Paul, brave no, stupid and naive more likely. I agree the automatic gearbox doesn’t add anything positive to the XK8 as an engaging ‘drivers car’, regards Damian
I've owned my xk8 for almost 10 years and have re visited my spreadsheet on how to do this a few times so I know a few of the hurdles. I think by using a tremec you avoid needing new cats so that's helpful. I work for JLR by the way and have leant towards the s type 2.7d gearbox route as I've assessed the vehicle in CAD and that box bolts right in with support bracket and even the linkage lands at the right place. ECU mapping and the TCU delete is where the biggest cost is so again if that box of tricks is the right kit and works it should help. Clutch pedal is also a challenge, but again I've amassed info and options on that.This is just a snippet, Happy to share with you to help as I'm keen on the conversion but as you well know there are a few challenges which can really set back the conversion in time and money. Not sure how to contact you directly as I'd rather not publish my details online.
@jwpalfrey, Thank you for your comment and offer of support. The Tremec/ZF gearbox conundrum is making my head spin to be honest. Looks like gearing is a big issue with the Tremec. Have I gone the right route? All help is welcome to overcome the challenges either way. You can contact me by email on oanddr@gmail.com and we can go from there, regards Damian
Love to see another video from your channel Damian! Im currently saving money to buy my own XK project car and a manual conversion is on my to-do-list once I'm happy with it mechanically. I will say though if you get stuck on anything dont be hesitant to make a video and reach out to your community for help! There is a wealth of knowledge in your fanbase that would love to contribute! Until the next video we all wish you the best! Take care, Dean.
Dean, thanks for your positive feedback. I am sure we will get stuck at several points on this project. Hopefully, will be able overcome the issues with help from the community. Much appreciated, regards Damian
I have owned TWO manual XJ& saloons and they are brilliant. My local Jaguar specialists have converted XK8 to manual gearbox (with paddle shift), so it is a very good move and can be done. Good luck , you have a big heart taking that on without a four post lift. Looking forward to this.
@awalk5177, never owned an XJ but did drive the bosses at work once or twice. Unfortunately it wasn’t a manual. Ref the manual conversion, Very interesting which local garage did the conversion? I am quite happy about the wooden support blocks but starting to worry about what I am embarking on. Thanks, Damian
@@ODRModurol There are some Jaguar trained guys who set up on their own in Middlesbrough over 15 years ago, with a company called Jagtech. They have expanded to number of mechanics quite a bit. As I said I had two manual XJ6 with getrag gearboxes and they flew with a 3.2 straight six ( as in the Aston Martin DB7). What an XK8 will do as a manual will be mind blowing. Last time I was at Jagtech I saw an XK8 with manual and paddle shift on the steering. I'm not sure who did the conversion, but these guys know their stuff with Jaguars.
Thanks Damien, my 4.2 has an oil cooler which I had to replace not long after I bought her, the 'new' 4 litre doesn't have one and when I ran her up for a few minutes there wasn't a great pool of oil on my yard. Good luck, Jon
Jon, I have seen on forums either cars not having them or people removing them as the oil pipes can fail. There is std blanking plugs. As you say less chance of oil spills, regards Damian.
Best of luck to you. It's my only (albeit a small one) gripe on my XKR, the gearbox is just too sluggish on the demanding windy roads of North Wales. I'll be watching with great interest. Although, at 6'5, the last thing I'd want in my XKR, is having to move my left leg up and down on a clutch, snug is an understatement.
@ljones396, thanks for the moral support and continued interest in our channel, it’s much appreciated especially from a fellow Welsh resident. Pedal placement is one of the more interesting problems to solve. I am average height 5’9” with very short legs and a long body so will be interesting to see if I can make it work for me. Looking forward to sharing our progress but there is not time limit so might take a while, regards Damian
Really wishing you best of luck on this conversion to manual as I would like to attempt the same at some point in the future! Your explanations and videos are very complete, accurate and always helpful so truly looking forward to the series you create on this work! Best of luck from across the Pond!
Mark, thank you for your kinds of support from across the pond. Hoping to document this difficult journey to a manual XK8. Might be a bumpy ride but that all part of the fun (he says to himself with fingers crossed), regards Damian
I have relied on your videos for many repairs and upgrades and I look forward to the detailed documentation process. Just in case I want to tackle this challenge somewhere down the road. Good luck!
