Has anybody fitted a J60 engine to a Series 1?

[Kember17]

I hope you might be able to help.

I have tried searching the forum but have not come up with anything on point.

I am restoring a 1966 Series 1 E-type that was 'lumped' with a Chevy SBC and I want to revert the car to a Jaguar unit and gearbox. As it is a humble 2+2, it is unlikely to be worth paying a king's ransom for a pukka but non-numbers matching E-type engine and was looking around for a bog standard 4.2 (possibly with XJ6 SIII style EFI).

Thinking about Peter Crespin's article on using an XK engine from another Jaguar, I was wondering what changes might be entailed in dropping a scout car engine into my car. A reasonably priced J60 has come up on UK eBay and I imagine that the military, being obsessive about such things, will have kept it in better nick (both maintenance and storage) than anything I will ever dig out of a scrapped Series III XJ6 or a DS420 etc.

The sump is, of course, similar but I'd imagine the state of tune might need adjusting and things like the manifolds and gearbox mating might need altering. I think the military issue carbs are different, too.

Has anybody any experience of doing this transplant please, or is it a fool's errand?

Thank you

Peter

[tinworm]

Well if you don't go the J60 route there is a 420G engine with manual box in good nick for £1800 on Fleabay currently- also a s3 xj6 injected motor for £600 (no box) take your choice.

Barrie

[mgcjag]

Hi Peter...as above...plenty of decent 4.2 engins about that will go straight in.. ( you need an E sump)...dont assume that just becaus its ex army it would have been looked after.......is your car currently registered with DVLA......oficially you should be notifying them of an engine change.....then they may want to inspect it....this may be a problem but even more so with a J60...Steve

[Kember17]

Thank you, both.

Yes, I fully agree that an XJ6 or 420G engine and gearbox would be an easier proposition in principle. It's just that I think I trust the REME a bit more than whoever ran most of the junkers out there for the last fifteen years!

Just surmise but, from my dealings with the Army, I think it would have been crated fully serviced and protected and ready to drop in as a workshop, if not field, replacement. It is also being sold by an armoured car expert. But, yes, over its life it's probably suffered some abuse.

But, if I have to muck around changing pistons and mating oil pipes and a gearbox that won't fit easily, then costs will start mounting up and I might as well spend the money rebuilding/servicing an engine I know will work.

To answer the other questions, no the car is not registered yet, as it is imported (although it has had a UK plate at some point in the past) and I have already been told it will need inspecting before it can be. That is a strong argument for finding a period correct engine and gearbox to rectify the 'lumping'. My bodywork restoration has already ensured that the engine frame and gearbox tunnel replacements do not alter the monocoque. The axles and steering column are original, too.

Thanks

Peter

[chrisfell]

A neighbour was a vehicle mechanic for the Army. He tells me that they always had problems with crankshafts breaking on the J60 engines. They weren’t man enough for the sudden shocks from the transmission of the vehicles, particularly with Squaddies at the controls. Quality engineers the army may have, but vehicle drivers with mechanical sympathy?

Stick to XJ6 engines, choose a S3 if poss. Get it rebuilt. You’ll also need to find a sump if you don’t have one from the original engine.

[christopher storey]

A neighbour was a vehicle mechanic for the Army. He tells me that they always had problems with crankshafts breaking on the J60 engines.

Very interesting, that, because I seem to remember that when SNGB had a quantity of military engines for sale some years ago, they also had plenty of spare crankshafts , presumably from the same job lot!

[mgcjag]

Just looked ar the J60 engine on ebay....not had an easy life...already has +30 pistons

[paulsco]

I bought a new crank from SNG a few years ago that was army old stock.

I think it was tuftried; were all the E-type cranks tuftried?









Paul