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Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:32 am

Holy crap, neither of cylinder the heads on my 1600DP want to budge.

All eight nuts (well--some studs, too) are off of each side. The plugs are out. I've sprayed all the studs and the joints where the heads meet the cylinders with WD-40 and left them sit overnight.
I've tried prying (and broke cylinder cooling fins in the process, though I was going to replace the cylinders anyway) and hammering with a rubber mallet.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:55 am

PB blaster, propane torch and a bigger hammer. If you are ditching the jugs anyways remove them with the head and beat on them sideways once the unit is off.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:07 am

Cylinders aren't moving either. Soaked the whole thing with PB Blaster and then one cylinder budged a little (or I deluded myself into thinking it did). Will let it sit for a while and try again.

PB Blaster + propane torch = disaster, no?

Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:15 am

dirigible wrote: Cylinders aren't moving either. Soaked the whole thing with PB Blaster and then one cylinder budged a little (or I deluded myself into thinking it did). Will let it sit for a while and try again.

PB Blaster + propane torch = disaster, no?

Depends how much you use and if you have a big puddle or ragfull under the engine when you go at it with the torch. Let it soak for a while and wipe up the excess before laying on the flames, it may flash and smoke a bit but it won't be too exciting.
Heat cycles help jobs like this too, warm up the head, put down the torch and then spray on the penetrating oil, it's drawn in as things cool, repeat that a few times and see what happens.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:18 am

Thanks. Just want to make sure I remove the correct head. Wouldn't know where to source OE for the one my shoulders. :shock:
Then again, may be good opportunity to upgrade. :lol:

Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:58 am

count the head nuts that came off the heads, there are 8 per side. It sounds like you missed one.

When you smack it with the rubber hammer, instead of trying to knock it off, try hitting it laterally down with the engine sitting on the ground. This means straight down with a towell wadded up under it to break its fall if comes loose. Hitting it at an angle to knock it off will break more fins. Hitting straight down will protect the fins and loosen it, then you can slide it off the studs.

You did pull the exhaust already, right?

Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:03 pm

I had all the nuts off. The bus had been sitting in a storage container for 5+ years, so everything's a little creaky.

I managed to get the cylinders and heads off together using a combination of solvent, torch, prying and ridiculous amounts of hammering.
I'm going to soak them in solvent tonight, and hopefully tomorrow I'll have something a little easier to work with.

Thanks for your help!

Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:47 pm

a rubber mallet and smack down straight down on top the fins of the head well more like tap but completely vertical to the cooling fins or youll break them!

Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:25 pm

since they are off, take two rubber mallets and swing them so the cylinders move towards each other. That will get at least one loose. Once it is loose you can try sliding the head onto the studs with the cyl facing out and hitting the cyl sideways. That should get the remaining one.

If that doesn't work my guess is that the issue has nothing to do with sitting but is rather carbon packed between the head and cyl. If that is the case let some carb cleaner like the kind you soak a carb in sit in there a few hours and soften the carbon.