ok gear heads i have a question: I have a 1966 cadillac 429 engine on a motor stand and its almost taken all apart (im a newb but im going to learn to rebuild an engine) anyway i got the p***enger side cylinder head off BUT the driver side head will not budge!!! ive beat it with a heavy rubber hammer ive soaked it in penetrating fluid and tried again, there really isn't anywhere to pry it either. and to get in between the block and the head impossible i couldn't even hammer a putty knife in there. super new to building an engine long time hamber... help me out ? thanks in advance
Double check that all bolts are removed, count holes in head that is off, compare to be sure, loosely install two bolts in stuck head to keep it from falling off, insert pry bar in one of the ports, bump other end of bar with palm of hand.
My dad used to tell a story about when he was younger, he had an old Gardner automobile that needed a valve job. It was a flathead, and he could not get the head off. Finally, in desperation., he broke the head up with a BFH and a chisel. He said the head came off in several pieces, all except the one with the bolt in it.
A six way painters tool helps on this issue. Loose install two head bolts. Take a normal hammer and drive the painters tool in between the block and head. Much stronger than a regular putty knife.
Yeah, I think he missed a couple..... It happens... I remember my first greazy dis***embly project...
I checked about 50 tomes to make sure all the bolts were off, the driver side came off (relatively) easy. All the bolts are out ... i I've also tries a pry bar in the intake that Mother F'er diddnt even budge.
Ok, scratch that! How about posting some pictures of what's going on.... Do you have any brackets bolted on the front of the motor????
Have you tried counting the bolt holes on a gasket or the head that you have off and then counting the holes you removed bolts from? Any chance the previous mechanic (?) used glue by mistake instead of gasket sealant? Charlie Stephens
How long was your bar? Get a BFF, give him a 3' crow bar in the exhaust port. You go with another 3' bar in an intake port. You lift up, he pushes down. Then you push down and he lifts up. If you don't have a BFF, hook the cherry picker chain from a center exhaust bolt hole to a center intake bolt hole. jack vines
The BFH approach scares me, there is something wrong, it shouldn't be that hard. Have you had anyone else look at the project? Charlie Stephens
I would carefully wedge a sharp chisel in the middle of the head gasket layers, down on one end. That will help reduce the possibility of gouging the surfaces. Then tap it farther in between the head and deck. If that won't do it, go count those head bolts again.
Can't imagine ..Where did you get this thing, out of a creek? Pee Wee Herman could probably get this thing loose with a breaker bar in a port and a cheater bar on it. Let's see pictures.....
If the flywheel and starter are still there you might put the spark plugs back in and turn it over with the starter. I have "blown" stuck heads off. As others said, put a few loose bolts in to keep it from falling off.
First count the bolts. Then use some of the suggestions above. I think I've told this story before but: Back in the '60s I was working in my Dad's salvage when a guy came in for a 235 chevy head. His was 'cracked'. When he carried it in it was in two pieces! Broken right through that one bolt in the center of the head that's hidden by the rocker arm shaft. Bet you can guess the rest of the story.
The engine turns freely and looks good ! no rust i turn the flywheel and eveything turns nicely ive heard stories about this, seen a video of a guy that lifted his whole car with a chain on the head. anymore ideas ? thanks for the reply's yall !!
I was going to mention this, but really hard to follow the breaker bar with cheater. If you're going to try this, take off the rocker shaft and then squirt some oil in the cylinders before putting plugs back in . Hook the starter jumpers to a running car. If this doesn't work...maybe a jack hammer?
That's not the original head, so we know it's been off before. Maybe the last guy installed the gasket with CopperKote. Did you try the sharp chisel like I said? Do the rockershaft bolts go into the head or the block (unlikely)?
I had the same problem on my 312 Y-Block a few months ago. I ended up getting a chisel/prybar and slowly and carefully hammering it between the block in cylinder head, trying to minimize any possible damage. Eventually it did free up and break loose from the cylinder head.
Turn the whole ***embly upside down over your foot and look away for a split second...that head will simply fall off at that point. Chappy.
You might want to try this. Gentlty drive in a thin putty knife/gasket s****er with a beveled edge about 3/8 - 1/2" between the head and block. Get some wooden clothes pins, drive the wedges above and below the putty knife, pull out the s****er, add wedges and drive them in a little at a time along top and bottom of the head. for a little more force, stuff some small rope in the spark holes with the pistons coming up, turn the crankshaft and tap in wedges. Works with flat heads and model a's
There are only 10 bolts and they are in 2 lines of 5 so it would be difficult to miss one. Push some rope into the front or rear spark plug hole, install a couple of head bolts and turn the motor over by hand. The piston should compress the rope and push the head up.
I like that, but use two holes at either end so it comes up evenly. If it has those hollow dowels, Kroil those up for a few days too.
The Jalopy Journal
