil flowing well, but the intake cam could be competely dry! (but you know that). As I said, my car ran for many years and miles with the semi-blocked cam oil yoke, and without damage. Yours is probably OK too, but I'd be checking the blockage potential when you get to looking at that part of the engine.

Jerry