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Help removing the head

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Cyberpyr8

Cyberpyr8

Senior Member
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I have my engine down to the head. I have been looking at all of the shop manuals and I cannot break the head loose. Any suggestions?

The shop manuals said to rock it, use a wood block and hammer, roll the flywheel ect. I have tried all of them and it will not budge. I almost think this head has been on the car for at least 12 years, possibly much longer. Any tricks you guys know in getting the head off?
 
Remove the sparkplugs. Reach in with a long screwdriver to find which cylinder has the piston near the top but still before top dead center. Push about 10 feet of rope into the sparkplug hole. Cylinder #2 or #3 would work best. When all but the tail end of the rope in in the combustion chamber, rotate the crankshaft. On my TR3A, it's easy with the handcrank. Maybe you could rotate the fan which would turn the crankshaft. Others might comment on whether you should try the starter. I can't say anything about that.

My clyinder head lifted afte less than a quarter of a turn on my crankhandle. I was surprised how easy it lifted.

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1919
 
I agree, this is an old, very effective method for removing cylinder heads.
 
I was able to turn the crankshaft some by hand. But I didn't try the rope in there. I will try it again tonight. Thanks!
 
Ok, I tried the rope, I tried starting the car to see if that would pop it loose and it still sticks! When the engine tried to turn over the back of the head seems like it was coming up slightly. Could this really be that stuck?

I keep looking to be sure there is nothing else bolted down and I can't find anything. I don't know if the head has ever been removed but it will not budge. I can lift the car trying to rock this thing back and forth! The crankshaft moves but it is not breaking anything free.

Any other suggestions? This is frustrating. The head is holding me up and preventing me from getting to the source of the problem. I want my Spit back on the road! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif
 
I've seen cars suspended in the air, solely by their unbolted heads! Unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice, not being an expert on such things, but I've been where you are and I know it's frustrating! I seem to recall when I removed my spits head I took the studs out first (not necessarily an easy task in itself) and then the head came away much easier. Have you taken the studs out?
 
If the studs are still in place, the head has to come absolutely straight up. Since you saw the rear of the head moving using the rope trick, I would suggest trying it again in #1 to break the front free. The idea is to put in enough rope that the starter cannot turn the engine all the way over (because the rope cannot be compressed). If the head is really stuck, it may be necessary to repeat the treatment multiple times, by turning the engine backwards as far as possible, then hitting the starter again.

Once it's loose at both front and rear, you may be able to lift it off by hand by first forcing it back down (to get parallel to the block again) and wiggling it up. But if not, you may have to work back and forth doing the rope trick in alternating cylinders. Either 1 and 4 or (probably better) 2 and 3.

I have actually suspended my TR3A by it's unbolted head ... and it wasn't even stuck ! But my hoist was apparently not pulling evenly and so the head bound on the studs. Disconnected the hoist, drove the head back down the studs with a mallet, then lifted it off by hand.
 
My friend just went through this with his Spitfire and the head WOULD NOT come off unless the studs were first removed.
 
I removed a head by carefully tapping a putty knife into the gasket on all four corners. Tap it in and let it rest a while, then tap some more. Wiggle the knife out and go to another corner. Eventually the gasket gave way. Like opening an oyster.
 
Remove the head studs...much less frustratiing in the long run. Soak them LIBERALLY for a day or so...double nut them and GENTLY wiggle them until they come out easily. Undoubtably some will be stubborn but persistence will pay off.

I've pulled three sidescreen engines apart recently and the heads literally fall off when the studs are out...
 
Ok I will pull off the head studs. I hadn't seen anything showing those needing to be removed so I hadn't tried it. I know there isn't anything else holding it down. I have pulled the water pump and alternator away to be sure it wasn't hooking it. Wow, that thing really is sealed!

Being a newbie to all of this I am in uncharted territory! I appreciate all of the help!
 
I recently took the head off an engine on an engine stand. I removed the studs, removed the rocker arm assembly, then lifted the head off the block with an engine hoist. It came right off. I attached the chain on the hoist to the head with bolts in the attachments for the rocker arm assembly.
 
The DPO of my car glued the head on with silicon rubber. THAT was hard to get off.
Now that you have the studs out, put the plugs back in and try spin the starter maybe the compression will pop it off. If not, continue gently tapping it from the sides with a wooden or rubber hammer. As a very much last resort, try sliding in the putty knife.
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif No kidding!

70herald said:
The DPO of my car glued the head on with silicon rubber. THAT was hard to get off.
Now that you have the studs out, put the plugs back in and try spin the starter maybe the compression will pop it off. If not, continue gently tapping it from the sides with a wooden or rubber hammer. As a very much last resort, try sliding in the putty knife.
Click to expand...

I tried that starter last night and it only slightly lifted up in the back. Amazing to me that they stay on like this! I used the block of wood trick too. The best was when I was leaning all of my weight on the 2X4 that was wedged under the head lip and using the tire as a pivot point. Thank goodness no one else was watching! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
guillotine.jpg


Great for removing heads.
 
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