Removing head

I had trouble sleeping the other night, so at 3 in the morning I went to the garage and pulled my head. I wanted to pull the engine, but ran out of time this summer. I used my homemade head puller, which is the same style as our club's puller. I think Rainmaker Ron designed this. This was the first time I used my puller, and I'll make a couple minor changes to make it easier to use. I'll weld the bolts to the spark plug bases, so they can't turn while tightening the nuts on them, and they can't all into the cylinder with the nuts off. The 5 bolts on the plate have spacers and nuts on the bottom side, which I'll also put a small tack weld on, so I don't need to use a wrench on the bottom.

I've never had the head off my engine, but it came off without too much trouble. Once it was raised up an inch I still couldn't lift it, so I had to wait until morning when Fleet Farm opened, so I could buy 5 long bolts with full length threads. The only bolts they had with full length threads were carriage bolts, so I bought 5 of them. I only needed to use 2 to push on the studs in the center row of the head. These carriage bolts were long enough to raise the head completely off the studs. I'll either grind the heads of the carriage bolts square to match the underside of the bolt head, or I'll weld a hex nut on the round top of the bolts.
 

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Tom Wesenberg said:
I had trouble sleeping the other night, so at 3 in the morning I went to the garage and pulled my head. I wanted to pull the engine, but ran out of time this summer. I used my homemade head puller, which is the same style as our club's puller. I think Rainmaker Ron designed this. This was the first time I used my puller, and I'll make a couple minor changes to make it easier to use. I'll weld the bolts to the spark plug bases, so they can't turn while tightening the nuts on them, and they can't all into the cylinder with the nuts off. The 5 bolts on the plate have spacers and nuts on the bottom side, which I'll also put a small tack weld on, so I don't need to use a wrench on the bottom.

I've never had the head off my engine, but it came off without too much trouble. Once it was raised up an inch I still couldn't lift it, so I had to wait until morning when Fleet Farm opened, so I could buy 5 long bolts with full length threads. The only bolts they had with full length threads were carriage bolts, so I bought 5 of them. I only needed to use 2 to push on the studs in the center row of the head. These carriage bolts were long enough to raise the head completely off the studs. I'll either grind the heads of the carriage bolts square to match the underside of the bolt head, or I'll weld a hex nut on the round top of the bolts.
Click to expand...

I just want to make sure I understand your puller. you have 2 spark plugs bolted to the plate to hold onto the head. I'm guessing the other bolts sit on top of the head studs so as you tighten them it pulls the head up?
 
Just to update this thread, here are a couple of pics of my new head removal tool





Available to rent or buy (must provide own lifting eye and crowbar)

The deluxe version comes with a similar set up for number 3 spark plug hole if another set of hands are available (same caveat applies)

Cheers

Juggs
 
A guy I know made himself a set of thin nuts, so he can double nut the studs and back them out of the block. He used grad 8 nuts for this operation and claims success where he had none with a stud remover.
 
Rope worked for me....stuffed #1 & #4 cylinders with small hemp rope, making sure it was going into the cylinder.....used the crank, and she popped up enough to work a large screwdriver as a wedge all around the head. My head had only been on for 30 years so was relatively new...good luck.
 
Juggler said:
Just to update this thread, here are a couple of pics of my new head removal tool






Available to rent or buy (must provide own lifting eye and crowbar)

The deluxe version comes with a similar set up for number 3 spark plug hole if another set of hands are available (same caveat applies)

Cheers

Juggs
Click to expand...


Now that's the kind of tools I grew up with as a young (sort of) apprentice in the UK late 50s, the garage owners name was Jock Stewart, that meant there was no money to be had for fancy modern tooling.
 
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Engine lift with head puller tool or eye bolts/combine with plastic wedges and heat(preferably oxy/acetelyne. I used this method on an engine which sat outside for many years and the heat made a huge difference. Otherwise you will beat the hell out it:eek:
 
If you use any kind of wedge between the head and the block, you should avoid the places where the edge of the head is thin. If you don't have a spare head to see where these places are, just look at your new head gasket.
 
Juggler said:
Where was the garage Brian?
Click to expand...

Hello Juggs,
The garage was not in the North as one might expect with a name like Jock, it was in Barking Essex, a few miles from Dagenham where I lived, I did learn a lot there repairing pre and post war vehicles.
My last 8 months was at W J Reynolds, Fords very first UK main dealer before leaving permanently for California in 1964.
I talked to John a few years ago at the Big 3 hope he is keeping well and done with that Jeep.
Regards Brian.
 
A colleague let me borrow his home made engine removal tool to help remove the head so the heads off the block now
 
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