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Resurrection

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J. Christian

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My 79 XJ6 SII has been sitting for the last two years, and I would like to get it running again. I'm pretty sure the starter is bad- how hard are these to change? I've done others, but I don't know if there are any special tips to Jags. Also, I would like to drain and flush my fuel tanks somehow. Can this be done in the car, or do they have to be removed. I know I need to flush my brake fluid and change the oil. Is there anything else I need to do after it has been sitting this long (By the way, it is Fuel injected).
 
It is not an easy job to change out the starter. Before you do it, test the starter in place by locating the white with red stripe lead at the master starter relay and connect it to +12 volts. If the starter does not spin it needs changing. If it does spin you have a defective relay or wiring problem. Could be any number of switches or interlocks that effect the starter operation. The fuel tanks in series 2 and 3 Jags are notorious for having rust/water problems. You can flush the tanks by removing the "bung holes" plugs at the bottom of the tanks. There are plugs in the lower valences under the rear wings. You will see a removeable plastic disc (about 2" ID) on each side that exposes the plugs. Remove each plug and pour whatever you want to flush the tanks with through the gas fillers. (dont use water) If you really get grungey looking residue coming out of the bungs, you might need to remove the tanks and have them cleaned and/or repaired. Also change your fuel filter in the trunk.
 
Are you sure about the colors? I think you cross the white/red wire with the brown. The idea is that the white/red goes to the starter and the brown is the live 12V supply.
 
Maynard, Sorry about that, I made a mistake about saying ground. The direct lead to the starter solenoid activater is white/red and, in order to spin the starter, you hook it to +12 volts. Since the lead is in the vicinity of the battery, the easiest thing to do is remove the lead from the master relay spade and connect it to the 12 volt battery anode via a paper clip. I have corrected my original post. By doing this direct connection you bypass a number of interlocks and relays to test the starter and its solenoid. If you hear the solenoid click but the battery dosnt spin then the solenoid is good but the motor is defective.
 
I haven't tested using your method yet (it's too flippin' cold!!!) but here's what I know: The starter spins, but very slow, and there is a HUGE draw. I have a new battery, and I even hooked it up to my truck (with two batteries), but it still just barely spins. As far as the fuel tanks go, I don't have a filter in my trunk, unless it they are in the tanks themselves. This may be a modification by a previous owner, as the plumbing to the pump looks relatively recent (not original, but good). There is one under the hood, and I changed that right after I got it. Surprised by the amount of crud that came out of the old one, I checked the new one after about 500 miles, and it was clogged as well. It seems that most of this stuff came from running the right side (pass.) tank, because I ran just the driver's side for a while, and checked the filter again. It was fine, until I switched. This might have something to do with the fact that the sender for the gauge doesn't work on the pass. side. I'm guessing that the p.o. just left this tank alone, rather than mess with the level sender. I plan to replace this as well, which doesn't seem to be a big deal. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I am willing to bet that your right gas tank has some rusting in the bottom which is causing the filter clogging. Series 2 and 3 XJ6s are very prone to have rusting due to water entry. The water is usually caused by a stopped up drain in the gas filler reccess due to leaf debris. Clean it out with high pressure air or an old speedometer cable. If you remove the bung hole plug in the bottom of the tank, I am sure you will get a significant amount of rust and water coming out. To cure it you have to remove the tank, have a radiator shop acid bathe it and repair any leak holes that might be in the tank prior to reinstallation. If the tank is hopeless, you can get good after market replacements for reasonable prices. Coventry West is a good source. If the main fuel filter is still in the car you will find it in the trunk in the foward right corner against the bulkhead. The under bonnet filter cant be original to the car. There are also small filters at the bung location in each tank but they are not very effective. It will be a good idea to flush out the fuel lines going from the right tank forward and return. Your starter motor might be spinning slowly due to your current cold weather in Indiana. Remove it and have an electric shop test it for amperage demand. If it spins slow on the bench you might consider replacing it with the new reduction gear starter that is now available for the XJ6 4.2 starter. I have installed one on my E type with great results.
 
It looks like I will have to pull at least the one tank- might as well do them both at the same time. I looked again, and there is only the one filter- that can't be good to have that crud going through my pump. I will have to un-modify that before all is said and done. It wouldn't hurt to blow all of the fuel lines from the filter back to the tanks. As far as the starter goes, it was last September when I last tried, and a pretty warm day, too. I had thought about just getting one of those gear reduction starters. It might be a bit more expensive than having the original rebuilt, but it takes a lot of torque to turn that straight six over! Thanks for your help!
 
I found a set of tanks for good money, but they are from a series III. As far as I can tell from my catalogs, they should work. Does anyone know any differently? I would restore these tanks, then just replace the rusted (and apparently leaking) ones in my car.
 
The series 3 tanks should work OK if your series 2 is fuel injected. Regarding the starter, the gear reduction starter should be competetively priced with the original type. If you want to have your starter rebuilt, pick the rebuilder carefully. Most discount parts operations do not offer a good exchange unit; they never seem to make the warranty period and it is a real pain to keep replacing the unit. I have had real problems with local repair services, it seems that tolerances are a lot tighter on the Lucas units and that is not acheived by the run of the mill services. Get a good unit and you will be far ahead.
 
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