Removing head

H

HarryK

Junior Member
Need some help here. What are your methods of removing the head from a Model A? I looked at some youtube videos where they wedge stuff between the timing cover and the water pump but that didn't work for me. The engine doesn't run so I can't use the engine's compression to pop it off. All head bolts have been removed as well as the distributer and water pump. I tried to shock it with heat and tapping it with a hammer with no success. After seeing pictures of broken heads and with the risk of damaging the mating surfaces I would rather not pry a screwdriver between them.

I know they make a tool for this but that would be a last resort.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Since you want to wait to purchase the tool, You can put rope down into the cylinders and attempt to turn over the engine.

You attach the head to your engine lift, apply pressure to the head by trying to lift it off. Spray your favorite penetrant to the head studs, several times a day, repeat until the head pops off. You can try a combination of the two, soak with the lift attached and after a day or two crank with the rope in the cylinders.
 
I have had success with a head removal tool made by Gord Baverstock of Ontario. It is a bit pricey but it works well. Look for it using the "search" function.

Vic
 
I wouldn't use the rope for fear of damaging the pistons, rods, or babbit. I've never had the head loosen by trying to start the engine with the nuts loose.

I've had some success with the head removal tool, but sometimes still had to use the knife around the gasket in addition to the tool.

I use Kroil and lift up by using two eyes in the spark plug holes. I keep a lot of up pressure and tap a kitch knife gently into the middle of the gasket all the way around. So far this has worked for me, but has taken a lot of time on a few heads.

On reinstallation I like to coat the studs with anti-seize, so hopefully if the head needs to come off again it should be much easier.
 
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Before you put it back on, Take a round file and clean out the stud holes in the head or else you will risk debris falling into the freshly cleaned engine as the head it being dropped down over the studs, and the idea of anti seize on the stud shafts is also a good idea!
 
This neat tool by Bill Stipe & sold by most of the vendors works wonders.
 

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I fought a head for hours and even had the tool that pushes against the studs. I soaked the studs for over a week. We did get a little lift and used maple wedges. We would gain a little, knock it down and repeat. Try to stay away from the right side. An open valve may not like a wedge against it. It you're gonna go there at lest make sure that cylinder is on compression.
 
When the head is stuck you can lift the entire front of the car off the ground with eye hooks threaded into 2 spark plug holes,it won't budge.I had to soak around the studs with 50-50 acetone and auto trans mixture and heat the studs,oak wedges around the perimeter,finally it let go after a couple of weeks.
 
I'll have to try some of these. The head removal tools I found were just I bolts for the spark plug holes...any idea what thread size?
 
Pick up a couple thin jam nuts in the head stud size, crank em together, pull all the studs... Give her a tap. Works for me, and I won't put a new gasket on before taking all the studs out and running a file over the stud holes to get em knocked down anyway... Just a little more of a hassle pulling the studs with the head on. But should pop right off😎
 
Go to the hardware store and buy four large ax or sledge hammer handle tightening steel wedges. Smooth ridges and sharpen leading edge on grinder. Soak studs, then start tapping them into the gasket area. Two wedges on each side. Just keep going around tapping the wedges in a little. Be patient, keep tapping. It's cheap and has never failed me. .
 
Since you say you have all the head bolts out, I am guessing you mean the head studs are out. I then use a wide putty knife and judiciously tap it in at all four corners, spraying WD-40 into all areas I get the putty knife to go into. It took me all afternoon to get the last one off, but it finally did come loose. I try to keep the putty knife between the head and the gasket in case something goes very wrong, then I haven't harmed the block, just the head. Kroll and any of your favorite penetrating oils will be useful. I use WD-40, cheap and any hardware store has it, even the grocery stores. Good luck!
 
Try the putty knife as dave describes(#15), and have the head hooked up to two of the spark plug holes with the eye hooks chained to the engine hoist. The vertical pull
should also help. keep tension on the eye hooks. I read patience and persistence in the advice above. We call this experience.
 
You will probably damage the engine trying to remove the head without the removal tool. Make one buy one rent borrow one.
 
johnsor said:
Go to the hardware store and buy four large ax or sledge hammer handle tightening steel wedges. Smooth ridges and sharpen leading edge on grinder. Soak studs, then start tapping them into the gasket area. Two wedges on each side. Just keep going around tapping the wedges in a little. Be patient, keep tapping. It's cheap and has never failed me. .
Click to expand...

I have used this method on four heads and I can attest to its success. I had accumulated 12 engines and finally decided to disassemble them and have the blocks magnafluxed for cracks. 5 of the 12 blocks were good. I had one rebuilt, sold 2 and have 2 left for spares.

Haven't heard from Harry since Wednesday. Wonder if he's making any progress? Don/WI
 
Sorry guys. I'll get some eye bolts if I can figure out the thread size of the spark plug bungs. I only have the nuts off, not the head bolts off...wrong terminology.

I haven't touched the model a since Wednesday. Been busy at work and the weather is getting colder. I'm hoping to have the frame painted before it gets too cold.
 
7/8-18

Brattons catalogue is an excellent source for bolt sizes and torque settings

if you are having this much trouble, the idea of removing the studs should be considered very carefully.

There are any number of newbies who will force a head on over bent and twisted head studs with no regard to the fact that someday the head must come off
 
I have broken the upper glass- china part of old spark plugs out, installed eye bolts from the hardware store with nuts on the bottom and welded the nuts and the split in the eye bolts. Its really not that hard to make them, even if you can't weld them. These will work to pull an engine or head just as good as the ones from the model A parts vendors. John Duden, the youngest guy on the forum made a bunch of them and had a thread here about a year or so ago about how to make them..
 
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