Tom Lenthal does the 4.0 box conversion for 6K the only reason Swallows cost more is they put in a 2K standalone ecu and do a full rolling road session to set it up, the 4.0 black box sorts all the problems and was introduced by Tom 😉 Also the manual box conversion add value as there's only a handful and very rarely come up for sale.
@bespincustompropsbombarta8300, I want sure whether Tom still offered the conversion,. Thanks for the reminder I will contact him to check. It interesting you say Tom introduced the 'black box' a bit of a pioneer of the manual conversion. Glad to hear you think the manual adds value. I think it will definitely have wider an appeal than the auto. Thanks for your input, much appreciated, regards Damian
You do like a challenge Damian! Are you following Steve on his Tuning Shed channel? He knows all there is to know about ECUs and stuff - he is fitting an 8 speed ZF box from an XF into his race X100 and somehow has to make that work!
Congrats on such an ambitious project, I'm sure everything will be fine and hoping you make this project a series of videos as I expect lots of folks like myself have dreamed of doing this. A step by step " How I did it" series would garner very much interest. Also those wheel blocks are a source of interest, how did you do that?
Stephen, it is very ambitious and just following my dream. Planning on using the same step by step approach so others can avoid my mistakes. The wooden blocks are covered in another video, regards Damian
@CranfordPark, the drivetribe car has been a major inspiration for this project. I came across a 'kit' on ebay and here we are. Now I have to make it all work, gulp, regards Damian
I think the later 6 speed auto is a much better unit because when I use the J-Gate in mine it's OK, I mostly leave it in 3rd gear and 4th as that gets you in a good torque range and power range for the XKR. A manual conversion is really cool and I have thought about it although I don't think it's something I would do to my own car but buying a car already done maybe. I think a manual conversion woudl work better with the supercharged cars then the NA cars just because you already have the top of the end version.
@Punisher9419, it's all really about the fact that I have an XK8. I spent so much time and effort in getting to very good condition I don't really want to start again. It I had a XKR to would be doing the same. I agree that with the 4.2 litre with 6 speed auto there is probably less requirement for a manual as there is so much more power available,. Thanks for the comments, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol I think with the older 5 speed you do loose some power but with the ZF6HP26 it's meant to be able to lock up in all gears so in theory the lose in power is no less then a conventional manual transmission. Once you have done this though I shouldn't think it will be all that different to do a 4.2 supercharged car.
@Punisher9419, hoping it might be a little easier to go a bit quicker due to ability to access higher up the rev range. Not sure how much of a difference this will make. Will know shortly fingers crossed, regards Damian.
Jon, thanks and it certainly does explain it 😉. Always had a dream to convert to my car to a manual gearbox. My 4.0 does have engine oil cooler although some cars didn’t (not sure why). It also has a transmission oil cooler too, regards Damian
You're a brave man. It should garner much interest as many consider the Auto box as the only negative on these cars. I'll be watching 🙂
Paul, brave no, stupid and naive more likely. I agree the automatic gearbox doesn’t add anything positive to the XK8 as an engaging ‘drivers car’, regards Damian
I've owned my xk8 for almost 10 years and have re visited my spreadsheet on how to do this a few times so I know a few of the hurdles. I think by using a tremec you avoid needing new cats so that's helpful. I work for JLR by the way and have leant towards the s type 2.7d gearbox route as I've assessed the vehicle in CAD and that box bolts right in with support bracket and even the linkage lands at the right place. ECU mapping and the TCU delete is where the biggest cost is so again if that box of tricks is the right kit and works it should help. Clutch pedal is also a challenge, but again I've amassed info and options on that.This is just a snippet, Happy to share with you to help as I'm keen on the conversion but as you well know there are a few challenges which can really set back the conversion in time and money. Not sure how to contact you directly as I'd rather not publish my details online.
