Motor, Removing Stuck Banger Head, Inliner Head or Flathead Head

[Elrod]

So you've just got back from the swap meet where you've scored a set of Ardun heads ready to bolt on to that flatty, or you're an inliner 6 guy that found the elusive aluminum head for your ride, OR you've found an ultra rare 4 banger speed head that you can't go another minute without giving it a home on your rod. You strut around the house with this new prize held high over your head and your family thinking you're insane for buying another piece of car junk.

Just the piece you needed for cool, but the motor you're putting it on hasn't been opened up in quite some time. You know it's going to be a struggle getting that old cast iron head off.

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Here is a great home made way to pop the top on that L-Head motor and give it a new look and a faster life!

Step 1: Find some old spark plugs for that head that you don't plan on using anymore. DESTROY THEM! They are evil and stare at your woman too much anyways. Remove the centers and run some 6 inch long bolts up through them, threads on top. Make sure the bolt head doesn't slide through the spark plug, but is also small enough to go into the spark plug hole when you screw the spark plugs in. You might wanna go with some nice quality bolts here if this is a tool you are going to use a few times.

Now screw these into the head.

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Step 2: Using the head gasket you are going to put on the motor with your cool new heads (or the one you're replacing that's been blown for a while but knew it would suck to change..) Mark the location of the stud holes on a heavy plate of steel. I would go with at least 1/2 inch thick plate. Also, mark the holes for the SECOND and THIRD Spark plug. If you've got extra time, pinstripe the plate while you're at it for that extra touch of cool. Now, Drill the holes in the plate that line up with the studs and spark plugs.


Step 3: Slip the plate over the bolts sticking out of the hollowed out spark plug bodies. These bolts will have fallen down a little ways into the block, so lift these bolts up, snug to the spark plug and load them up with 8 or nine large flat fender washers. Now put the nut on top and tighten down until the bolt is above the nut a little bit.

Using more 6 inch long bolts that are no larger in diameter than the head studs, (they should be able to go through the head) Place them in the holes in the plate that line up with the studs in the block. Put the nuts under the plate, making "table legs" for the plate above the head.

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Step 4: Now, using a box wrench to hold the "table leg" nuts on the bottom of the plate, Use a socket to tighten the bolts on the plate. Make sure that your bolts are staying over the head studs and not slipping off, ruining the threads on the studs in the block. Also be careful not to damage the end threads on your "table leg" bolts, or they will be stuck to your plate, making storage of this new tool a little more awkward. Work around the plate keeping the plate generally level, or parallel with the deck of the block. The head should start moving up and away from the block! Soon this cast iron freak of nature will be out of the way! No longer will your flatty motor be like all the other kids on the block.

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Try to get the head as high as possible away from the block. This makes your life easier. I still had to stand over the engine compartment and lift straight up once I removed the plate. But once the head is off, you can inspect the engine, put down a new head gasket, and install that new speed head that will be the envy of all your friends!!

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(Credits go out to 4port and all the Model A guys who taught me creative ways to work on this junk!)

[Beach Bum]

Great post! That will save a lot of engines.

Have any of you guys heard of the "rope trick"? I've done this on OHV engines a couple of times. Pull the plugs, and the pushrods or the cam if it's an OHC motor. Spin the engine until two pistons are just starting the upstroke. Feed in some nylon rope through the spark plug hole of the two cylinders on the up stroke. Crank the engine over, as the pistons come up the nylon rope compresses and pushes the head up. If you need to, you can feed in more rope as whats already in there gets compressed. The rope is soft and won't damage the head, cylinder wall or piston. When I've done it I've cranked the engine by hand with a breaker bar on the nose of the crank but I know people who have used the strarter motor.

Kurt O.

[blackrat40]

I guess I'm guilty of some hillbilly mechanic'n
sometimes.
I have had some success before by loosening the
head bolts,wiring all 4/6 spark plugs together.
Add some carb starting spray(before replacing plugs),send spark to the plugs from the coil....
BAM!!! the head is broken loose.
Have a fire extinguisher handy if you're sloppy.

[Elrod]

Heh! Hope this helps a few people out there! I've pryed on my share of heads and this method works nicely.

I'm happy with the new change! The Thomas head feels like it's giving the coupe a little more "by the seat" HP. :D Still lots to iron out though and still need to add the dual carbs once I feel that I get the engine timing issues dialed in.

blackrat 40 - Whoa man. That sounds a little crazy!

[Digger_Dave]

Elrod; now to finish off the new head, ya need a set of new head studs.
ARP's maybe??
(and don't forget the "hardened washers")

[RopeSeals???]

That's a great tech trick, thanks!

On my buddies banger we removed all the nuts and cranked 'er up per the old timer's instructions :-)

Pow!!! It popped it off the block, but it was only cracked loose about an 1/8" and still had to pry it off the studs... Wasn't easy either... Would've been nice to have known about that puller jig.