B6 head removal

[stefan]

Here goes another idiot question guys. I got the head bolts out but the head is stuck on, and it wont budge. Ive tried hitting it with a rubber hammer but im afraid to brake something. Whats the proper way to go about this.

While were at it, if anyone knows any good writeups about rebuilding it would be a great help. The factory manual&haynes is all i got and for things like this it just says "remove head bolts", "lift off head".

thanks ops:

[FB71]

gasket sticks to both block and head. Use a small prybar to lift the head and break the adhesion.

[jglutz]

If the manifolds are still in place....lean on one and pull on the other...rocking the head until loose.

Like Jim said...using a pry bar is not uncommon...I use an old scrap wood chisel (about 1" wide) that I cut the handle off of. The angle of the blade works it in a little easier...then once it's in a 1/2" or so...i can hit hit the face of the chisel. Be patient!

[festivaWES]

If you plan on taking out the intake manifold and exhaust manifold all out at the same time.....did you forget the bolt in the back of the block from the intake manifold brace bar??

If you didn't remove all that in one assembly, make sure you have 10 head bolts......i forgot one, one time. And spent 5-10 minutes of pul;ling on it till i figured out what the problem was

[stefan]

its on a stand. intake and exhaust manifolds are already off as well as the water pump, oil pan and more..

jultz... do you mean jam a chizel between the head and the block? that sounds scary.

[mattswabb]

.....did you forget the bolt in the back of the block from the intake manifold brace bar??

I'll second this one. Make sure that the brace is disconnected if the intake is still bolted on. It is near the oil filter.

[scitzz]

DO NOT JAM A CHISEL IN THERE!

At least not directly between the head and the block, that could scar the mating surfaces.

This may be a stupid question, but have you removed the timing belt? If so, wedge a LONG bar under the cam shaft sprocket, then lift up, that should do it, although too much may ruin the cam, but if you are taking the head off, I suppose you have a new one, with cam, to replace it with.......

Why are you removing the head, btw?

[FestYboy]

ok, if you aren't useing the head anymore or are going to hog out the runners, you can (and this works) slide a sizeable prybar into one of the exhaust runners and while lifting, carefuly work a sharp chisle into the center of the head gasket at one of the corners. once you have the chisle placed properly, 2 or 3 good hits while lifting on the prybar will seperate the two pieces without hurting any surfaces.

NOTE: DO NOT chisle into the top right corner (when facing the engine normaly, exhaust facing you), there is a locating dowl in the head at that corner.

[stefan]

this is how it sits now





no manifolds, timing belts, or anything else silly holding it back

im taking the head off cause im rebuilding the motor (attempting to atleast.. just me and a haynes manual in a dimly lit un-heated igloo up here in winterpeg)

[FB71]

dumb question... you don't have the engine stand attached to the back of the head, do you?

[FestYboy]

the pics show an un-obstructed head Jim. and thinking about it further, he could have a wack at the underside of the head where the waterpump sits, there's a useable surface there that won't matter if it gets marred up a bit.

[FB71]

I thought so, but wasn't 100% sure from the top pic.

[stefan]

true, that top pic looks like something could be bolted to the head, but its just the angle.

The stand is just bolted to the 4 spots the trans bolts to.

[Safety Guy]

Go Stefan!!

I plan to do that whenever I get me a third B6.

Karl

[kzbill]

Sometimes with the valves closed like that the compression will break the head free if you can turn it a couple times.
If not it looks, in the first picture that you can get a bar between the engine stand mount and the head where it bolts to the block.
Apply pressure slowly, and be patient, it will break free.