Stubborn cylinder head

john charlton

john charlton

Well-known member
I have a cylider head that just will not budge. Used all normal approaches but I can see I will most likely crack block or head if I go any further on the broad steel wedge routine etc. etc . Just wondered how folks have got on with the slacked head nuts and running the engine procedure . The head gasket wont hold water now as the wedge has damaged the gasket but at least the block itself would hold water to deck height . This means the head would get pretty hot maybe that would do the trick ??? Any advice gladly received ,someone else must have surely gone down this road.

John in mild cloudy evening England.
 
I've gotten the head off of a V8 by turning it over to pop the head loose. I just took the nuts off and turned the engine over by hand. I assume that your engine will turn over since you asked the question about popping the head up with compression. I don't know if you were planning on saving the head nuts, but what I was thinking (have yet to try it, and don't know if it would really work) is to put the head nuts back on and weld the nuts to the studs. Then you can unscrew the nuts (and the studs) out so it should be much easier to take the head off. Like I said I don't know if that would actually work or if it is even safe to do? Just a thought. Hope this helps.

Red
 
The engine came with no flywheel housing or flywheel but I do have those in "the stores". HHHMMMM, I hadnt thought of that so I guess I will install those and maybe spinning over with a 12 volt battery. I was hoping not to have to put it in a frame and hook up gas, water and ignition.Thanks .

John in the same place,same weather England.
 
Don't put water in it! If it doesn't pop off when the engine first fires (2 seconds) turn the key off and order dynamite! It won't get hot and damage anything in 2 or 3 seconds, if that, of running.
 
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if if you try the loosen nuts and starting procedure you only need it to run for less than a minute to see if that works so no water should be fine. i would try that first. i also hollowed out some spark plugs and welded hooks to them to pull heads also 2nd resort
 
both times i pulled a head , i just loosened all nuts & fired it up . instant results . if not a head puller is available ............... steve
 
Right !!! No water , it would make the dynamite soggy anyway !!! I will try it that way if the starter motor /12V setup dont work.

John
 
Remove the spark plugs and feed some clothes-line into the cylinders. Crank the engine over. It will lift the head right off.
Dick
 
I tried all the tricks, loose stud nuts & start engine- didn't work, clothes line in all cylinders & hand crank- didnt work. Loosened stud nuts & lift with come along via spark plug engine eyelets, picked the front end off the ground & left it sit with gravity to work it- didn't work, all this with using every imaginable combo of solvents. Bit the bullet and bought the head puller in the cataloges, took 10 minutes and was off with little effort. Will never use anything but the puller. Just my 2 cents, it worked great for me and would have saved days trying things that wouldn't work.:)
 
I have a feeling this is what I will land up doing.The head seems to be glued on.I have used broad thin steel wedges which have never failed before .It is not a rusted head stud issue as the engine totally rust free externally, in fact looks new,crisp serial numbers ,mid jan 31. I will check the catalogues for puller info,hope there is a picture of how it works.

John in cool late evening England.
 
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