Head job

[waveydavey00]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the necessaries from Rough Trax to do the head gasket/cambelt. I have got as far as stripping most stuff off the head but can't get the head off without removing the camshaft pulley. I have a universal puller, but this will not fit. Is there any way of doing it without bying an SST as recommended in the manual?

Also, is it possible to get the (water?) pipe off at the back of the head without sawing the retaining nut off?

Any help gratefully appreciated.

[fatfires]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the necessaries from Rough Trax to do the head gasket/cambelt. I have got as far as stripping most stuff off the head but can't get the head off without removing the camshaft pulley. I have a universal puller, but this will not fit. Is there any way of doing it without bying an SST as recommended in the manual?

Also, is it possible to get the (water?) pipe off at the back of the head without sawing the retaining nut off?

Any help gratefully appreciated.

I used wooden wedges - tapped verry gently to get the pully off, but watch out for the backplate casting...fragile! my mate made up a simple puller for his, piece of flat bar 3 bolts. I took the water pipe (i take it you mean the stainless one round the back of the head) off with the head and fitted it to the new head before fitting it
good luck with the job!

[waveydavey00]

I used wooden wedges - tapped verry gently to get the pully off, but watch out for the backplate casting...fragile! my mate made up a simple puller for his, piece of flat bar 3 bolts. I took the water pipe (i take it you mean the stainless one round the back of the head) off with the head and fitted it to the new head before fitting it
good luck with the job!

I have a friend who is trying to search out a puller for me tonight, but it's nice to hear I am not barking up the wrong tree. I was thinking the stainless pipe at the back will have to come off with the head too, but this means both manifolds staying in situ. If it worked for you, I should be OK with that too. You say new head on yours. I presume it was cracked then. Did it still run after it boiled up?

[fatfires]

I have a friend who is trying to search out a puller for me tonight, but it's nice to hear I am not barking up the wrong tree. I was thinking the stainless pipe at the back will have to come off with the head too, but this means both manifolds staying in situ. If it worked for you, I should be OK with that too. You say new head on yours. I presume it was cracked then. Did it still run after it boiled up?

Yes did run, came back from France with it, my problem showed up standing overnight, bore filled with water and locked up solid. but mine was a bin full of probs, it had been bodged, once I had stripped the head off, found it had been welded - badly, sorted that by fitting a new head but then a month late an oilway lubricating the crown of no 4 pot got blocked, it ran dry and wrecked the bore, that had been bodged before as well - so it was then engine out no4 sleeved, all rebored, new pots, ends hence my loverly red block!!
It was a catch 22, worth nought as it was, but a lot of dough to fix it, now engine as new runs like a dream and just a little quick. Hell of a job but it was a verry steep learning curve, and as I am a fussy bu**er took my time and got it right
you have no idea the sence of achievment and satisfaction when that engine fires up

[Guest]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the necessaries from Rough Trax to do the head gasket/cambelt. I have got as far as stripping most stuff off the head but can't get the head off without removing the camshaft pulley. I have a universal puller, but this will not fit. Is there any way of doing it without bying an SST as recommended in the manual?

Also, is it possible to get the (water?) pipe off at the back of the head without sawing the retaining nut off?

Any help gratefully appreciated.

One of the universal 3 leg pullers with only two of the legs on it worked for me.

[fatfires]

One of the universal 3 leg pullers with only two of the legs on it worked for me.

one of the best tips I ever had - when using pullers/levers/wedges once the offending part is under tension a good clout with a soft faced hammer/mallet/lump hammer & piece of wood and very often It will pop off!(be ready to catch it tho! ) and watch out for the keyway insert (is it woodruf key?) took me over an hour to find mine

[waveydavey00]

one of the best tips I ever had - when using pullers/levers/wedges once the offending part is under tension a good clout with a soft faced hammer/mallet/lump hammer & piece of wood and very often It will pop off!(be ready to catch it tho! ) and watch out for the keyway insert (is it woodruf key?) took me over an hour to find mine

Thanks for that. Eventually obtained a mini flywheel puller from halfords. It was slightly too big, but I bought some smaller bolts and ground the heads flat on either side so that they would fit the slots and turn 90 degrees. I put the original bolt back in until it was a few threads out and used the puller on to that. It came off pretty easy then BUT did not fly off (as it did not pull it far off!) and so the woodruff key was left in place! Good job you warned me.

Well the heads off now and I can see no obvious cracks. The headgasket had burnt through between pots 2 and 3 so it had to come off. However, the discs where the injectors fit (with the little duct) appear to have hairline cracks in them. Can they be replaced? Does anyone know what has to be stripped off the head so that it can be pressure tested? eg camshaft, injectors, heaters etc.