@jwpalfrey, Thank you for your comment and offer of support. The Tremec/ZF gearbox conundrum is making my head spin to be honest. Looks like gearing is a big issue with the Tremec. Have I gone the right route? All help is welcome to overcome the challenges either way. You can contact me by email on oanddr@gmail.com and we can go from there, regards Damian
Love to see another video from your channel Damian! Im currently saving money to buy my own XK project car and a manual conversion is on my to-do-list once I'm happy with it mechanically. I will say though if you get stuck on anything dont be hesitant to make a video and reach out to your community for help! There is a wealth of knowledge in your fanbase that would love to contribute! Until the next video we all wish you the best! Take care, Dean.
Dean, thanks for your positive feedback. I am sure we will get stuck at several points on this project. Hopefully, will be able overcome the issues with help from the community. Much appreciated, regards Damian
Top man. Glad you are going first😁🤞🍺
John, cheers. 🍻 Much appreciate the support, regards Damian
I have owned TWO manual XJ& saloons and they are brilliant. My local Jaguar specialists have converted XK8 to manual gearbox (with paddle shift), so it is a very good move and can be done. Good luck , you have a big heart taking that on without a four post lift. Looking forward to this.
@awalk5177, never owned an XJ but did drive the bosses at work once or twice. Unfortunately it wasn’t a manual. Ref the manual conversion, Very interesting which local garage did the conversion? I am quite happy about the wooden support blocks but starting to worry about what I am embarking on. Thanks, Damian
@@ODRModurol There are some Jaguar trained guys who set up on their own in Middlesbrough over 15 years ago, with a company called Jagtech. They have expanded to number of mechanics quite a bit. As I said I had two manual XJ6 with getrag gearboxes and they flew with a 3.2 straight six ( as in the Aston Martin DB7). What an XK8 will do as a manual will be mind blowing. Last time I was at Jagtech I saw an XK8 with manual and paddle shift on the steering. I'm not sure who did the conversion, but these guys know their stuff with Jaguars.
Thanks Damien, my 4.2 has an oil cooler which I had to replace not long after I bought her, the 'new' 4 litre doesn't have one and when I ran her up for a few minutes there wasn't a great pool of oil on my yard.
Good luck,
Jon
Jon, I have seen on forums either cars not having them or people removing them as the oil pipes can fail. There is std blanking plugs. As you say less chance of oil spills, regards Damian.
Awesome! Can't wait to see your progress.
Louis, Cheers, lots of videos planned, fingers crossed, regards Damian
Best of luck to you. It's my only (albeit a small one) gripe on my XKR, the gearbox is just too sluggish on the demanding windy roads of North Wales. I'll be watching with great interest. Although, at 6'5, the last thing I'd want in my XKR, is having to move my left leg up and down on a clutch, snug is an understatement.
@ljones396, thanks for the moral support and continued interest in our channel, it’s much appreciated especially from a fellow Welsh resident. Pedal placement is one of the more interesting problems to solve. I am average height 5’9” with very short legs and a long body so will be interesting to see if I can make it work for me. Looking forward to sharing our progress but there is not time limit so might take a while, regards Damian
Good luck. Looking forward to seeing the vids and the result 🙂
Kevin, thanks for the encouragement, regards Damian.
Really wishing you best of luck on this conversion to manual as I would like to attempt the same at some point in the future! Your explanations and videos are very complete, accurate and always helpful so truly looking forward to the series you create on this work! Best of luck from across the Pond!
Mark, thank you for your kinds of support from across the pond. Hoping to document this difficult journey to a manual XK8. Might be a bumpy ride but that all part of the fun (he says to himself with fingers crossed), regards Damian
Really looking forward to seeing this project and enjoying your videos.
CBK, its an exciting project, finger crossed I can see to through to the end. Thanks for your support, regards Damian
Seriously ambitious Damian. Best wishes for a successful outcome.
Gerard, hopefully not too ambitious but these opportunities don’t come around often. Thanks for your support, regards Damian
I have relied on your videos for many repairs and upgrades and I look forward to the detailed documentation process. Just in case I want to tackle this challenge somewhere down the road. Good luck!
Tom, thanks for the support and encouragement. We are going to try to detail this as much as possible, as per the our normal standard, regards Damian
Tom Lenthal does the 4.0 box conversion for 6K the only reason Swallows cost more is they put in a 2K standalone ecu and do a full rolling road session to set it up, the 4.0 black box sorts all the problems and was introduced by Tom 😉
Also the manual box conversion add value as there's only a handful and very rarely come up for sale.
