I got all the bolts out that are in the head and took off the intake manifold. The head still wont come off. They are dart iron heads on a small block 350 (bored .30 over). What all needs to come off?

 

How many bolts did you take out? There are 17 per head: 7 long, 2 medium, 8 short. If they're all out, try a prybar in a water jacket. Have someone ready to grab the head when it comes off, it may pop off and go flying, it would suck to drop it and break something.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

besides the prybar try tapping around the head with a soft faced hammer

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ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond 538 F&AM

 

Someone else on this board had a good idea if the engine is still in the car: you can bump the engine over with the starter and the compression will pop the head off. If you do this you ought to thread in a bolt or two just a couple of turns so the head won't fly off. Same thing if the engine is on a stand and you are using a prybar, you don't want to pop that sucker off and have it land on your toe or something.

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91 Z28
Come see The Vicious...

 

There are two pegs on each side of the block that hold the head on, try prying between the top water passage where the water pump connects and the head with a large screwdriver, that did the trick for me.

 

Did you take off the bolts from the serpine bracket or V-belt bracket that go into the heads? Don't be like me and forget the grounds on the back of the heads and be ready, they are a lot heavier then you would think, and very combersome when still under the hood. have a buddy ready to help you get them out if you want to save your back. Or maybe I am just a wuss. Good luck

[This message has been edited by UVA3rdGen (edited October 08, 2001).]

 

wuss ;]

 

If "ALL" the bolts are out as mentioned previously, the easiest way is to stick a prybar or long screwdriver into the exhaust crossover in the center of the head and pull up. This will pull the head off the guide pins.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block (times are for the current engine)

Best ET on a time slip: 11.447 altitude corrected to 10.99
Best MPH on a time slip: 119.42 altitude corrected to 124.86
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP: 493
Best 60 foot: 1.586

Racing at 3500 feet elevation with a typical race day over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

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

 

Hit the weight room for a few weeks and try again. ;p ;p

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1987 GTA L98 MD8
355, TFS Heads, LT4 Hot Cam
My GTA

The Minnesota F-body Club

 

Thanks to you all for the excellent info. I finally got it off with a lot of hammering and prying. I just didn't want to mess anything up by being too rough, but I guess that's the only way to get the head loose.

 

Well, it's too late for you, but I had one that wouldn't come off with all sorts of prying and pounding (the other one came right off). I ended up putting a small hydraulic jack in the lifter valley (after removing the roller spider et al) and forcing it off that way.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. 2-1/2" cat-back, ZZ3 intake, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 CC system w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam, ported World 305 heads, Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback, restalled TC, Spohn SFCs).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, 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).

 

Sounds dangerous.......... I like it...... hehe



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1987 GTA L98 MD8
355, TFS Heads, LT4 Hot Cam
My GTA

The Minnesota F-body Club