Does anyone have any tips for me on getting the cylinder heads off? I've got all the bolts off (I double checked that ), and the passenger side head is off, but I can't get the driver side head off.

In the Haynes manual it says pry from the exhaust ports, I've tried that, but it's still stuck on good.

Thanks.

 

Mine were on pretty tight. I ended up having to get a 3 foot breaker bar and put it in the upper EGR port on the head. Of course, I once also had a head stuck and I had forgotten to take out the bolts on the side(smokin the crack).

 

You may have to exert some real force to get it off. If you notice, (look on the side that is off.....) there are two pins that hold the head in place, sometimes these hang on a lot tighter than is really necessary. Try inserting a lug wrench (i.e. jack handle) into one of the ports, and jerk kinda hard. should come off. Please keep in mind that when the head comes off, it is going to try and escape, so, have someone handy to catch it for ya.

Good luck.

 

Here's something that helped me get a head off . . . as your doing the pry thing and exerting force to break the head loose, tap the side with a rubber mallet. This side movement can help break the gasket loose.

 

I had the same problem with my engine. A prybar, rubber mallet, and a lot of yelling and cursing finally got it off. You ought to thread one head bolt back in just a few turns, not all the way back in. That way when you do break the head loose it won't come down and land on your foot or something. Just a little precaution.

 

I got the heads off by bumping the engine with the starter. The compression should just pop those heads right off or at least loosen them.

 

I had to put a small hydraulic jack in the lifer valley on the opposite side with the ram under the cross-over passage and push up on the head. Those FelPro SureSeals sure do stick...

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, ZZ3 intake, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam, ported World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 600 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

A big screwdriver or prybar in the EGR port always works for me. Stick it in and pull up. The dowel pins for the head are more near the top than at the bottom so prying from the bottom doesn't work very well. The leverage from the EGR port works better.

Just make sure all the bolts are out first. Since you have the other head off I can assume that's been done.

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87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block

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87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

Try a large flathead between the head and the block where the water pump connects. Just jam it in there and twist and the head should break loose, if not.. hammer a flathead between the head and the block on the bottom near the dowel pin. I did both when taking my heads off, it really screwed up the head gasket but your gonna change that anyway.

 

I just pulled heads of an engine that had 300,000+ miles on it. just hammer a flathead screwdriver underneath the head where it meets the intake manifold seals.

 

A crowbar in the EGR port did it. But thanks for all the other suggestions everyone.