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Cylinder head removal - 1500

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BobS76

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I have a 76 1500 midget which needs a new head gasket. I received the gasket from Moss and decided that it was time to start. I ran into a real problem - removal of the intake and exhaust manafolds.

The car has the Webber downdraft conversion with seperate exhaust headers (looks like Moss p/n 452-070). The manifolds are attached by 4 stud across the top and 2 on the ends. These were easy to remove. But there was also a stud under each of the 2 intake port pairs. How do you get at these? I can't even see how they put this car together in the first place.

Can any one offer a suggestion? I did try searching the archives, but did not find anything.

Thanks,
Bob
 
In short: you must tweak your back, scrap your arms and swear a lot.
 
Darn! or something like that. That is what I was afraid of hearing.

My first look at your reply made me think that you lost an 'e' in the phrase "scrap your arms", but on second thought, maybe you were right to start with.

Bob
 
If you have or can get one of them ratchet wrenches, that helps a lot. Use a regular wrench and a ton of PB Blaster to get the nut moving, then use the ratchet wrench to finish the job.


Also, it's your back you will want to scrap, not your arm. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
I heard somewhere (most likely here) that those two nuts where put in a jig and then the car built around them....

they are a pain the the rear to get at, be glad its not a stock set up.


mark
 
texas_bugeye said:
When you reassemble it get some fresh brass nuts you will thank yourself in the future.
Click to expand...

and the advantage of brass is?
 
it wont corrode to the stud.

mark
 
Yup. Use brass or stainless on all the exhaust fasteners. Makes life a LOT easier the next time!
 
Agreed!

If you order replacement studs from Moss, they are brass. Or at least the ones I got were.
 
Hmmm... What I got from Moss looked "coppery" so I assumed they were brass. Perhaps this is just a coating. The nuts I got are just good ol' grade 8 nuts.

Whatever they are, they are much easier to deal with than the original studs.
 
Nuts should be brass and are about twice as thick as a standard nut.
 
Thanks to all for the input, but I think that morris said it best "In short: you must tweak your back, scrap your arms and swear a lot."

After removing the metal heater return pipe, I was just able to reach the two nuts, one with a box wrench and the other with an open end only.

Now for the real test - will I be able to reassemble?
 
Reassemble should go easier, all will be clean and fastners shoul spin on with fingers.
 
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