cylinder head removal

[zakstag]

Hi all, new to the forum and seeking advice - conflicting messages given to date.
Had my 76 Auto Carmine Red for a couple of years and recently changed the water pump to cure a persistent leakage problem. After a short period of running, got a horrid-sounding knocking from the LH cylinder bank. Followed the instructions in the books to remove cylinder head, but though all bolts came out OK, the studs are stuck firm. I've broken a stud extractor on one, shredded the threads by trying to double-nut another. Different advice received include to chisel the head off, weld on nuts to each stud (and accept they'll shear), suspend the engine/ head from a hoist overnight, and to use the all-American "rope trick." I understand however, that there's a special tool which can be used, which clamps into the inlet ports and into the exhaust ports with manifold removed and then uses "unbreakable" bolts to line up with and push against the cylinder head studs. Does anyone know where I can hire, beg or borrow one of these to get the heads off? I'm based in South Cheshire but can travel to pick one up and drop it off if necessary. Alternatively, has anyone seen any plans to fabricate one up accurately enough not to damage anything else?
As an aside, I've heard that copper grease on refit actually catalyses the alu-steel galvanic corrosion? Thanks for any advice gratefully received.

[wakaday]

Zak.
They will come off. Honestly.
Try the nut welded to the stud but let it cool for a good while before you try and move and spray it with a good penetrating oil as well.
I have only ever had one really bad stud that I had to have drilled out at a machine shop. I had to take the engine to them to do it though.
Sometimes the longest route is the quickest so prepare yourself for removing the Engine.

I can't comment on the copa slip on the studs but I have always done it and found that heads I have removed have been easier when its been done.
I always fit an earth strap between each head and the body as well.

[Bryan]

Zak, have had to give mine up to a garage who have had to remove the engine to knock the heads off through a cylinder barrel. I tried for over a week to get mine off and the garage tried various methods evenetually resorting to removing the engine. I hope your heads do eventually release themselves. Perhaps patience is required which i am short of.

[Tinweevil]

Have you tried compression?  Take all the plugs out on the good side, leave 'em in on the bad side and crank it over on the starter.  At the risk of stating the obvious, make sure your ignition and fuel pump are disconnected first.  Might help things along a bit.

Tinweevil

[wakaday]

You can go one further by removing the camshaft and chain gear and spinning it over but that will only break the seal.

[Deleted User]

The "accepted" method by my Triumph Garage ...Markich Motors (which has done a lot (50-100+)  of Stag engine rebuilds) is to attach custom jig in place of the exhaust manifold and use a hydraulic jack between the block and the head to get the head to budge maybe 50-60 thou. (having removed as many studs as possible)
The offending stuck studs are then cut off by hand with a hacksaw blade between the head and the block. The remaining stud in the block can be removed by welding on a nut. The studs in the head are removed using a pnuematic drift/hammer.

After many years of practice David Markich can now do this with the engine in the car but for many years before the jig was refined it was an engine out job

[Deleted User]

BTW he has never been defeated......

Unlike my adventure with V12 jaguar cylinder heads which make a Stag head removal look like pulling baby teeth... (I failed!!)