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TR4/4A Geez - this head is really stuck on the engine

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tdskip

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Hi guys - have made zero progress on the TR4a since I have been unable to get the head off the car. Have used lots of penetrating oil, leveraging the intake side of the head with wooden dowel (carefully) into open port, hammering wooden wedges into the seam between engine and head, turning her over with plugs in. Studs don't want to come out even double nutted.

Was wondering about making something that attaches to the rocker shaft stud holes so I can use an engine puller to lift the head up and off. Anyone done that?

Thanks!
 
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DavidApp

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Have you got any gap between the head and the block? If you do try wooden wedges. May be worth putting a thin piece of sheet steel on the block so that the wedge does not damage the block.

I had the same problem getting the head off. Studs would not move even after days of soaking. At least my engine was out of the car. Finally got it by carefully banging on the head at various locations and once I had a gap I used wooden wedges to get it off. It fought all the way to the last thing. Cleaned the studs and holes and it goes on easily.

David
 
Geo Hahn

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I think the problem may be that you will just lift the entire car by those studs.

Wish I had a better idea to offer.
 
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tdskip

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Thanks guys - appreciate the responses.

I managed to get three head studs out on the exhaust side and that did the trick. I found some interesting things - will start a separate thread on that for others to (hopefully) benefit from.

Thanks again.
 
dklawson

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Remove all the studs you can get out. Soak all the studs with lots of penetrating oil (not WD-40).

Remove the rocker gear from the head so all the valves are closed. With the spark plugs removed, feed equal lengths of cotton rope into the bores. Bump the starter a few times. The rope will fill the combustion chambers and two of the pistons will lift the head from below.
 
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tdskip

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Hi Doug - removing the three studs that I was able to get off did the trick, the other two are stuck for now, but the head is off finally.

Thank you for the follow-up!
 
TR3driver

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Not that it matters now, but I have tried the engine hoist on the rocker stud holes (using bolts, not the original studs). Picked the whole car up that way. Set it down, removed the hoist, picked the head up by hand! It apparently bound on the studs even though it wasn't really stuck at all (I was just trying the hoist to be lazy).
 
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