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LOVE TO DRIVE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES!!

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BIBBER

BIBBER

Jedi Knight
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OK..looks like I'll be spending my winter working on this 69 E 2+2 instead of the TR3 I acquired earlier in the summer. This seems like a simple one but rather see if someone else has experienced before I dive in. Just took delivery on the car 2 weeks ago...it had been in storage for 7+ years...have done the majority of work getting it
fired up again and it is running quite well but the rear wheels drag extensively like brakes are engaged. I also could not get them to bleed and brake lights are constatntly on. Trying to put it all in a nutshell seems like the rear master cylinder...right? The only thing that throws me is would that make the brake lights remain on as well? Any input from those in the know appreciated. Last thing I care to do is have to start digging into that rear end.....UGLY.
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Hello Bibber,

I'm not familiar with the E-Type, but has it got a split system, F\R rather than diagonal? If so I would be looking at the master cylinder/brake servo. A quick check would be to disconnect the rear line downstream of the MC/servo and see if the brakes release and the brake light goes off? (I'm assuming a brake line pressure switch acctuated brake light)

I had a similar problem many years ago on a DB5 and it was the servos sticking on which prevented the brake line pressure to release when the brake was released. With luck you may not have to get to the rear axle. (You can do what Jaguars themselves did on their own cars (i.e test or racing cars) and cut a hatch above the rear brakes for easier access.)

Alec
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Bibber, Dropping the rear suspension of an E type is not as bad a job as you think it is. Because of the cars history I am betting that your rear brake calipers are stuck in the drag position. I cant come up with a good answer as to why that would make your brake lights stay on, but if it is a choice between pulling the rear suspension or rebuilding the brake master and servo system on an e type, I opt for the rear suspension job. Get a good jack!! Jack
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Well it's suppose to rain here again tommorrow so up on the floor jacks it goes. This is non-assisted system...from what I can tell this model has two master cylinders (one for front the other for back) each with it's own reservoir. For the back the tail stop lamp switch is built into the back reservoir. There is actually a metal cylinder unit inside the plastic reservoir hooked to the lid which the wire is hooked into. Soooo...unless I'm way off the beaten path it all seems to tie together as the back Master Cylinder being the probable culprit. AGAIN if anyone has been down this path and I'm all wet let me know...it might save me lots of wasted time, frustration and money and I can have Jack come over and drop my rearend for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANKS ALL
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Hello Bibber,

the float you refer to in the MC reservoir is the brake fluid level warning. This is not related to the brake light. It is the fact that your brake light stays on that makes me think that the brake line pressure is not dropping off when you release the brakes.
That is why I said to open the brake line union, after the MC\servo. If the brakes free and the brake light goes off then it is a hydraulic fault i.e. MC or servo. It is such a simple check and takes significantly less time than dropping the rear suspension. Certainly there may be stuck on calipers and the brake light fault is not connected, i.e. a second fault, but I suggest do the easy check first.

Alec
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Bibber, the brake master cylinder in E types is a tandem cylinder that feeds both front and rear calipers. The second cylinder for the brakes is a servo cylinder that provides the power assist. They are a complicated set up that is not like any other power brake system that I know. I still think that you have caliper trouble and not master or servo trouble. The tandem cylinder is set up to provide 60% power to the front caliper and 40% power to the rear. Let me recommend a simple test procedure. Get the car on jack stands and open a rear brake line junction or bleed port. Then try to rotate the rear wheels. If they are stuck, you have caliper freezing trouble. If they spin then your problem is in the master or servo cylinders or their external lines. Jack
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

THANKS all..put brakes on hold for the moment..rebled front brakes just to have way to stop. I'm still fighting an overheating issue with the car. Flushed out system, swapped thermostat..wired fans to run non-stop but still overheating....rad cap is bad..so I'm swapping that out today with a 13 lber. If that doesn't do it only thing left is the pump.
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Hello Bibber,

fans don't really do anything for the cooling except in very slow moving traffic, forward motion does all the cooling.
The six cylinder Jaguar engine often suffers with silt around the water jackets and this will cause a severe reduction in cooling. When you flushed it did you flush the block or the radiator? Certainly it is worth checking the pump impeller in case it has badly corroded but putting a higher pressure cap doesn't improve cooling, merely stays seated at a higher pressure, i.e raises the boiling point of the coolant.

I'm glad that John agrees with me on a simple way to check your brake problem but it is easier at the front of the car.

