So, the good news is the gasket is in stock and even with VAT is only 17p.
The bad news, is in order to replace it, the distributor, primary timing cover and chain has to come off. That obviously means removing the radiator (which has already put me in hospital once this year), belts, crank pulley and crank seal, and means obtaining a cam-timing tool (sold, but not hired out by the club) and lord knows what else.
Also it seems sensible to me that while all that lot is out that I replace the head gasket at the same time, as to my knowledge it has never been replaced in its entire life. As the head would be off, obviously the valves would need a re-grind and de-coke. I expect the cam-chain and followers should also be replaced and maybe head bolts, opinions differ on that one.
Somehow, I don't think my XJS is likely to be back on the road for some time as I'm not expecting to start any work on it this side of winter. I do love this car, but sometimes I wonder if I should take up a different hobby.
Access wasn't easy, but with the power steering pump eventually out of the way all went well. The bearing in the housing has an oil feed to it and the rear portion dumps through a drain hole right in the area where the gasket is only a few millimetres wide. No wonder that there was so much oil leaking. The picture below shows the layout. I've ordered a new gasket and shaft oil seal so depending upon when postman pat decides to get of his ar$e and go back to work it should all go back together without too much trouble.
