I have to remove the left cylinder head (cast iron) on my 41. I have never worked on a flathead and there are no areas to grab the head except for the water outlet but I want to be careful with that. All bolts are removed and the head will not budge. Any tricks or ideas are appreciated. Thanks,

I read someware in a magazine that if you loosen all the bolts just a bit and start the engine so the compression may lift the head just enough for you to remove it.

Common sense made me thinnk of that, but I wanted to see if it had been done. Any other ideas? Thanks.

When you say you removed all the "bolts" do you mean the studs that go thru the head or just the nuts that screw onto these studs? If the studs are in place you might try using liberal amounts of Kroil around them to help dissolve the corrosion. This may take while. Tapping/jarring the cylinder head may also help. The studs can be very tight in the block and you do have to be careful not to snap them off if you try to remove them. Good luck

Most of the studs stayed in the block except for maybe four. I did squirt some WD-40 around the studs and packed it up yesterday. I know extreme caution should be taken when prying heads, etc. however the head gasket on these engines appears about twice the thickness as modern engines. As a last resort has anyone used a large screwdriver as a chisel to drive between the head and block to pry loose the head? Thanks.

If you remove the intake manifoled and look along the bottom of the top of the head you mighe see two indentations about 1 or 2 inches in length where you could put a screwdriver. Take your time and do not force things too much

WD-40 is pretty good stuff. I use it to clean the grease off my hands.

"KROIL" that Peecher mentioned is a lot better than WD-40 for loosening rusted things. KROIL is not available to the general public but can be purchased through The Eastwood Company. However, it's cheaper if you buy it directly from the manufacturer, Kano Laboratories. You'll need to use a company name to buy it from them.

Kano also has some stuff called "Sili Kroil" which contains silicone lubricant.

Do a Google on KROIL or go to www.kanolabs.com

ok, i hope u have them off by now...they are iron heads, iron block...go easy but get the hammer out..rap easy you will break them loose...no fellas, I know they can be damaged..but I have never broken any and I started doing this as a clumsy kid..
I like a thin "scraper" thin metal thing ..hammer inbetween head, block..It is a slow gradual process, relative to the
lenght of time they have been on..but..no big deal..
once it is a little loose.use the casting to jerk up /down..you will have to lift the firewall end too,once both are moving,wiggle wiggle wiggle up off the studs.a real pain in the .....no not that, the back.
I know some dissagree but I would have that head trued/planed to clean up mating surface (unless recently done)
Be sure to buy new issue felpro head gasket..with better larger hole..(search sub on this forum)
good luck..(hope your back is strong) have fun, remember
this is supposed to be fun!!

Phil, There must be some "local" ban on Kroil? It's available in the parts stores up here in Washington State.

I don't know how they get around the warning on the can that states: "For industrial use only".

Eastwood sells Kroil (for a substantially marked up price) to anybody with a credit card! I haven't seen Kroil for sale anywhere here in Texas and of course it's illegal to be sold in California (what isn't?)

I like "Sili Kroil" because of the added silicone lubricant. I used it to free up a very rusted pair of pliers a tenant left behind in our rental house. It worked great!

Interesting - I can buy both Aero Kroil and Sili Kroil at the parts store in Dana Point.

Norm

Paul

When I remove a head from an old engine I start with a stiff blade putty knife. I drive it between the head and block in several places. This will start pulling the gasket apart. Then I step up to a small nail puller/pry bar that has a very thin flat end a little thicker than the putty knife. Tap it in a couple of places and the head will pop loose.

CAUTION WHEN USING WD-40

It is a poison which can enter the body through the skin, as well as through breathing and ingesting. It should not be used as a hand degreaser, and it should only be used in a well-ventilated area.

Ron

Went out driving one night on a clear stretch of highway in a V-12 Buick. Stupid, of course, as I hadn't yet reached the age for a license. But I wasn't about to pass on my friend's offer to get behind the wheel of his car.

And mile after mile, with his encouragement, I kept the pedal buried to the floor. Each mile the speedometer read higher than the mile before. If we hadn't had a near miss on the only slight curve in that road, we might have topped it out in ten or more miles. I don't know, it just kept climbing.

But it is still the fastest land speed I've traveled, even though I didn't bury the needle. For those fortunate few who have them, you know what that means.