ok im helping a friend take his heads of his 88 350 iroc,but i cant get the heads off all the bolts are off the intake is off the serpentine setup is unbolted but still cant get them off,any suggestions please

 

make sure you got the inside bolts on the ends sometimes they get covered over with sludge that hides them. other than that use a flat head put on head to block seam and hit with the palm of your hand to free it up

 

The 34 head bolts? You just list the intake and serpy bolts....just thought I'd ask...

 

thanks guys,but yea all the head bolts are off

 

They are stuck...use a prybar between the chinawall and the head to break it loose

 

You positive?

Counted them?

There should be 34: 16 short ones, 14 long ones, 4 medium ones. Make sure they're all laying there next to the engine. If they're not next to it, they're in it, and that's why the heads are stuck.

One head stuck = stuck, pry it
Two heads stuck = you missed the medium-length bolts on both sides

 

Thwack 'em really hard with a large dead blow hammer or rubber mallet. Repeatedly.

As long as they're cast iron heads they aren't too delicate, just try not to mess up the gasket surfaces.

Putting a crowbar into one of the water passages and prying works. No valves in there or anything to mess up.

If you can pry a tiny gap and then it closes when you stop prying, you probably missed a bolt. If you have all the bolts out it'll just be a matter of prying/hammering until they suddenly pop loose.

Remember there are alignment dowels so you have to pry AWAY from the block, you will not get them to move sideways no matter what.