[GoMoJo]

My friend and I are trying to get the head off of the engine to replace the head gasket, but we cant get the thing to budge. The intake manifold is off completely along with the timing belt, exhaust manifold loose (cant get the nut off of the manifold bracket (any help with that is appreciated too), and all 10 head bolts/nuts. Are we missing something? We've tapped it with a dead blow mallet all over and still nothing. I know the corrosive bond between cast iron and aluminum can be pretty tough but geez! We finally got fed up with it and put a jack under the car with a 2x4 and pushed up on the head from underneath. What the heck!!! :evil:

 

[Stavros]

if everything is loose from it, get a pry bar of some sort (maybe even one made of wood) and use leverage on a spot that isnt going to harm the head or block in any way. I find mallets dont work very well for that kind of thing. Not enough mass behind the blow to do any good, but if you use any more it could be damaging.

leverage is totally the way to go. But if it doesnt come off with reasonable amount of force... dont try too hard. if both you and your buddy are jumping on the end of a crowbar and it still doesnt move, you must have missed something.

check absolutely EVERYTHING is loose and away from the head, nothing is biting anywhere... go over every step again just to make sure, even if it takes an hour and you find that you missed a head bolt, better to spend an hour to find it than spend a fortune to replace whatever it is that broke