Colin Davies Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 When I purchased the car I was told the chassis and head were done. Post purchase after stripping the car, I found the radiator was not secured. After removing the rocker cover discovered nuts were absent or only finger tight! Removed the plugs put in a scope to look at the bores. I have removed the head nuts, these were beyond the torque recomendations. The head will not budge. Fed the studs with releasing fluid until the fluid runs out! I have gone around with a rubber hammer, hammer and block of wood, inserted the plugs and turned the engine over. Wedged wood under the head and jacked it up the whole car lifted so a series of downward blows to the block, still no movement. Nothing I have tried will make it move. Any suggestions should be appreciated. Thank you, Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigolf Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 Hi Colin, It's a common problem. Many years ago I had the same problem with removing the head on my Vitesse to do a decoke. Probably, one or more, of the head studs have rusted to the cylinder head. you'll need to remove the studs, either with a stud remover or using the double nut technique. It's the only thing that worked for me. Gav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 GT6 Mk3? Silly question but is there definitely a head gasket fitted? Suspect the studs are rusted into the head, so you'll have to continue doing what you've been doing, but with a lot more force. Last one that played me about like this was only a lowly Herald, but I had to remove the head studs one by one with a serious amount of effort until I finally got the head to lift. You may find, as I did, that some unscrew quite easily, which allows you to concentrate on the areas where the head is being gripped. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 on Dougs we used my impact stud extractor but with a 3ft braker bar and both of us swinging on it to get the studs out I once years back had a mk1 2000 with one stuck stud , managed to jack it to get a small gap and with a blade hack saw through the stud , the remains unscrewed with fingers the stud in the block took a sledge hammer to punch it out so you may wreck a stud witha extractor or double nut even weld a nut on , so be prepared for new studs and new nuts and washers pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 Pete, Good demonstration that studs get stuck in the head, not in the block! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 ... but as they're screwed into the block, the only way to exert any force on them to remove them is to unscrew them. This means some form of stud extraction, and a twisting / turning motion is the one most likely to break the seal - after all, it's the only direction of force you can apply. Mine broke the 12mm stud extractor from my kit before finally agreeing to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Davies Posted March 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: GT6 Mk3? Silly question but is there definitely a head gasket fitted? Suspect the studs are rusted into the head, so you'll have to continue doing what you've been doing, but with a lot more force. Last one that played me about like this was only a lowly Herald, but I had to remove the head studs one by one with a serious amount of effort until I finally got the head to lift. You may find, as I did, that some unscrew quite easily, which allows you to concentrate on the areas where the head is being gripped. Yes there is a gasket, I have gone around one side and think someone may have used an adhesive type of sealant into the gasket. I have 2 studs out currently. Onwards and upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 1 hour ago, JohnD said: Good demonstration that studs get stuck in the head, not in the block! Not on my car John. The studs were stuck in the block, we were expecting rust, but not a fleck of orange in block or head. Every one took the same effort to get out, so definitely over torqued into the block. Colin, Try double nutting, I had to use half nuts because of lack of thread. It was not successful. Hire or borrow an impact driver or buy one, if you're feeling flush. They are very useful. If it doesn't manage it, you take the impact driver stud grip and put it on the end of a breaker bar and find a large friend to help. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 Keep going, you'll get there. That's why I asked about the gasket; I was hoping it wasn't a case of someone using sealant instead, maybe to repair a damaged gasket rather than replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 If the studs won't come out, weld a nut on, with lots of power to get good penetration. The heat helps break up the rust and the nut can't come undone from the stud! You're going to need new studs anyway, if they're that troublesome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 what ever , dont try the old idea of fill bore with rope and turn engine over or you will get a bent conrod Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTV8 Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 all good advice.... be thankful you arn't doing a Stag ..... took me a month to get both heads off my old one. ....... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 I know somebody who advocates brass/bronze wedges when trying to lift the head off a slant 4 type engine... luckily my 1850 head slid off of it's own accord when I managed to get the studs out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 2 hours ago, AndyTV8 said: all good advice.... be thankful you arn't doing a Stag ..... took me a month to get both heads off my old one. ....... Andy Well they do say two heads are better than one... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 5 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: Well they do say two heads are better than one... On a Stag that is the exact opposite. Double trouble...... on the mk 2/3 6 pots, the studs on the pushrod side will usually come out but double-nutting. On the manifold side, it’s generally the ones next to the exhaust ports that are worst. Liberal application of a decent penetrating oil (which WD40 is NOT), such as Plus Gas or atf/acetone mix, into the gap with the nut off with extra penetration encouraged (no Pete!) by tapping the top of the stud with a hammer. Another trick is to double nut a stud then whack the top nut with a hammer at the same time as trying to undo it with a spanner. Failing that, weld the nut on nice and hot and try again. If you can get down to one stud, you can unwind it by turning the whole head - but only with the engine removed.... Done that twice now. They can be stubborn! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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