P79 Head Stuck to Block, Please Help!

[NMcKe97]

Hey everyone, this is my first time posting here on the forums.

I've poked around and read on here and a few other sites for a couple of years now and have finally gotten around to making an account. Majority of my problems I've been able to solve either by reading on here or in one of the manuals but I've come across a bit of problem.

I own a 1981 280zx 2+2gl N/A 5spd, over this last weekend I started tearing the top end of my engine apart to have head work done. I have the car torn down at a friends house and his dad is really wanting the car gone so I need to hurry up, figure it out, and wrap it up, please help me! I have no prior experience with cars or mechanical work so this is all new to me and I'm still learning a lot, please forgive me for any ignorance or lack of knowledge/understanding, I really appreciate any and all of the help you guys have to offer and look forward to your recommendations and responses!

I've gotten everything torn down to just the head now, my problem is I can't remove the head. It is sealed tight to the block. I've removed all 14 of the head studs and the 2 small front cover bolts. There is nothing that could be holding it on, I've given it a once over a million times and a half to make sure I wasn't missing something and throwing the towel in for nothing. The last head stud to come out broke in the block on the driver side in the middle of the engine, about a cm or so was left sticking above the thread. From what I've read this shouldn't stop the head from coming up and out so I'm under the impression there must be something creating a really tight seal on the head gasket. I'm guessing it's either rust and corrosion, fusion from overheating, or the K-Seal copper head gasket leak stop I had sadly used, probably the latter.

So far I've tried wailing on all sides of it with a rubber mallet, pulling, pushing, and yanking with all my might stopping just before I give myself a hernia lol, and soaking all the edges and head stud holes in PB Blaster and WD-40 Penetrating Oil.

I've read a number of articles so far recommending a variation of ideas and would really appreciate any and all of your guys input, advice, feedback, and help. Please share this with anyone you might know who can help. So far I've seen the following recommendations; use a few wood wedges in between the block and head to slowly and evenly pry the head off (what type of wood? how wide, tall, long, and thick? what degree of angle?), use a screwdriver and slide it in between the block and head to pry it off (could lead to potential head damage), use a 2x4 on the sides and hit it with a big ol' hammer, use a propane torch to heat up the area the broken stud is and also areas suspected of corrosion/fusion (could lead to warping or other problems if i'm not mistaken), use a long pry bar or pole in one of the intake runners on the head (could bend/damage the head because it's aluminum), stuff a bunch of rope into piston 1 and 6 then turn the engine over and use the cylinder head and rope to push the head off (I don't know the first thing about timing so this option makes me really nervous, I don't want to move the pistons without the cam sprocket and timing chain connected because I wouldn't know how to re time it or where to begin), use a high pressure compressor on the spark plug hole (I don't have access to a compressor), or use a engine hoist/lift attached to the head and bounce it tell the head comes off of the bottom end (I don't have a hoist/lift and have jack all for money so renting one isn't an option).

A number of those ideas leave me very weary about the damages or problems that could follow and the other ones I feel incapable of acquiring/doing or simply feel it wont cut it, I will probably be trying a number of the above ideas anyways throughout the week and following weekend none the less. If any of you have recommendations, comments, or ideas please feel free to drop a reply, PM me, or shoot me an email, any and everything helps, I would really appreciate it, thanks guys! Also if any of you are in the San Diego area and open to giving a fellow z enthusiast a hand please let me know, I can buy you some beers and food for your time or whatever's clever. Again I can't express enough how much I appreciate any and all of your guys help, thanks in advance for your time and help! - Noah M

(Word block dissected by Zed Head)

Edited July 26, 2017 by NMcKe97

[gwri8]

My experience along with a lot of good advice posted here..  

 

[S30Driver]

Noah, welcome to the site.

Usually in your case, assuming you are correct and all fasteners are removed, the leverage from a long bar in the head ports & the rubber mallet method works well.

When all else fails, some have used a engine hoist to lift the head off the block.  the cars weight will overcome the stiction of the head & block.

Patience is the key...   best of luck.

[Diseazd]

Stiction?? 

Edited July 24, 2017 by Diseazd

[Zed Head]

44 minutes ago, NMcKe97 said:

Hey everyone, this is my first time posting here on the forums.

I've poked around and read on here and a few other sites for a couple of years now and have finally gotten around to making an account. Majority of my problems I've been able to solve either by reading on here or in one of the manuals but I've come across a bit of problem.

I own a 1981 280zx 2+2gl N/A 5spd, over this last weekend I started tearing the top end of my engine apart to have head work done. I have the car torn down at a friends house and his dad is really wanting the car gone so I need to hurry up, figure it out, and wrap it up, please help me! I have no prior experience with cars or mechanical work so this is all new to me and I'm still learning a lot, please forgive me for any ignorance or lack of knowledge/understanding, I really appreciate any and all of the help you guys have to offer and look forward to your recommendations and responses! I've gotten everything torn down to just the head now,

my problem is I can't remove the head. It is sealed tight to the block. I've removed all 12 of the head studs and the 2 small front cover bolts. There is nothing that could be holding it on, I've given it a once over a million times and a half to make sure I wasn't missing something and throwing the towel in for nothing. The last head stud to come out broke in the block on the driver side in the middle of the engine, about a cm or so was left sticking above the thread. From what I've read this shouldn't stop the head from coming up and out so I'm under the impression there must be something creating a really tight seal on the head gasket. I'm guessing it's either rust and corrosion, fusion from overheating, or the K-Seal copper head gasket leak stop I had sadly used, probably the latter. 

