Classic/Antique Car Repair: Get 1954 XK120 DHC Running Again, feeler gauge, wd 40

Question
I have a 1954 XK120 DHC Jaguar in my garage that has not run since 1987.  It was running in upstate NY and then I moved to california where it has been garaged ever since.
I've been told that the engine and trans is probably frozen and I need to:
- drop the oil pan and clean it out.
- pull the spark plugs and put WD40 in each cylinder
- work the engine loose by hand
Is this right?
And what do I do with the transmission?  

Answer
Hi James,
It wouldn't hurt to drop the pan but I would only do that after draining and examining the oil to see if it was necessary. If you have any moisture contamination or excessive thick sludge when you drain it, then I would pull the pan to do a good cleaning. If it looks normal you can just change the oil and filter.

As for putting WD-40 in the plug holes then try to rotate the crank. I would first remove both cam covers and watch the movement of each valve as you rotate the crank slowly to see that no valve stays open as each cam lobe moves away from its valve. Not only can the rings stick in the cylinders due to rust but a valve can stick in a guide and stay in the open position. The most danger is that in a hemi combustion chamber a stuck open valve will be bent by the other valve. Rotate the crank with a wrench not the starter so you can watch the valve action as you rotate it. What you are looking for is the closing of each valve. You can easily do this with a thick feeler gauge as each cam lobe eases its valve to its seat. Work very slowly because you can easily bend an open valve when turning the crank by hand. You can get WD-40 in a can and put about two or three tablespoons in each plug hole before you try to move the crank. If you find that a thick (.050) feeler gauge will go in between the cam and the lifter as the lobe rotates away from the lifter, you can sometimes free up that valve by placing a wood or plastic drift on the edge of the lifter and tapping on the end of the wood drift with a small hammer to unstick the valve.

I once had one that would not free up and just continued to get into a more open position as I hammered on a wood drift. I was just about to remove the head when it was about an eighth of an inch open when it popped closed. It is a slow process but necessary to be sure you don't bend a stuck valve and make it necessary to remove the head.
I did have a worst case once on a 120 Jag where the crank would not move at all due to rust on the cylinder walls. On this one I removed the head and the pan, cleaned the cylinder walls right up to the pistons with emery cloth and remover all of the rod caps and was able to move the crank a few degrees in one direction which gave me rod bearing clearance on several rods. I then placed a piece of heavy walled aluminum tubing stock I happened to have that just fit the top of the piston but cleared the center hump. A large block and a large hammer broke the piston loose. The rings were stuck on three cylinders so I had to rotate the crank back and forth a few degrees to get rod bearing clearance before using this method. It is of no use beating on the top of a piston if that rod is up against its respective crank journal. In my case only three were stuck. Afterward a deglazing cylinder hone cleaned up the cylinders and no pitting was found. I just recently found a 4.2 series 3 jag that had sat for years that was stuck but it had coolant in one cylinder and had pitted one wall so badly it required a sleeve job.
I hope this helps,

Howard