Subframe removal

[thejpster]

I'm considering removing the front subframe so it can be cleaned up and painted.

How do you support the engine. Is there an eye to hang it from?

[robv12]

there is an engine support beam that you use, this fits on the inner wings and then to the engine, a generic one will do the job here

[thejpster]

Does the engine have an eye or do you bolt one on somewhere?

[thejpster]

We bolted one on to the exhaust manifold and wrapped a strap around the intake.

With the weight supported, we found Jaguar were kind enough to cross-thread the near-side subframe nut. It took about two metres of bar to remove it and the giant spanner taking the strain on the bolt head was getting a bit bendy.

Please excuse the poor quality pictures.







After this was taken, we put a support under the engine.

If you ever undertake such an exercise, it's worth removing the vee mounts even if they don't look too bad. A lot of crud collects beneath, although good luck with those sodding torx bolts. Care is also due when drifting out what they call the 'fulcrum bolt' that runs through the lower wishbone. We didn't discover Jaguar charge about £75 for a new one until after the old one had literally taken a hammering. You have been warned.

We're going to change most of the bushes and strip and paint all the metal. While we're at it, we'll fix the leak from the sump and drop the exhaust out too. The manifolds were toast, but I have some better ones from Rob that seem to have welded up OK although obviously that will have to wait until the subframe is back in and the support beam is out.

Happy New Year!

[thejpster]

Work is still ongoing. Spent a happy (if occasionally frustrating) few hours yesterday on a 30 ton press changing bushes with my brother. Some of my old ones weren't too bad, some had been clearly been changed as they'd been battered with a hammer to get them in and some were original and shot to hell.

We did manage to get a bar stuck drifting one bush out, and then a second bar stuck in the other side trying to drift the first bar out. Delicate application of a large hammer worked the first rod lose but the second rod was hollow and had actually collapsed, so that went in the bin still attached to the bush. The wishbone was a little scored, but it cleaned up OK. Once we'd worked out which odds and ends were suitable for drifting out each bush, the subsequent ones came out much quicker.

Having spent all this money on bushes and springs and so on, the ride quality will I'm sure be improved immeasurably. I'm biased like that

[thejpster]

More pictures! Almost ready to go back together.

[thejpster]

The subframe is now in (it's a lot easier if you lift the rear of the car to match the front....). The oil leak from the sump is fixed and the leaking oil cooler bypass loop has been removed and cleaned up. The biggest pain was taking the radiator out, as the nearside gearbox cooler pipe nut was seized solid. After about an hour we gave up and cut the pipe.