cliff.b Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 (edited) Having satisfied myself that I have a leak I have ordered parts and will strip down today. The last cylinder head I removed was a Ford X flow in about 1979, due to a burnt out exhaust valve, and as I was broke I reused everything, including the head gasket and I didn't have a torque wrench 🙄. Surprisingly, it held out for at least another year until I sold the car. Also, I removed that head with manifolds attached to save work and was wondering if, other than weight, there is any compelling reason not to do the same now? Apart from that, I believe some people use an appropriate sealant when fitting a head gasket but is this really a good idea? I assume they were designed not to need any but interested in opinions. And finally, I have read that using later Mini flanged nuts is a good idea. I have seen some advertised as CAM4545 suitable for the A+ engine sold singly instead of 9 for a Mini and wondered if anyone can confirm if that is what's required? Edited May 22, 2023 by cliff.b Add text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 I took my Herald’s head off to do the HG complete with manifolds. Someone might be along to tell us that’ was a terrible idea, but I completed the job successfully and the engine is still running fine 15 years later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanT Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 Agree. Leave the manifolds on, carbs off. Recruit labour... I use a smear of blue hylomar on gaskets. Key thing is absolute cleanliness AND following the correct torque up sequence (or it will deffo leak). Having cleaned the old off, I wipe down with meths to be sure there is no oil residue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 flanged nut can work well if the washer face is kurled then the torqure applied has to consider this the main use of these nuts is the original washers are soft and the nut looses torqure due to washer face depression look at the old washes bet they are well indented Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said: flanged nut can work well if the washer face is kurled then the torqure applied has to consider this the main use of these nuts is the original washers are soft and the nut looses torqure due to washer face depression look at the old washes bet they are well indented Pete Don't like the look of the old washers at all. For one thing they are different sizes. However, before I removed any nuts I tried tested them for tightness and all were torqued ok apart from number 7 at the rear which probably explains the problem with cylinder 4. I turned it over a quarter of a turn and still not up to correct torque. My next problem is convincing the head to come off as it is being stubborn 😒 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 its the grip of gunge on the studs try a stud extractort to remove the studs Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 14 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: its the grip of gunge on the studs try a stud extractort to remove the studs Pete I've never used one of those. Will that damage/destroy the studs? I have eventually managed to get it to lift a fraction most of the way round but it is still sticking in the corner where the loose bolt is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 there are many i use one of these , yes some will mark the threads but if there is too short to double nut there is little option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 34 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: there are many i use one of these , yes some will mark the threads but if there is too short to double nut there is little option Do these need to be the exact size to match the stud? Had a quick look online but only seeing metric ones so far. The corner of the head that is being extra stubborn is where the engine lifting eye is fitted and so longer studs. Should be able to "double nut" those ones if not the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: there are many i use one of these , yes some will mark the threads but if there is too short to double nut there is little option I have found one of these now and ordered it. I also just tried and succeeded removing the longer 2 studs by double nutting them and I had trouble removing one of them from the head even when it was fully unscrewed, so that was no doubt not helping with the head removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 Pete and I used that on my GT6, It was attached to the "never been known to fail" impact driver. It failed! So attached to a three foot breaker bar it need the strength of two old codgers to get them out. Wreaked the threads, but studs are cheap enough. You can re-use the nuts, but not the washers. The Mini nuts are well thought of. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 42 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: Pete and I used that on my GT6, It was attached to the "never been known to fail" impact driver. It failed! So attached to a three foot breaker bar it need the strength of two old codgers to get them out. Wreaked the threads, but studs are cheap enough. You can re-use the nuts, but not the washers. The Mini nuts are well thought of. Doug I have just made a thin nut by sawing a spare one in half and used that on the shorter studs which leaves enough threads for a full size nut on top. Have to get the top nut on very tight or they both unscrew together, but have successfully removed a further 4 studs this morning 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 We tried double nutting, with no success. When we finally got them out, they were clean, no rust or dirt. They had been torqued up by a gorilla, strange as you're only supposed to put them in finger tight. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 4 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: We tried double nutting, with no success. When we finally got them out, they were clean, no rust or dirt. They had been torqued up by a gorilla, strange as you're only supposed to put them in finger tight. Doug The studs I have got out so far required quite a lot of effort, then a "click" and after that they are coming easily. Another 4 to go so hopefully will be the same🤞 I assumed the studs would end up being torqued to whatever the nuts were torqued to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 Came across this on an American site Triumph Experience. Some chap called tepkaJohnD, strangely familiar. db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 Mine's okay then, it won't do 2500 miles until about 2027... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 I think he means 200 to 500 miles, but it could be 2 to 500 miles, a bit premature in my opinion, but you get all sorts of strange people on these foreign sites. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 yes Studs are a hand tight just need a good nip haranging the stud into the block does nothing for the head clamp load you need to get by doing the Nuts up to a torqure Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 23, 2023 Report Share Posted May 23, 2023 6 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: I think he means 200 to 500 miles, but it could be 2 to 500 miles, a bit premature in my opinion, but you get all sorts of strange people on these foreign sites. Doug I know, couldn't resist it tho... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 All studs out and head off. Not a pretty sight at the moment 😒 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 Is the anything safe to use to free up carbon deposits or is it just a matter of scraping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 24, 2023 Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 needs a nice flat blade scraper to chimble the stuff off power tools have a wire brush but needs removing not polished up cleaning valves u put vavlle stem in drill and use a tile cutter to machine the crap off the vavle head , Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted May 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 8 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: needs a nice flat blade scraper to chimble the stuff off power tools have a wire brush but needs removing not polished up cleaning valves u put vavlle stem in drill and use a tile cutter to machine the crap off the vavle head , Pete Ok, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 24, 2023 Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 even stanley blade scraper is good but do care when digging lumps out the piston scraping and ploughing are very different clean all flat faces with wet /dry oiled Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanT Posted May 24, 2023 Report Share Posted May 24, 2023 I use a wood chisel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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