If
ever storing an early Jag for over a year please pay attention to the following
stories of my purchases of a ’59 Mark IX and a ‘57 Mark I. I bought the Mark
IX in 1975. The car had been sitting for about five years and the engine would
not turn. It was complete and in reasonable condition and the price was right,
so I took a chance.
When I got it home I removed the spark plugs squirted penetrants into the cylinders
and let the penetrants work for several days. I tried everything. The engine
would not turn. I decided to remove the pan and check the bottom end for a seized
main or rod bearings.
The bearings looked fine. I tried to move each piston and rod assembly. When
disconnected from the crankshaft they all moved except one. I tried everything
to get the piston assembly to move with no luck. In desperation I made a U
shaped fixture out of a piece of oak and attached it to the bottom of the rod
assembly. I then put a small hydraulic jack on the fixture and tried to free
the piston with the weight of the entire car on it.
The car went up, but the piston did not move. I left the entire weight of the
car on the rod and piston assembly overnight. Two days later the car was down
indicating the piston had finally freed. Removing the piston revealed the cast
iron rings had rusted themselves to the cylinder wall due to corrosion.
In 1991 I bought a 1957 Mark I that had been stored for about three years. Same
problem, engine would not turn. I went through the same procedure with this
car as I did with the Mark IX.
The cause of the engine seizing was corrosion. I carefully examined the head gaskets,
block and head surfaces. A small amount of coolant had leaked into the cylinders
of both engines. The gaskets had not failed. Apparently long-term storage can
allow a very slow seepage of coolant into a cylinder causing the piston to seize.
I honed the cylinders and replaced the rings, and both the engines were just fine.
MORAL OF THE STORY: If storing over a year, be sure to drain all coolant from the engine.
Ron
Nordwall
Jaguar Club of Minnesota