MOT Victory Lap

[Tinonline]

Hi my friends

I've spent hours on the wife's S Type with a common coolant leak issue: one area resolved after much fiddly surgery and a few bob with another leakage to rectify.

The good new is the LS400 whistled though it's MOT.

I do have a problem scrubbing the front inside of the tyres though despite having the tracking done. I know the MOT guy very well and he was adamant there was no play in the front suspension. But I know there is wear with soft to cracking lower strut bushes and grease leaking from both lower ball joint...but no play. Although he can do the tracking he conceded that it was a better move going somewhere with top quality equipment...like the Hunter set-ups.

I think it's worth replacing the ball joints and lower control arm bushes...

Wife is now driving the Lexus out of necessity and although a bit daunted on the size (a first time complaint on that score she said...what does that mean?) the idea of a SC430 with the reliability/quality of Lexus is very appealing.

Jags really pss me off. They are terrible to work on. 

 

 

 

[The-Acre]

Very good news!  We have a Jaguar specialist on the site where I work who is always soooo busy.  Because of his vast experience he makes it all look so easy but says even the later Jags are beginning to give major problems.

[lockeyboy]

Do you have a price for the ball joint replacement or will you be doing it yourself?

[Tinonline]

I'd like to do it myself. 

Doesn't look too bad a job. As usual it's the finding OE at the best price...I'm not sure it's worth going for replacements but...OE batches change over time.

theyve done a good job for 17 years and 80k miles, I'd like same again.

[Tinonline]

2 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Very good news!  We have a Jaguar specialist on the site where I work who is always soooo busy.  Because of his vast experience he makes it all look so easy but says even the later Jags are beginning to give major problems.

You need a ramp and a gynochologist to work on Jags😉

The Ford or ZF gearboxes are awful, engines and systems are just too prone. If they made them like Lexus they'd have the world. 

[lockeyboy]

39 minutes ago, Tinonline said:

I'd like to do it myself. 

Doesn't look too bad a job. As usual it's the finding OE at the best price...I'm not sure it's worth going for replacements but...OE batches change over time.

theyve done a good job for 17 years and 80k miles, I'd like same again.

I'll check out google, I struggled changing the rear shock, this could be a bridge too far for me

[Tinonline]

Oh well...most jobs have a hitch and they're not plain easy.

You need research, time and the right tools. Maybe a fall back plan like calling in a mobile mechanic if you really get stopped. You'll be surprised at what you can do. 

Its all about practice and experience but you have to work on it to get it. 

This forum is great with great members so you can get coached through a job or issue step by step. As I did with a cambelt change. Gives you the confidence to keep going...

😀

[steve2006]

There is an excellent repair resource website www.lexls.com which covers the above job as well as many others.

I purchased both LBJs a few years ago from Lexus for around £120.00 and did the job myself in a couple of hours with a basic toolkit. You will need one special tool a ball joint splitter but these are readily available.

[lockeyboy]

2 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

There is an excellent repair resource website www.lexls.com which covers the above job as well as many others.

I purchased both LBJs a few years ago from Lexus for around £120.00 and did the job myself in a couple of hours with a basic toolkit. You will need one special tool a ball joint splitter but these are readily available.

Thanks steve

 

funnily enough I was loitering around that site earlier in the week, looking at a few bits.  I'm sure there one where a hawk lands on his roof whilst he's doing a job!