Hey everyone!!
I need to replace the head on my 6. It's in a 73 Duster. I have taken the manifolds out and all of the head bolts are off. But I'm having a heck of a time getting this darn head off! I've been trying to pry it from the intake ports or the water hole. I've been trying to tap a screw driver in between the head and block. I've tried with my engine hoist, and I've been beating the good gracious out of it with my rubber mallet! This dang thing isn't going anywhere!
Any tricks to the trade that I haven't thought of?

Thanks ahead of time!
Gab

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Mopar Girl Until I Die!

is the rocker shaft still on?

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

How many head bolts did you remove? Count them and let us know. Also, did you remove at least the top alternator bracket bolt and loosen the lower alternator bracket bolts about halfway? It is easier to just remove the alternator bracket, actually.

Rocker shaft is off, and I took out 14 bolts from the head. The alternator bracket is completely off because I wanted to make sure that didn't play a role at all.

Thanks

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Mopar Girl Until I Die!

Well 14 head bolts and alt bracket off (the one near spark plug #1 not the rail at the front of the head), that's all there really is... One other item, make sure that the water pump hose to the pump and head is loose also.

My suggestion: Pull the pushrods, put he rocker shaft back on it, install the spark plugs if you pulled them, hook the battery back up and roll the engine over, compression (if good) can "pop" the head off the locating pins if being stubborn (or help a bit if you used a nice 'sticky' head gasket like the Aussie Head Gasket).

-D.Idiot

Yep, +1. If compression still won't pop the head off and you are 1000% sure all the bolts and the alt bracket are removed, then try re-installing the intake manifold and attaching the chain on your engine hoist to the intake. Then jack the intake up slightly so it is exerting an upward torque on the head and THEN try popping the head off with compression.

Now you HAVE to post pictures of what the mating surfaces look like when you finally get the head off!

haha, ok. So I tried popping it off with the pressure, nada! I attached the intake man. and lifted it, nada! This darn thing is attached with magic... Im pretty sure! Or like some Voodoo magic, it's evil... I can feel it!

I took some pictures, please point something obvious out that I missed!!! PLEASE! haha

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Mopar Girl Until I Die!

Wow. I have never heard of a head being stuck on there that tight. My only though is to keep applying lifting pressure to the intake and bumping the motor over. Keep tension on the chain to the intake while you crank the engine over. Slowly increase tension on the hoist and cranking it over until the head breaks loose.

There is something still attached. Keep pulling on the manifolds and you will break something.

I notice the rockers are still on. .....

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

You still have the coolant bypass hose attached. For gawd sake remove the plugwires and pushrods before pulling anymore.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I don't see any pushrods in there, but remove the hose between the block and head Sandy suggested. I'd get the rocker shaft out of the way too.

Take the intake manifold off. Re-position the cherry picker and attach to the front of the head. Don't use the manifold studs. They may break under shear. Somebody likely glued the thing down with something sticky.
There are alignment dowls in the front and rear of the block up into the head. Pulling on the manifold will exert force that will tend to bind them. The head will need to be pulled straight off to break them loose. It may take considerable effort to do so, if it is as suspected, and there is adhesive holding it on there. Work on one end, when it comes loose, the other end will follow.
Very little, or no RTV is needed to seal up the head gasket. Hopefully someone didn't put it together with epoxy to make up for warped surfaces.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

The coolant bypass hose may hold the front of the head down, but would never be able to hold the entire head to the block. Pushrods have no ability to hold anything to anything.

I agree someone must have done something silly like spray adhesive on both sides of the head gasket or coat both sides with RTV sealant.

Using the intake for leverage is up to you. It would take a pretty seriously stuck head to resist coming off to the point the studs would break, but it is up to you.

We were trying to use the pressure to pop the head off, that's why the rocker was back on. The hose between the head and block is loose on both sides. I have another head that I'm going to put on, so if anything breaks on this head I couldnt care less. I do need the block in tact though. I'll just keep harassing the front end, and go from there. Grrrrrrrrrr

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Mopar Girl Until I Die!

Remove the alternator bracket from the front of the head and bolt on an engine lift bracket/hook.

Attach cherry picker there and lift.......

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

If I remember there is some sort of liquid that is used to break the hold of some sort of gasket sealant (Hymalar) used by I think International truck.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing