140 head removal help

[91blaze]

In trying to disassemble my 140 donor engine I am having much trouble removing one of the heads. All nuts have been removed including the rocker studs, but left the head studs in place. I have used liberal amounts of penetrating fluid and pried using a crowbar, hammers, and even a bottle jack per Brad's suggestion. I have also tried using a pipe between the head and case, but the head still won't budge and I'm running out of ideas. Anybody gone through the same problem and have any suggestions? I'm about ready to take a sledgehammer to this thing so please help before I go mad

[bbodie52]

A unique problem deserves an imaginative recipe for success...

Part one:

Will the three cylinder barrels pull out of the cases? This would leave the pistons and connecting rods hanging from the cylinder barrel openings in the engine cases, and the three cylinder barrels embedded in the removed cylinder head.

Part two:

The aluminum head expands when exposed to heat at a greater rate than the steel cylinder barrels. Perhaps you can insert one head with the three stuck cylinder barrels in the oven and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or so, until done. The differences in metal expansion may permit the heated cylinder barrels to be carefully separated from the aluminum head. A rubber mallet may help.

Careful... don't burn yourself

[Jerry Whitt]

If the donor engine still has some sheet metal, there are some bolts in hidden areas that will make removal a headache.

The most likely problem is some bolts that were missed.

Get a good flash light, and go over the head and look very closely.

It might be possible to remove a head, with a cylinder barrel stuck to it. Still would not take that much force. Likely a missed bolt.

[91blaze]

Nope, head won't budge and neither will the cylinders from the case. I've done what I can today, I've got all day tomorrow to mess with it. I will update what happens then.

[bbodie52]

I think Jerry must have it right. If some of the sheet metal is still in place there has to be some bolts holding it all together. I cannot imagine anything that would anchor the base of the cylinder barrels to the aluminum cases. They should just slide out!

Which side is stuck? You don't still have the oil cooler bolted to the head, do you?

[flat6_musik]

Also, don't forget that the head studs can accumulate years of leaked oil (which turns to a block of carbon) and doesn't allow anything to slide over and past it. On one old 140 I had in my backyard (and it was OUT of the car!) it took hours and hours to scrape off the head studs' hard carbon to allow the heads and cylinders to slide off.

[60vair]

cyl jugs will rust to cyl head making head removal a bear. keep soaking with penetrating oil on both ends of jugs. the 2 dissimilar metals cause corrosion making the jugs very hard to remove from the heads.

[illinicorsa]

I understand that the head can be removed with the engine in the car. So do I need to remove BOTH the long AND SHORT carb studs to do so (on my 140 HP)?

Steve
Ofallon, MO

[terribleted]

Only the long carb studs need to come off. The powerpack must be lowered in the rear to gain enough clearance to do this. You must be sure to disconnect the accelerator rod out of the tunnel to the trans pivot, clutch linkages, shifter tube from trans, fuel line at joiner between engine supply line and body main line. you need to remove all ground strap between body and engine, remove engine body seal retaining strips (early models), and disconnect anything else that might get stretched or bent when lowering the rear of the powertrain 4-10 inches depending on the vehicle (FC's have poor clearance on the left and need to drop a fairly long way for example).