Cylinder Head Removal

[John Vardanian]

Hello, I am preparing to remove the cylinder heads and have no high hopes that they will come off without fight. So, I would appreciate hearing advice and seeing photos of special tools, etc. Thanks in advance.

john

[330GT]

http://www.jb330gt.com/HeadPulling.htm for one method.

[tyang]

Hi John,

I also posted Jon's letter about pulling his cylinder head, but included with the letter are some notes Parker Hall sent me.
http://www.tomyang.net/cars/headpuller.htm

Here is another post about pulling the heads off a C/4
http://www.tomyang.net/cars/ferrari700.htm

Advice? You'll need a thick steel plate, lots of penetrating fluid, and patience!

Good luck!

Tom

[John Vardanian]

Thanks Tom and Kerry. So, do you think if I used three small plates, as opposed to ta single rectangular slab, it would do the trick?

john

[Timo]

So, do you think if I used three small plates, as opposed to ta single rectangular slab, it would do the trick?

john

It's possible, but with a single large plate You achieve more evenly distributed force and less chance of warping or cracking the head.
Timo

[tyang]

Hi John,

The official "Ferrari Issue" head removal tools that were used in the 60s were small individual parts, but having one plate makes it a lot easier to see if the head is coming up evenly. It may cost a little more to have a single plate made, but it's cheap insurance.

Tom

[Al Pezzella]

I made this head puller and it worked great, you are welcome to borrow it as long as you pay for shipping.

head puller

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[tyang]

Hi Al,

I believe John's working on a 250 engine with a different stud spacing to your 330.

Tom

[John Vardanian]

Thanks Al. Mine is a three liter, four stud engine. I wonder if the spacing of the studs is the same.

john

[John Vardanian]

Al, how thick is your plate? The factory (small) plates are 16mm, which is about 5/8".

john

[Al Pezzella]

I guess I wasn't paying attention on what car you were working on. OOPS.
John, my plate is made from 1/2" stock. I also concave the bottom of the push bolts because the studs on the engine are convex this prevents them from slipping off.

[John Vardanian]

Thanks Al. Good point about finishing the bolt ends. How did you do it?

john

[John Vardanian]

Also Al, did you tap the bolt holes in the plate or weld a nut at one end?

john

[Al Pezzella]

the nuts under the plate are loose, they are to be turned in order to push the plate up, I didn't want to turn the bolts as they may cause damage to the studs. As far as the concave, I simply used a 1/2" drill bit.

[John Vardanian]

It's worth mentioning that this puller template is not quite accurate for the 168 motor. The upper row of head studs are closer to the centerline of the camshaft than the lower row by as much as 4mm.

john

johnhttp://www.tomyang.net/cars/headpuller.htm