Jaguar AJ6 3.6/4.0 Engine: Head Gasket Delusion
I wonder what makes bigger wanker:
- consumers without any technical interest in his car knowing shit about their cars or the magic that keeps those running?
- workshops trying to exploit dumb consumer to the limits with arrogance and smile on the face – knowing what’s above?
- maybe owners trying to find their answer on car forums and truly believing absolute crap that those contain?
Prologue
During my first experience with British automotive workshops I was wondering if I am making it right, was something lost in translation or am I looking at people totally bent over with a smearing sound of exhaust pipe being fitted into their anus… Now I understand, but my understanding is nothing, when translated into advice to poor creatures full of auto-denial to the facts raised by foreigner. Respected British workshop, trusted British dealer. Just include Union Jack in workshop banner and British consumer will eat poop if you say it’s an egg. Maybe it was different 20 years ago, maybe… Now, get over with new brutal reality, loser.
Jaguar AJ6 Engine: Head Gasket Failure - is it?
So here we are, United Kingdom, hometown of Leyland – country with males calling Mr Handy to hang a photo frame on the wall or asking females as an alternative. Females giving their cars away for pennies after expensive repair forecasts like: loosen bolt in the bracket holding gear selector linkage (“the clutch is gone”). Society being so green and eco-friendly that is happy to buy new car every 3 years making sure that emissions required to manufacture it will stay in the background of carbon footprint for a decade…
Anyway, returning to the subject – AJ6 engine head gasket problems. Engine running fine, but something is not right with it, white smoke, some kind of smoke, oil in the coolant, coolant missing… Quick visit in local workshop and it’s confirmed – head gasket is gone, no need to go any deeper. It’s probably right diagnosis for 90% of the cars with combustion engine. Not entirely right for AJ6 made by Jaguar.
AJ6 stands for Advanced-Jaguar-6-cylinder engine and was designed in 1979… with twin cam 24-valve cylinder head. Yes, yes, I know that tells you nothing. Well try to find similar straight-six DOHC 24 valve motor from that year.
To give you a good reference, Ferrari developed “quattrovalvole” engine in 1980.
Simply, in the late 70’s - 4 valve per cylinder with DOHC engine design was a rocket science. Unusual, now-days-tatty-solutions were adopted to manufacture those.
And so, in the process of creating aluminium castings, Jaguar implemented small gap allowing to remove wax/polystyrene or add casting sand – hidden behind this:
To be precise and to justify most of the vehicle mechanics not having too much experience with Jaguar AJ6 engine – with lid gasket leaking as described above - standard tests for head gasket failure will show positive results:
- presence of coolant in the engine oil
- presence of combustion gases in the coolant
Jaguar AJ6 Engine: Conclusion.
Being wanker or not, regardless of nationality and level of technical knowledge held – if you’re informed by vehicle mechanic that your head gasket is gone – ask if he checked that little lid placed on the side of your cylinder head. Now you will hear loads of crap, reassurance of accurate diagnosis, years of experience brought up. You need to answer only two things:
1. To be used first and with a smile on your face: “you’re so full of shit, because you don’t know what I am telling you”
2. To be used after limbic brain of workshop mechanic will contract the eye pupils: “I won’t pay you single penny until you will take that lid off, next to me and in the same way prove that you are actually right”
No do a favour to all AJ6 owners and give them link to this article. You will annoy the workshop owners and allow others to avoid an absolute scam.
I can only feel sorry for all poor suckers, proud and unaware of what’s below, who paid for head gasket replacement in the past…
That’s all folks! Thanks for watching!