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Cylinder head removal
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 3:28 pm    Post subject: Cylinder head removal Reply with quote

New to the forum, spent a life time with things mechanical and oily, the last 30 years owning and running a garden machinery business. Now retired with a 1969 Lambretta and a shed (or two!) full of ancient lawnmowers and cultivators etc awaiting attention.
However this question relates to someone else's problem - a cylinder head that refuses to budge.
Way back when I started learning about engines I worked with a time served guy who taught me the basics of engines and good workshop practice (suppose that these days he would be called a "mentor") It was not uncommon then for cylinder heads to be pigs to remove - the anti -freeze of the day would creep up around the studs and everything would be corroded solid. However this guy had a set of tubular cutters - very thin sleeves with fine teeth on the end - that could be slipped over the stud and turned with a hand brace until they worked their way down to gasket level removing all the crud as they went.
I had never come across such things before seeing his and have never seen any since. I suppose that it's possible that they were home made - may be an apprentice exercise, but I remember them being in a nice wooden case and graded for different sized studs. I would be interested to know if anyone else has recollections of such a tool or even has a set?! Sadly my mentor is no longer with us to ask.
Angus
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Ashley



Joined: 02 Jan 2008
Posts: 1426
Location: Near Stroud, Glos

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're right Angus, I've even seen pictures of them being used, but Ive never seen any on sale in the UK. I wonder if they are any on American tool sites.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the forum Angus.

I can't help with sourcing cutters, but I have read of people in ye olden days feeding in fine rope into the cylinder bores, then turning the engine over on a handle to encourage the head upwards.

What car is it on?

RJ
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colwyn500



Joined: 21 Oct 2012
Posts: 1745
Location: Nairn, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"feeding in fine rope into the cylinder bores, then turning the engine over on a handle to encourage the head upwards"

Did that the other week Rick in reverse. I fed some rag into the bore of my chainsaw to lock the engine so I could remove the clutch. Itr worked a treat.
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ashley wrote:
You're right Angus, I've even seen pictures of them being used, but Ive never seen any on sale in the UK. I wonder if they are any on American tool sites.


That's interesting as my "mentor" had worked on aircraft engines during WW2 and had a lot of American hand tools such as Blue Point long before they became generally available over here or Snap-on got in on the act.
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

colwyn500 wrote:
"feeding in fine rope into the cylinder bores, then turning the engine over on a handle to encourage the head upwards"

Did that the other week Rick in reverse. I fed some rag into the bore of my chainsaw to lock the engine so I could remove the clutch. Itr worked a treat.

Yes that's an old chainsaw trick in the absence of the "correct" piston stop. Have also heard of an adaptor being made for the spark plug hole with a grease nipple in it and the cylinder being pumped full of grease to hydraulic it off!
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
Welcome to the forum Angus.

I can't help with sourcing cutters, but I have read of people in ye olden days feeding in fine rope into the cylinder bores, then turning the engine over on a handle to encourage the head upwards.

What car is it on?

RJ


Lanchester, at present running quite happily with the head nuts slackened off!
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If there is enough length protruding you might be able to lock a couple of nuts on the studs and unscrew them from the block.

Peter
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Ashley



Joined: 02 Jan 2008
Posts: 1426
Location: Near Stroud, Glos

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you can get new studs and nuts, you can always weld the present ones on and screw out the studs.
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:39 pm    Post subject: Head removal Reply with quote

Thanks for the two suggestions ref removing the studs. Have applied as much force as seems safe in that direction and only a couple have shown any sign of movement. Making some enqiries across the pond re tubular cutters. Fortuneately there is no time pressure on the job so we can afford to sit back and think about it.

Totally different subject - how does one enable the spelling checker on this forum?
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 4:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Head removal Reply with quote

wristpin wrote:
Thanks for the two suggestions ref removing the studs. Have applied as much force as seems safe in that direction and only a couple have shown any sign of movement. Making some enqiries across the pond re tubular cutters. Fortuneately there is no time pressure on the job so we can afford to sit back and think about it.

Totally different subject - how does one enable the spelling checker on this forum?


I'm not sire that there iz one Smile

RJ
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Inglewood



Joined: 28 Dec 2010
Posts: 183
Location: Stone, Staffordshire

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 5:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Head removal Reply with quote

wristpin wrote:
Thanks for the two suggestions ref removing the studs. Have applied as much force as seems safe in that direction and only a couple have shown any sign of movement. Making some enqiries across the pond re tubular cutters. Fortunately there is no time pressure on the job so we can afford to sit back and think about it.

Totally different subject - how does one enable the spelling checker on this forum?


Spell checker is automatic if you use Chrome browser, perhaps with some others also. I do not think IE has a spell check function.
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 6:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Head removal Reply with quote

Inglewood wrote:
wristpin wrote:
Thanks for the two suggestions ref removing the studs. Have applied as much force as seems safe in that direction and only a couple have shown any sign of movement. Making some enqiries across the pond re tubular cutters. Fortunately there is no time pressure on the job so we can afford to sit back and think about it.

Totally different subject - how does one enable the spelling checker on this forum?


Spell checker is automatic if you use Chrome browser, perhaps with some others also. I do not think IE has a spell check function.


Thanks, I usually use Firefox - Ah it has objected to Firefox and offered firebox - better find a steam related forum!
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Roger-hatchy



Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Posts: 2135
Location: Tiptree, Essex

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spellchecker?

I've been using this one for a few years now.

http://www.iespell.com/

Sits on the command bar and works with 99.9% of websites and programs
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wristpin



Joined: 15 May 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger-hatchy wrote:
Spellchecker?

I've been using this one for a few years now.

http://www.iespell.com/

Sits on the command bar and works with 99.9% of websites and programs


Thanks, will store that for future use as it appears that my Firefox one was working, my spelling must have been better than I thought !
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