Fitting a stakedown kit to the XK engine.

[cass3958]

I rebuilt my engine completely in 2014. New everything and I had my engine machinist re shim all my valve follows when he did the valves. As soon as I got the car running I had a ticking noise from one of the buckets moving. All the valve gaps were correct it was just this annoying little ticking noise. The obvious thing would be to replace the bucket but it is not actually the bucket that is worn as this is made of steel but the hole aluminium head that the bucket sits in that is worn. Other than replace the bucket with an over sized one or getting a new head I had no other solution to this noise until Nigel mentioned this Stakedown kit. I looked in to it and found that it could be the solution to my noise so bought a complete set for the exhaust and inlet sides. It came with six stakedown bars of metal, twelve Allen screws, a 3.9mm drill and the tap needed for the screws. https://www.scparts.co.uk/sc_en/tappet- ... 22484.html £80.67
The stake down kit can be fitted with the head and cams in situ. First remove all the ancillaries over the engine then both cam covers. In the top of the engine there will be a lot of oil so using a syringe I sucked up all the oil and dried the area around the cams. Using a paper towel I stuffed the towel down the oil ways to stop anything from falling down in to the engine. I positioned the bars in place and got a drill bit the same size as the holes in the stakedown bars and marked the centres for where the holes needed to go. Using the drill supplied I then cautiously drilled the holes required. I stopped frequently and sucked up the swarf with a vacuum cleaner until I could just feel the drill about to break through in to the oil way. Because the tap that is supplied is not a blind tap and the length of the screws are longer than the distance through the aluminium material that you have to drill you have to break through in to the oil way. At this point I stopped drilling and cleaned the swarf away then dipped the drill bit in to a pot of grease and finished the final break through. Any swarf on this final cut sticks to the grease rather than falling in to the oil way. I did the same with all twelve holes and then started on tapping the threads. I use the same technique with the tap as the drill dipping it in to the grease pot then removing it and cleaning it before going deeper each time.
With all the holes drilled and tapped the stakedown bars were put in place and the screws fitted having first been dipped in Locktite. The top of the cam area was thoroughly cleaned and the paper was removed from the oil ways. The Cam covers were replaced and the engine started. Now I know it is hard to tell with all the engine noise coming from especially the exhaust side but I am positive that the engine noise has reduced and my ticking noise is quieter if not disappeared altogether. I think I am now going to go back and check the valve to cam gaps again though just to be sure.
I would recommend an oil and filter change after doing this job just in case a little piece of swarf has gotten in to the oil.
Drilling holes in your aluminium head is not for everyone but is a simple job and could be done by anyone with a simple back ground of engineering. It certainly made my engine quieter and as a belt and braces fix to a well documented problem with the XK engine I am glad I did it.

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[Orlando St.R]

Great write-up and pix, Rob. I hope it has solved the problem.

[cass3958]

I think it is quieter as does my mate so I think it's a result.