@bespincustompropsbombarta8300, I want sure whether Tom still offered the conversion,. Thanks for the reminder I will contact him to check. It interesting you say Tom introduced the 'black box' a bit of a pioneer of the manual conversion. Glad to hear you think the manual adds value. I think it will definitely have wider an appeal than the auto. Thanks for your input, much appreciated, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol pit it this way I'd of happily paid 3-4 grand more for my xkr 4.2 if it was manual at least 6-8 if it was mint
You do like a challenge Damian! Are you following Steve on his Tuning Shed channel? He knows all there is to know about ECUs and stuff - he is fitting an 8 speed ZF box from an XF into his race X100 and somehow has to make that work!
Dave, yes I am following their channel and work. I am hoping to get some help from those guys if I need to go the ECU swop out route, regards Damian
Congrats on such an ambitious project, I'm sure everything will be fine and hoping you make this project a series of videos as I expect lots of folks like myself have dreamed of doing this. A step by step " How I did it" series would garner very much interest. Also those wheel blocks are a source of interest, how did you do that?
Stephen, it is very ambitious and just following my dream. Planning on using the same step by step approach so others can avoid my mistakes. The wooden blocks are covered in another video, regards Damian
Oh my. I’m familiar with DriveTribe’s XKR, but been waiting for someone to do this on a regular XK8
@CranfordPark, the drivetribe car has been a major inspiration for this project. I came across a 'kit' on ebay and here we are. Now I have to make it all work, gulp, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol Excellent! Could you share with us what the kit includes? And the ebay seller?
@CranfordPark, that’s the subject of the next video. It a second hand used conversion I found listed on eBay, regards Damian
@CranfordPark, that’s the subject of our next video. We purchased a second hand used kit from eBay and not a new one, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol Sounds good, looking forward to the video
I think the later 6 speed auto is a much better unit because when I use the J-Gate in mine it's OK, I mostly leave it in 3rd gear and 4th as that gets you in a good torque range and power range for the XKR. A manual conversion is really cool and I have thought about it although I don't think it's something I would do to my own car but buying a car already done maybe. I think a manual conversion woudl work better with the supercharged cars then the NA cars just because you already have the top of the end version.
@Punisher9419, it's all really about the fact that I have an XK8. I spent so much time and effort in getting to very good condition I don't really want to start again. It I had a XKR to would be doing the same. I agree that with the 4.2 litre with 6 speed auto there is probably less requirement for a manual as there is so much more power available,. Thanks for the comments, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol I think with the older 5 speed you do loose some power but with the ZF6HP26 it's meant to be able to lock up in all gears so in theory the lose in power is no less then a conventional manual transmission. Once you have done this though I shouldn't think it will be all that different to do a 4.2 supercharged car.
@Punisher9419, hoping it might be a little easier to go a bit quicker due to ability to access higher up the rev range. Not sure how much of a difference this will make. Will know shortly fingers crossed, regards Damian.
That explains the question on your Christmas quiz, good luck. On a separate matter does the 4litre engine not have an oil cooler? Cheers, Jon
Jon, thanks and it certainly does explain it 😉. Always had a dream to convert to my car to a manual gearbox. My 4.0 does have engine oil cooler although some cars didn’t (not sure why). It also has a transmission oil cooler too, regards Damian
good luck
@{ting19892, probably going to need it, so thankyou very much, regards Damian
🤘🏻 🌟 🤘
Scott,⚙️😉😀👍, regards Damian
Hi
Looks like you have a 5 speed box
And it looks like it’s to long
The gearbox from Stype jaguar 2.7 diesel bolts right up
David, hello, 6 speed but not s-type, going to be interesting, regards Damian
@@ODRModurol
Have you got the flywheel as well?
I have had two made for me now
David, yes I have the flywheel. Interestingly why have you have two made? Done it twice? regards Damian
@@ODRModurol
Yes one in a mk2
And one in a XJ-S
@davidbriggs8186, you obviously know what you are doing. 👍 Any tips? regards Damian