Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration – Engine Part 2

1990 film car Jaguar 420G (The Krays)

Jaguar Mk X and 420G

Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Read the full write-up at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

1990 "The Krays" film car Jaguar 420G: engine, cooling and running gear rebuild

The owner continues restoring the Jaguar 420G used in the 1990 film The Krays, working through the cooling system, alternator and carburettors to finally get the engine running and the car driven. It is a detailed, first-person account including tracking down correct parts for a rare water pump casing, diagnosing a misfire, and later fixing a rotten heater box before taking the finished car on road trips and to shows.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Thermostat: Sleeve type, 74 degrees, new gasket and aluminium housing fitted
Alternator: Original-type Lucas C25073E (new old stock), replacing a previously fitted Bosch unit, with correct MK10 adjustment bracket and 3-pin voltage regulator
Oil: Halfords Classic 20W50
Ignition: Upgraded from Lucas points to electronic ignition in 2023
Carburettors: Triple SU carburettors, rebuilt with new diaphragms, springs and isolation block fitment to inlet manifold
Power steering pipes: New hydraulic hoses pressed onto re-used original ends by Pirtek

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 1

Oil filterSNG Barratt
Fitted during an oil change after first start

Fuel & Ignition 4

SU carburettor diaphragms (set of three)SU
Replaced after original diaphragms had hardened and a spring had broken, curing misfire and over-fuelling
In the shops
Carburettor Diaphragm ↗James Paddock Ltd· £2.95 GBP
Carburettor Diaphragm (CD150) ↗James Paddock Ltd· £10.85 GBP
Rebuild Kit, for three carburettors ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £163.75 GBP
SU carburettor diaphragm springs
All three replaced after one was found broken, restoring correct fuelling
In the shops
Carburettor Diaphragm ↗James Paddock Ltd· £2.95 GBP
PI Diaphragm Spring Set ↗Angloparts· €46.60 EUR
Carburettor Diaphragm (CD150) ↗James Paddock Ltd· £10.85 GBP
6mm isolation block carb-to-manifold fitment
Replaced original O-ring style fitment to improve seal and reduce vacuum leaks
In the shops
Carb to Manifold Gasket, SU 1.75 ↗Good Parts· $3.00 USD
Stromberg CD150 Carb to Manifold Gasket ↗TRGB· £0.83 GBP
Carb to Manifold Insulator Spacer, SU 1.75 ↗Good Parts· $12.00 USD
Electronic ignition conversion
Fitted in 2023 to replace points-type Lucas ignition that had a stuck vacuum advance unit
In the shops
Pertronix Electronic Ignition Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $169.00 USD
Pertronix Electronic Ignition Module, Negative Ground (22D6) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $171.50 USD
Electronic Ignition Conversion ↗MGbits4U· £0.00 GBP

Cooling 4

Water pump rebuild kit PK5502SNG Barratt
Used to rebuild the original water pump casing C23409, though supplied with an incorrect shaft/bearing that had to be substituted and machined
XJ6 water pump shaft/bearing PK5505
Machined down 3mm on the impeller end by an engineering firm to fit the water pump casing after the correct part was unavailable
In the shops
Large Input Shaft Bearing (Mini) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $39.95 USD
Main Shaft Double Row Bearing (Mini) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $62.99 USD
Thermostat, sleeve type 74 degrees
Fitted with new gasket and aluminium housing to replace corroded original
In the shops
Thermostat 88 Degree ↗TRGB· £4.95 GBP
Thermostat 82 Degree ↗TRGB· £5.23 GBP
Thermostat 74 Degree ↗TRGB· £4.68 GBP
Header tank
Rusted original replaced with a sourced original unit, resprayed gloss black and plumbed in
In the shops
XJ-40 Header Tank ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $300.34 USD
Header Tank, Alloy ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $831.07 USD
Hose, bleed, header tank, Eurospare ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £28.50 GBP

Suspension & Steering 1

Power steering hydraulic pipesPirtek
New pipes pressed onto re-used original fittings to replace split originals
In the shops
Power Steering Hydraulics ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
Rebuilt Power Steering Pump ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
Power Steering Cooling Pipe (NA) ↗MX5 City· $169.13 USD

Body & Trim 2

Heater box repair panels
New 2mm sheet steel welded in to replace rotten bottom and rear of original heater box, then painted and waxoyled
In the shops
Sill & Wheel-Arch Repair Panel ↗MX5 City· $107.57 USD
D-Post Repair Panel, Right Hand ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $194.61 USD
Seat Pan Repair Panel, Right Rear ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $631.19 USD
Chrome windscreen caps
Refitted to front and rear windscreens using adhesive to hold them in place
In the shops
Chrome Hub Cap ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $80.99 USD
Fuel Cap Chrome Vented ↗bpnorthwest.com· $11.40 USD
Windscreen Scuttle Screw Cap Set ↗MX5 City· $10.77 USD

