HELP - Head won't budge

[Galaxybj]

Don't know if any of you have experienced this, but I have a head that refuses to part company with the block. I have tried pushing up from the bottom side on the drivers side where the head extends past the block with a 2x2 and a hydraulic jack. I have jacked until the front tire was off the ground. I have tried from the top side with a 4x4 resting on the shock towers with a 2T hydraulic jack on top of it with a chain connected to the two engine lift brackets and have raised it until the cam was at the bottom of the 4x4. It will not come loose.

Arne has suggested trying a cherry picker to lift the engine by the head and drop it then suddenly closing the valve on the cherry picker before the engine hits bottom. I haven't tried that yet as the weather is quite cold and I'll have to move the car out of the garage to accomplish that.

What I am looking for now are any other ideas that may be out there to get the head off.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Bill:

You do have all the spark plugs out - right - and you are sure you have all the head bolts out.... da....

OK - put a 2x4 against the upper part of the head (2" side against the head) - where the top of the intake/exhaust ports are - in front first and then in the rear - SMACK the 2x4 with a heavy brass hammer - repeat if necessary - and use serious force .... Just like an impact wrench - Dynamic Force will break the seal between the head gasket and the head/block (or it will tear the gasket itself).

As you have already found out - it's a strong bond - so applying slow force - just won't do. I don't know if you remember Rich Bluder from where you were here or not - but the first time I saw him use that technique, I thought he'd simply lost it.... he said that was part of the Factory Training... I'm sure he was just kidding... but it worked like a charm and no damage to the head... Sometimes you just have to man handle it I guess.

FWIW,

Carl

[76Datsun280z]

When we took out the l24 which came in my 280z, we had the same problem as you, and hitting it with a rubber mallet got it loosend up to the point where you could lift it off. Probably not the correct way to do it, but it worked.

[geezer]

Hi Bill - You gotta be getting frustrated by now. I have had varying degrees of success in similar situations. Depending on how much space you have to work in and taking care not to damage anything else, you might want to try this. Like Arne suggested you will need some solid brackets mounted to the head. By using a very heavy length of chain fastened evenly from the brackets and using a whipping motion you can apply a great deal of upward impact force. Might be tough with the hood on. You can run the chain over a support so you don't have to be directly over the head. We use to use this method for removing stubborn axles and many other times where a good jolt works better than just steady pressure.

[Arne]

Remember that (according to his other thread) the head has the remains of a badly corroded head bolt still in it, and I believe that the corrosion on the bolt is very firmly wedged in the bolt passage in the head. The impact methods suggested may help, but I still think vertical forces will be necessary to break this free.

[geezer]

I agree. It has to come off straight up and as square as possible. That is why I suggested a chain whip. When the chain applies the upward impact it is straight up. Like Carl said a little manhandling cant hurt either as long as the impact is spread along the length of the 2x4. It just might help loosen it. Wish I was there to take a crack at it. No pun intended.

[zeiss150]

When I rebuilt my L24 I had a real problem getting the head off because 3 of the head bolts were rusted and broke off half way into the head. What finally worked was to use wood wedges. the Aluminum is stronger than the wood so you wont damage the head but the wood will be strong enough to break the rust seal around the bolts. It took me several hours of wedging and prying, wedging and prying. the deeper i got into the head the more wedges i would "stack" I think the head was about 2 inches off the block before the "rust seal" finally broke and I was able to lift the head off. make sure you wedge both sides equally.

good luck

Matt-

[chris b]

Don't forget to undo the two little locating bolts (not head Studs)at the very front. I know it sounds obvious but they are easy to overlook.

Cheers Chris

[Galaxybj]

All bolts are out, including the two little ones on the front of the head.

Maybe I ought sell opportunities for swings at it - the one that busts it loose gets the pot, money that is ; - )

I'll be getting out my two by four and getting the big hammer out. Have to even try the wood wedges too Matt.

I really appreciate the suggestions - one has to work.