Technical Pull head on SBC without removing intake manifold?

Done it many times...on my flathead.

Interesting subject. Waiting for someone to say they pulled both heads, still connected to the intake.

 

Most obvious reason is that the intake manifold surface is not square to the deck, so in lifting the intake surfaces crash as you lift up

 

I can't believe I stumbled onto this thread.....

 

MOTORS MANUAL- priceless reference material !!!!
I've been re reading my copy of "how to rebuild..." since about 1978 or so.
https://www.abebooks.com/Rebuild-Sm...Kg1aeJaWjFNTpVSCiAOyzQTDtlkIjeeQaAqwkEALw_wcB

 

I'm willing to bet that with the pins being towards the outside of the heads that the head could be wedged out of there. But as has been said on this site many times, "Just because you can doesn't always mean that you should".

 

And if you're going to replace a head gasket, do yourself a favor and replace both of them! Considering the amount of work it takes to get to one head, it's always best to go ahead and do both. And if I have any questions about the condition of the heads I always have them checked, and gone through at this time.
Nothing worse than changing head gaskets only to discover the head has a crack later!

 

The days of " having the heads gone through" are just about over with , not only is it not cost effective any longer , but there's so much performance to be gained using modern heads , reusing old heads is hardly worth it , but that's just the practical side !

 

Id like to add to this to provide some context , pulling one head was done on relatively new vehicles , in about 1970 ,on 400" small blocks where leaking head gaskets were a huge problem. Chev was only paying for one side & only with steel shim gaskets .......We new they'd be coming back , and most did !

 

Have to ask. We're you guy's sinking dowel pins flush so head could be slid back into position?

 

The center head as I've always heard it called

 

You loosen the intake. It only has to raise about 1/4" , slip a wedge between the China wall & the manifold , intake gaskets were not usually stuck , lift the bottom of the head & slip it head out , cut off the ends of the China wall seals. Set the new head gasket on the dowels , tape a couple strips of 20ga. Steel over the head gasket to keep from gouging it when you slip the head in place , set the head , pull out the strips , get a bit if #2 permatex in where the intake /head/China wall meet , slip in a new intake gasket ( if the old one was damaged) pull out the intake wedges & tighten things up ! The ones that came back were generally block failures ,( porosity) , not because of the assembly methods . It wasn't all that complicated , especially after the first one . As you may recall , the muscle car warranty claims around that time period were bleeding the carmakers dry , they stipulated what corners to cut & how much they'd pay . If one lifter rattled , you replaced one lifter , if you had to pull a timing cover , you did it with the pan in place , if a clutch slipped , you replaced the friction disc , if one rod knocked , you put in one bearing , you get the idea . I did what I was told & fed my family ,like it or not

 

I have done it on Ford FEs so I did not have to fight that intake.

 

If your limited exp. has more than one red flag in front of you, I would recommend you find someone to look over your shoulder and make sure there aren't mistakes before you try to fire it. I haven't seen an answer to squirrel's question about whether you had one or multiple cylinders down on compression. If this was mine, I would get a leakdown meter and check each cylinder at top dead center on firing stroke. You will be able to hear where the air is escaping and maybe keep you from making a mistake in diagnosis.

 

I disagree personally. I had two sets gone through last year. Everything new, top to bottom including new iron guides, new hardened seats, all new stainless valves, all new high lift springs, surfacing, 3 angle grind, and new steel roller tip rockers with locking nuts. They were under $600 for each pair.
I can't buy aftermarket heads, and finish them, nor buy good aftermarket heads already built and complete for anywhere near the prices my local machine shop charges.

 

You sir , have a very affordable machine shop , around here. That would be per head ...

 

All four were down, which seemed odd because I'd think only two would be down at the most. The only reason I could think of for all four to be down would have been if the head was loose, but that wasn't the case. Since I couldn't think of anything else I figured I'd just pull the head and see what was what. I'll keep you guys posted, I hate when someone asks a question and gets all sorts of advice but never lets everyone know how things worked out.

 

Do both heads have the same casting number?

 

Yes you can I have done it before. I forgot to unplug the HEI once and was bumping it over with the head off to clean up the gasket surface and the thing fired up. Looked weird running with one head off.
Flat rate mechanics will try about anything to beat the book.

 

I’m trying to replace the tires on my car without removing the wheels .... what the hell,
Oh never mind

 

Not an issue on the old wood spoke wheels that came on my Dodge

 

If the vehicle wasn't off top in the video where my nephew swaps out 165 15's on a set of Centerline's while still mounted on the car I'd post it.

 

Sorry , not looking to hi jack the thread, just learn- until reading thru here, I'd never heard the expression/term-"china wall". Can some one walk me thru this? ( origin, description) Thanks in advance!!

 

The front and rear of the block, in between the heads. Cant help with origin though. With Chevy V8 engines it’s a common place for the gasket to squirt out and leak, so a 3/16in or so bead of sealer is used instead of the gasket before setting the intake down.

 

...I had never heard the term either, but I assume it's the little front and back gasket area of the block, the little portion that looks like a small China wall where the intake seals up.

 

Budget36 types faster than me.

 

Well, I work nights and just got in an hour or so ago, so I’m winding down and you’re waking up

 

Been done thousands of times. Just did 2 on my Ford tractor that way

 

I had better luck removing the head with the exhaust manifold still attached that I did with not removing the intake.

 

Exactly! Don't cut corners especially on sensitive, machined parts..

 

My grandpa was known to do it, but I would not try it, nor recommend it.