"...the pipes, the pipes are calling"

I have been putting off reinstalling the heater pipes in the bulkhead because, as is written in any number of Jaguar forums, replacing the heater crossover pipes can be a daunting task, resulting in a real dilemma.  First it is said that you need a small child with long thin arms and small hands to help reach into the depths of the bulkhead behind the dash, but you also need to be able to drink a lot of beer and shout out many words that might be less than appropriate for young ears.  Well, evidently, I was lucky today.  I didn't have a young child helping, but I had Rodney and he is pretty used to my vocabulary during stressful situations.  Also, the heater pipes went in without a lot of the difficulty that I was expecting.

This long pipe has to go where????

When Rodney arrived today, we set about looking for the next thing that needed doing on the E-Type.  He suggested that we put the heater crossover pipes in.  He's an MG man so what did he know?  I figured as long as I had some willing help, that we could attempt it.  I first got online and did just a little research in the Jag-Lovers archives and read a few forum discussions on the process.  In retrospect, not all was totally accurate, but it was helpful nonetheless.

The wires fed through the pipes and the bulkhead were very helpful.

The pipes are down in there!

One hint I remembered from an article I had read some time ago was to run some mechanic's wire though the hole in the bulkhead and into the inside of the car, run it then through the lower crossover pipe (the long one) and back out through the other hole for that pipe Thus allowing yourself a guide to then pull the pipe into position.  (I know that to most of you reading this I'm talking Greek, but bear with me.)

This process went off fairly easily and with very little effort, the first pipe was in.  The second pipe went in even easier using the same method.  The third pipe went it with little or no effort.  We put the rivet plates on the outside of the pipes and set the rivets, having to help on a few with a drill to resize the holes.  All of this was done with the entire wiper assembly in place.  It never got in the way at all, contrary what I had read.

Riveting the outer plates.

The pipes come through here.

If any of the Jag people out there want to contact me about any specifics of what we did, feel free to send me an email and I will be happy share my experience with you.