Since I have never taken heads off, is there anything special I should watch for?

Can I leve the push rods as is and just unbolt the head and pull it off?

Thanks!

 

that's one dirty engine. brake cleaner works really good to clean all that mess off.

wait for a better opinion that mine, but i'd loosen/remove the rocker arms to release pressure on the valve springs. then remove and LABEL the push rods, and then untorque (loosen gradually and evenly) the heads and remove them. label the heads so you know which side they came from. i think? they are the same. while the heads are off, replace as many freeze plugs as you can get to on both heads and block...

 

so you use the screwdriver to keep the sleeve from being pinched shut? this is done while you use a pipe wrench to turn the sleeve correct?

 

I just use the screw driver. I stick it in and twist the collar that way. I found it alot easier then the pipe wrench. The only part that is difficult is around the axle. I switched to a stubby screwdriver just to get past the axle.

I found a "friend of a friend" who owns a machine shop here in town, he will have the heads inspected, cleaned, and polished for $100 each.

I really hope that the leak was from the loose bolt on the intake manifold. Seems like too much of a coincidence that the bolt beside the cylinder that was getting coolant in it was loose. The only thing that concerns me is wouldn't number 8 leak as well?

 

nice pics, specially of you standing in the engine bay. you are one ugly dude though

lets pull those heads and bring em to the machine shop

 

Remove the pushrods before pulling the heads. If you lose your grip on the head on the way out you're going to damage the rods. If you leave them in place, some will surely fall out when you pull the head, and get mixed up.

The old school hot ticket for keeping the pushrods in order is to get an old shoe box, line it with a plastic grocery bag so it won't leak oil on your bench, then poke 16 holes through the lid, eight on each long side. Mark one end as the front, and just poke the rods through the analogous holes in the lid as you remove them.

While the heads are off, make sure the pushrods are all perfectly straight and of the correct length. A slight bend is hard to detect visually; find a sheet of glass and roll the pushrods on it one at a time. Any that are bent will make a ticking sound.

 

Thanks! good advice. I was just about to start.

To take the pushrods off is it just a matter of unbolting the top bolt off the rocker?

Do I have to worry about the springs popping off or the valves falling into the cylinder?

 

You can just loosen the rockers without completely removing them to get the pushrods out. It'll be obvious once you get the first one loose.

The springs and valves will stay right where they belong unless they're broken. You'd already know it if something was broken that badly.

 

You were right, it was easy. Got the heads off and both look good. The head gasket was good. The grounding wires attached at the back of the heads were a nice surprise.

I did break a exhaust bolt off in one head. And there was another broken bolt already on the other head. The PO must have had the manifolds off for some reason. hopefully the machine shop will be able to take that out for me.

 

The plan for tonight/tomorrw is to prep the block.

I am thinking the best thing to clean the old head gasket off the block is a disposible razor blade, carb cleaner, and maybe a scotch brite pad. Anyone have any tricks or tips?

Should I be concered with small pieces of debris falling into the holes on the block?

Should I clean the carbon off the piston heads or just leave them?

TIA!