Alec
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

You are now talking about a chronic E type overheating problem. I will tell you what is at the root of it. If you remove your bonnet, you will probably find that the E type runs cool!!! The English gentlemen from Coventry built a beautiful work of art but they did not allow enough area to effectively cool the engine at the air radiator intake. This was discovered early on in testing the car but it was not addressed with a change until the Series 2 which was not enough since my 70 E Type still overheats. The series 3 V12 enlarged the air intake appreciably and I would vote that they adequately solved the problem but that was over a decade later!! To cope with the series 1 and 2, (unless you would like to drive the car bonnetless} (1) eliminate the coolant thermostat (2) recore the radiator with the maximum tubes available or buy one of the aftermarket ones with increased cooling capacity (3) perfect an Indian rain dance routine that lowers the ambient summer temmperature where you live. There are options available that claim to alleviate this problem but I have not found a sure fix. I dont think that a new water pump will make a lot of difference. Jack
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Overheating under control....flushed out system again....removed the new stat completely and put
new 13# rad cap on. Now that I can move
need to be sure I can stop. THANKS
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Allrightythen!!! Brakes resolved....for the heck of it I put up on stands and sprayed the h-ll out of the rear calipers inside and out with WD40...Whalla....brakes and
brake lights work GREAT...however, while test driving....I overheated...not as quickly but still gurgling and running over....
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

You can get a body saw and redesign the front air intake. I dont think Sir Lyons would approve. He would rather boil. Jack
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Another one bites the dust....installed high performance aluminum water pump...went ahead and put thermostat back in since it's getting to FALL...seems to be behaving itself.

Now on to the electrics...nothing works cept ignition. No headlights, no sidelights, no tail lights, no panel lights. no interior lights, no gas gauge, no tach, no speedometer....Ayeiiiiyi!!! where to begin!

PS: I added a pic of the PURPLE PASSION!
 

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Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Back to square one....still overheating..actually seems worse now...I have replaced thermostat.... removed thermostat...replaced radiator cap with 13 lber....new water pump...flushed radiator///flows OK...flushed engine block/also OK....STILL OVRHEATS....now hoses pressurize hard as rock and lower hose stays COLD!!!.....BAD HEAD GASKET? Seeme to be only thing left but would hate to tear apart and find it was result of something simple I missed???HELP
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Lower hose is cold? Air-pocket I would suggest. Try bleeding the cooling system. Basically, take of the radiator cap and let the engine idle. When it gets up in temperature there should be a drop in the coolant level as the water.....and the air.....circulates. Keep topping up until the level remains at the top, then replace the radiator cap. If it is an air pocket, that should cure it. If it was a head gasket problem you would have mayonnaise instead of oil.
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

Get this......ended up being a bad NEW ater pump. After three separate installs(assuming a small leak was the continued reulst of my poor sealing skills) I noticed the leak was coming from the vent hole. Took it back off..riped it open...and we have a free wheeling impeller not connected to the pulley....another new pump and new hoses (new pump blew the old one) and we have a running JAG. Still aliitle onthe warm side but not overheating. Needless to say I'm sending the parts compnay the 1st pump came from a case of fresh SPINACH today!!!!
 
Get this......ended up being a bad NEW ater pump. After three separate installs(assuming a small leak was the continued reulst of my poor sealing skills) I noticed the leak was coming from the vent hole. Took it back off..riped it open...and we have a free wheeling impeller not connected to the pulley....another new pump and new hoses (new pump blew the old one) and we have a running JAG. Still aliitle onthe warm side but not overheating. Needless to say I'm sending the parts compnay the 1st pump came from a case of fresh SPINACH today!!!!
 
Re: REAR BRAKES STUCK?

OK, the car not only has to have a tstat, it has to have the correct type. That small diameter hose from the intake manifold to the water pump is the bypass hose. The tstat has to have a large "washer" looking thing on the bottom to close off the bypass as the car warms up. Without that a large quantity of coolant will just circulate in the block and never get to the radiator. After sitting 7 years, it would be a real good idea to remove the radiator and take it to a decent rad. shop. They can clean it if it can be cleaned, but I would prepare yourself for a recore. A good quality core will be expensive, but it will be worth the investment. Typically, series 2 Etypes will not overheat. The larger radiator and upgraded fans make these the most driveable 6 cylinder E types of all. In extreme cases, you might have to remove a freeze plug or two to facilitate cleaning the sludge from the block. A long period of inactivity and weak coolant(or an empty system)gives plenty of opportunity for corrosion and debris to clog cooling passages.
I would also start soaking bleeder valves and brake line connections. The brake and clutch fluids should be thoroughly flushed ASAP. The bleeders are likely frozen solid now though, so so carefully applied Kroil, and some patience should go a long way here.
Good Luck,
Jesse
 
Re: LOVE TO DRIVE MORE THAN TEN MINUTES

Just for closure (I hope)...seems to run better now with the addition of an aluminum radiator. Tricky install but to-date hasn't boiled over...with winter temps now I will have to wait for summer for the real test...
 
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