Electrical 4

Alternator C25073ELucas
New old stock original-type alternator fitted to replace a poorly wired Bosch unit
Alternator pulley
New old stock pulley bought to suit the replacement alternator
In the shops
Alternator Pulley ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $101.50 USD
Narrow Belt Alternator Pulley ↗TRGB· £36.85 GBP
Alternator Pulley Woodruff Key ↗James Paddock Ltd· £3.95 GBP
3-pin voltage regulator
Bought new as the original unit was missing, needed for the original-type alternator
In the shops
Voltage Regulator ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $47.75 USD
Voltage Regulator ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £38.00 GBP
3-Pin Voltage Regulator (4TR) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $44.39 USD
Lucas hazard warning switch
Original optional-extra switch fitted to the car
In the shops
Hazard Warning Switch ↗James Paddock Ltd· £68.50 GBP
Hazard Warning Rocker Switch ↗MGOC Spares· £9.95
Switch, hazard warning lights ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £11.50 GBP

Photos

56 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

18 Engine – Part 2 15this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

Water pump as removed from the carPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Water pump stripped down after initial cleaningPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Right shaft is the original, the middle shaft is the incorrect part provided to me in the kit PK5502 and the left is a shaft for an XJ6 (PK5Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Water pump with correct replacement component parts (shaft/bearing, seal, gasket and impeller)Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Radiator as removed from the carPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Fan and radiator surrounds being etch primed and sprayedPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Radiator after sanding, rust curing and spraying with hammerite black sprayPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Water pump refitted along with fan and viscous unit, new belts and new water pipesPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

New sleeve type thermostat 74 degrees with new gasketPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Engine bay as I first saw the car back in 2019Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Engine with all ancillaries restoredPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

A curved bracket for a small block chevy which has been cut in three places, bent further to get the desired shape needed and then welded toPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Lucas 6RA Relay – 3188 type with only 3 pin connection (W1 being connected internally to C2 power source) and W2 being pulled to ground to ePhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

19 Engine – Part 3 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

First daylight the car has seen in over a year (note the black soot on the floor behind the two tailpipes indicating its running too rich)Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

All three carbs removed and the outsides cleanedPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

The base of one of the carbs showing years of dirt.Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Right is the spring from the front carb and left spring is how long it should be!Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

New diaphragm and spring being fitted to the rear carbPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Original power steering pipes showing a clear split in the high pressure pipePhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

New hydraulic power steering pipes fittedPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

First of the carbs fitted back on the enginePhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

20 Heater Box 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

2023 Spring/Summer Update 11this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

Norman Park, Bromley, KentPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

The Lawns, Rochford, EssexPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

In the garage is my fathers 1965 S-Type Jaguar (same color inside and out)Photo: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

The Red Lion pub in Charing Heath, KentPhoto: Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration

Pilgrimage 9this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

Final Journey 3this post at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

How it was done

Cooling system rebuild

After a break caused by illness, work resumed on the engine ancillaries. The water pump was stripped down and rebuilt, requiring a machined-down XJ6 shaft after the supplied kit part proved incorrect for the rare C23409 casing. The radiator, fan, pipes and surrounds were cleaned, rust treated and resprayed, and a new thermostat and header tank were fitted.

Alternator and first start

A previously fitted Bosch alternator with poor wiring was replaced with a correct original-type unit, pulley and regulator, needing the correct MK10 adjustment bracket. With the cooling system filled, the engine was started for the first time, though the oil pressure gauge initially read nothing due to a bad earth.

Running and carb fettling

Once oil pressure was confirmed, the car was driven for the first time, though misfiring and over-fuelling appeared. The three SU carburettors were stripped, cleaned, and fitted with new diaphragms and springs after a broken spring was found; a vacuum leak was also addressed and power steering pipes replaced, resolving the misfire and allowing smooth running.

Heater box repair

After declaring the restoration largely complete, a badly rotten heater box was found and repaired by welding in new sheet metal for the bottom and rear, then painted and waxoyled before refitting, which required removing the rocker covers for clearance.

Further work and use

In 2023 further detail work included a repaired jacking point, an original alternator bracket, a hazard switch, electronic ignition, bonnet adjustment and windscreen trim. The car was driven to car shows and on a personal pilgrimage to Kray filming locations, before eventually being driven to auction with Bonhams Cars.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Krays Jaguar 420G Restoration ↗

Worth knowing

The water pump kit supplied by the parts shop can be wrong for rare casing variants, so confirm the exact shaft fits before fitting
Freezing the shaft/bearing before fitting shrinks it enough to tap into the casing easily
A broken carburettor diaphragm spring can cause over-fuelling and misfire even when the diaphragm itself looks fine
Many Jaguar MK10 heater boxes are rusted through at the bottom due to a design flaw letting scuttle water collect inside