Help me get my head off.

[Nads]

Man, I've loosened the bolts on this 283 SBC and that damned head's not budging. Tips please. Also it's 100% sludge city inside this engine, it's really bad. This might end up being a total rebuild, we'll see. At least SBC Chevy parts are cheap, thank God.
Also how do you remove the giant breather looking cartridge thingy at the back of the engine?
Also there it doesn't have an internal sheet metal cover under the intake manifiold, do old 283s have those things?
I think it's a windage tray of some sort.

Thanks.

[Cannibal]

A really big hammer.
And some brass chisels.
Hey did you ever get those clutch head drivers?

[Nads]

No Sir John, I did not. I went to Late Great Chevy, they're back ordered for infinity. If'n you wanna let me borrow your set for a spell I'd be really thankful.
My BFH is at home, I guess I'll bring to work tomorrow.

[Fat Hack]

First off, make sure ALL the bolts are out completely. Then, try a sharp, direct rap on the front of the head (facing forward, the front of the engine) with a rubber mallet.

Also, the wooden handle of a regular hammer can be slipped into the ports (intake and/or exhaust( and you can apply some leverage to it.

If those things don't work...try rotating the engine until one piston is at BDC and then feeding small diameter rope into that cylinder. Crank the engine over with a breaker bar, or have a friend do it while you try the two things I mentioned first. It'll pop off for ya!

[Bruce Lancaster]

Take a deep breath and count to 17...
Did you loosen 17 bolts? There are two down in deep pits of sludge under the valve covers and a whole row partly hidden by exhaust manifolds and charred crud.
That's 17 on each side of course...

[leadsled]

Something like this happened to me with a chevy intake. What I did was lift the engine up by the unbolted intake about an inch off the ground. I came in the next morning to work and the bitch was off. I am not sure if it broke loose 5 minutes after I left or 5 minutes before I got there. Tim

[porknbeaner]

Tim,
The intake gnomes slipped in when you were asleep. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I never tried it that way but I guess it would work.

Nads first do what Bruce said, then do what Hack said (Hack you need to slow down a little you keep posting the answers before I even read the questions. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

I'm probably mistaken but I don't recall a small block Chevy ever having a lifter valley pan under the intake. That is waht you were talking about isn't it?

The canaster thingy you were talking about is for the road draft tube, right? On the back of the block? If it doesn't have a bolt running through the center it is probably pressed in. Two things to check.

Now if I'm wrong disreguard everything I just said.

[Andy]

The breather thing in the vally has a strap and a bolt thru it going down to the main oil gally Just wiggle it and it comes off.
I used to have a picture of a head someone took off without removing the bolts under the exhaust manifold. Yes, that part of the head was still on the block. BFH I guess.
The old engines had a baffle riveted to the bottom of the intake to keep oil from burning on the heat riser.

[chopolds]

Nads, the cartridge thing is the oil baffle for the breather hole in back of the block. Usually connected to the road draft tube. I think later years may also have used it for a crude form of PCV valve.
To support the others, you probably have a couple head bolts hidden in the sludge. Don't try prying it too hard til you know you've got'em all.
Or else we'll need a tech post on welding cast iron!

[Flatdog]

Use a cut mopar torsin bar in intake port .Works even if you miss a bolt.

[Nads]

17 bolts huh?
I'll count 'em tomorrow.
Fat Hack, the rope trick sounds like a great idea.
You guys are all amazing.

[choprods]

Nads- be sure to remove the tin pan on bottom of intake- whether you overhaul or not...it will be full of crud!take a small chisel and tap on the rivets holding till loos- then grab em with a small pair of vice grips and remove- clean it up and hammer the rivets back in place to hold it there.

[burndup]

Just recently, on the head who's gasket wasn't blown, I had a bitch of a time removing said head as well..

first, I did the rubber mallett handle into the intake port trick.

Snapped the fuckaging handle cleanly in half.

Then, i got my other rubber mallett, and sacrificed one of my exhaust manifold bolts and screwed it into the intake manifold bolt hole... (they're both 3/8 16)

pounded the shit outta that in an upward motion... till it bent... pounded the front of the head with the mallet Ala Hack, and then inserted the second handle into the intake port, told the cylender head what I was gonna do with its mother, and pulled, the damn thing came up at that point.

My engine didn't have ANY sludge... those type-R stickers DO work! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[atch]

one more thing to try:

break apart an old spark plug. drill down through the part that still has the threads and weld a grease fitting (zerk) into it. run one of the pistons to tdc with both valves closed. screw in the home made grease "inserter". start pumping grease into that cylinder. a hand held grease gun generates a LOT of psi.

this old trick is normally used to turn over a stuck engine, but i think it would work equally well for lifting a head off of the block.

[swissmike]

Nads, I have a pretty good book on how to rebuild SBCs. Tons of info how to check everything out with critical measurements etc.
I must have bought that thing more than 10 years before I ever owend a car. Haven't owend a gm product so far...
I will bring it over Saturday.
Mike

[Nads]

Cool beans Mike, bring it on over pal.
Well I'm a bonafide fucking idiot.
There were indeed 2 more bolts secretly hiding underneath the sludge. Once they were removed the head came off quicker than Marie Antoinette's.
Looking inside the bores there doesn't seem to be much of a ridge, but I think as long as I'm going for it I'll go the next size overbore.
There's no evidence that this engine's ever been apart and there's plenty of evidence that it didn't see too many oil changes either.
I can't wait for some V8 power in that sluggish wagon.

[Cannibal]

Can you say dumshit??

What time do you get home tonight (Friday)
Are you stoppin at Mikes?
Let me know, I can run you those clutch head drivers.
I also have a flexible long board if you still need it for your big contours.
Call me Cell# 407-810-4362

[Nads]

John, I tried your cell, no go.
I'm going by Mike's after work to drop off some posters. No urgency on that stuff, if'n you're in the neighborhood, fine, otherwise no worries mate.