So far I've tried wailing on all sides of it with a rubber mallet, pulling, pushing, and yanking with all my might stopping just before I give myself a hernia lol, and soaking all the edges and head stud holes in PB Blaster and WD-40 Penetrating Oil. I've read a number of articles so far recommending a variation of ideas and would really appreciate any and all of your guys input, advice, feedback, and help. Please share this with anyone you might know who can help. So far I've seen the following recommendations; use a few wood wedges in between the block and head to slowly and evenly pry the head off (what type of wood? how wide, tall, long, and thick? what degree of angle?), use a screwdriver and slide it in between the block and head to pry it off (could lead to potential head damage), use a 2x4 on the sides and hit it with a big ol' hammer, use a propane torch to heat up the area the broken stud is and also areas suspected of corrosion/fusion (could lead to warping or other problems if i'm not mistaken), use a long pry bar or pole in one of the intake runners on the head (could bend/damage the head because it's aluminum), stuff a bunch of rope into piston 1 and 6 then turn the engine over and use the cylinder head and rope to push the head off (I don't know the first thing about timing so this option makes me really nervous,

I don't want to move the pistons without the cam sprocket and timing chain connected because I wouldn't know how to re time it or where to begin), use a high pressure compressor on the spark plug hole (I don't have access to a compressor), or use a engine hoist/lift attached to the head and bounce it tell the head comes off of the bottom end (I don't have a hoist/lift and have jack all for money so renting one isn't an option).  A number of those ideas leave me very weary about the damages or problems that could follow and the other ones I feel incapable of acquiring/doing or simply feel it wont cut it, I will probably be trying a number of the above ideas anyways throughout the week and following weekend none the less. If any of you have recommendations, comments, or ideas please feel free to drop a reply, PM me, or shoot me an email, any and everything helps, I would really appreciate it, thanks guys! Also if any of you are in the San Diego area and open to giving a fellow z enthusiast a hand please let me know, I can buy you some beers and food for your time or whatever's clever. Again I can't express enough how much I appreciate any and all of your guys help, thanks in advance for your time and help! - Noah M

I broke your wordblock in to edible chunks.

Is there any gap at all, anywhere?  We need a visual.

The head bolt that broke might be rusted in place.  Is it rusty?  If it is, you might have to spend a lot of time rocking the head back and forth around that broken piece, until  the rust breaks up.  I had that problem and just had to rock it back and forth and stick wedges and things in to the gaps to get it to work up off of the broken piece.

 

[siteunseen]

Some type of a chain hoist/come along from a ceiling rafter or an engine hoist around the cam. Little pressure today, little more tomorrow.  I've used a floor jack and a 2x4 to push up from the bottom too. If you can get it to break somewhere a flat nail puller or a stiff putty knife will work. Just remember the block is steel the head aluminum so work off the block if and when you can.

[NMcKe97]

Thanks gwri8 for the link, your post and the 3 pages that followed had a lot of good advice and info. Looks like I've got a good chunk of work cut out for me.

Thank you s30driver for the welcome and reassurance in my game plan, I guess if i can't pry it off I'll have to get some money together for a hoist. 

Haha I thought the same thing diseazd when i saw that but it's actually a real word, I had to look it up after i saw it lol.

sorry zed head I'll work on my forum posts and try to make them a bit more edible for your eyes. As of right now there is no gap whatsoever and pretty much no movement between the block and head. The broken bolt is definitely rusted in there, every bolt I pulled out was corroded, rusted, and pitted. Im on my way to my friends house now to work on it so ill grab pictures and video then.

Thanks a lot for the advice so far guys, I really appreciate it, please keep it coming! - Noah M

Edited July 25, 2017 by NMcKe97

[NMcKe97]

Thank you very much for the advice siteunseen, I read a handful of your replies on other posts and found them to be very informational! It sounds like I might have to bite the bullet and get a hoist after all. I'll keep soaking it in PB blaster and wd-40 penetrating oil as well as beating the head with a rubber mallet like I'm a mad man playing whack a mole. Ill give the 2x4 a shot also, where do you position it? From what i read it's best placed on the back drivers side of cylinder 6, does this sound correct? Thank you again everyone, i cant express enough my appreciation for your time and knowledge! - Noah M

[Diseazd]

38 minutes ago, NMcKe97 said:

 

Haha I thought the same thing diseazd when i saw that but it's actually a real word, I had to look it up after i saw it lol.

 

I'm impressed.......it is a word!

[siteunseen]

There's some square "knobs" on both sides of the head I believe.  Something else I thought of, a ractchet strap around the cam and a rafter would work too. A little pressure today a little more tomorrow and so on. It'll crack loose soon enough.

Good luck and we'll be all over it if you need help, that's a common problem. 

[gwri8]

After I had tried all the suggestions, the "final solution" was to use a crow bar and a block of wood on the driver side where the PCV tube comes out of the block.  There is a lip of the head that hangs over a little over that ledge on the engine block.  I put the block of wood underneath the lip of the head and used the Ledge on the engine block for leverage. Do not lever off the tube to do this, just the part of the eng. block sticking out.  Use slow steady pressure while pushing down on the crowbar. When it lifted a little, I stuck some plastic wedges used for tile from Home Depot to hold it .Maybe it was a combination of everything else but that is when actual separation happened.

[siteunseen]

Those plastic wedges can be found in the plumbing department as "toilet bowl levelers" I've used them a couple of times laying tile and prying heads off.