Cylinder head stuck....Any tricks to remove?

Started pulling the Super C apart last night..Everything was going smooth..In less than 40 minutes I had the carb,manifold,valve cover,t/stat housing and all head nuts removed.I thought Man! How Easy! Then the $!!it hit the fan...I can't get the head to budge..Not even a bit! I tried using a sledge and block of wood but here isn't any good place to get leverage.Take in mind I'm doing this out in the barn where I don't have power..I thought about a cherry picker to lift it but I don't have one of those either.
 

First, make sure ALL head fasteners have been removed and then drive a cold chisel in between the block and the head. Right where the gasket is. Do that in a couple of places on each side and the head should be loose.
 
Yep..I've got all of the fasteners removed..I thought about using the chisel or screwdriver in between but I was afraid of marring or damaging the block and or head.
 
Will the engine turn over? If so, spin the engine with the starter. If valves are closed the compression will lift the head.
 
If you can't get it loose with a block of wood and a hammer I doubt if a cherry picker would do it, probably just lift the front of the tractor! I would be very careful driving a screwdriver in the head gasket area, you could damage the surface. They make special chisels called flange chisels just for this purpose. Are you sure you have all the fasteners loose? Otherwise someone really glued it on!
 
Be careful driving a wedge as there are passages both water and oil near the edge of the head. I would us a putty knife so as not to break any of the cast on the head and block. They must have used some real good cement and removing the head can be a problem
 
I would try a combination of methods already mentioned. Put a little tension on the head with a cherry picker and then use a putty knife. I have a putty knife that is more of a scraper and is much stiffer than a regular putty knife. That is what I use to get stuck stuff off. I would not use a cold chisel.


OTJ
 
I felt that the crud (carbon) built up between the head studs and the holes in the head is the prime cause of resistance. Soak every stud (after removal of nut and washer) liberally with penetrating oil and let it sit for a while. Hit the sides of the head on all sides with a 4 foot long, two by four piece of wood to jar things loose. Lift.
 
There are a few tricks to putting the head off. Spin it over and compression should make it move. If it does not one can fill the cylinders with oil and spin it over but will make a mess or one can put a piece of rope in each cylinder and spin it over
 
That's just what I thought too...The external studs are the ones giving me the trouble. PB blaster hasn't helped yet...might just need to sit longer.
 
(quoted from post at 06:14:47 04/24/19)
First, make sure ALL head fasteners have been removed and then drive a cold chisel in between the block and the head. Right where the gasket is. Do that in a couple of places on each side and the head should be loose.

Here is another trick. Since you already have the manifold off, just stick a pry bar into one of the intake or exhaust ports on the head and lift up. I've done many that way.
 
Take all spark plugs out.
Put some oil (Used oil will work) in cylinder #1.
Put plug back in #1. Keep wire off.
Stand back and turn over.
Remove spark plug from #1.
Put some oil (Used oil will work) in cylinder #2
Put plug back in #2. Keep wire off
Stand back and turn over.
Continue for cylinders #3 & #4.
This should loosen the head enough to remove.
 
Would not putting oil or rope in, and turning with the starter possibly bend a rod? Especially if he missed a bolt or crack the head.
 
yep, I would not do that with the starter. if its good and stuck as I have seen when the studs get seized to the head it wont come easy. unless your lucky and its not stuck that bad. need to have a hoist hooked to it with up pressure and work on it. even some heat would help from a tiger torch in the stuck stud area. but don't go crazy with the heat. like 250 degree's.
 
My money says you still have at least one fastener holding it down.

I helped a friend pull the head on a Toyota pickup. We removed all we could see and it wouldn t budge. I finally started feeling around with my fingers and found a bolt down in a "well" at the front of the head where the oil couldn t drain from. Removed it and it lifted right off.

Nothing against any of you fellows that recommended it, but personally, I definitely wouldn t try to drive anything between the head and the block. If I was going to do anything, I d try Rusty s recommendation. Just be careful and don t break anything off.

-Scott
 
Finally!! I got it off! Thanks for everyones suggestions...It ended up being the rear external stud was seized in the head...once I got the front loosened I used a chisel between the head and block as close to the seized stud as I could.After several Whacks with a hammer it started to lift enough so that I could get a plastic felling wedge in there...then I beat on that until it was in all the way. At this point I could use two prybars to "rock" it up a little at a time. The stud wasn't rusted..but completely black with carbon or something.
 
my money is on the studs being seized. pretty hard to miss a nut on those heads , don't even think a beginner could miss one. I have experienced what I am saying.
 
Are the rods really that weak on a C? If so, try cranking instead of using the starter after double-checking that all nuts are all off.
 

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