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Re: 52TD Cyl Head stuck

To: "Adam Arabian" <arabian@allegronet.com>, "MGlist" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: 52TD Cyl Head stuck
From: "Lawrie Alexander" <Lawrie@britcars.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 20:55:45 -0700
Adam,

The TD head is held on by 10 nuts on ten studs. To remove the head, you have
to undo these nuts, disconnect the manifolds and the upper hose. You must
also undo the three hollow bolts that hold the side cover on and pry it away
from the head as this cover's gasket is pressed against the lower edge of
the head. It's not essential to remove the rocker assembly but, if you
don't, then the pushrods will come up with the head and make it more awkward
to handle.

If you've done all those things and the head still doesn't budge, then the
culprit is possibly corrosion between the studs and the holes in the head.
Spray liberal quantities of something like PB Blaster down the stud holes
and let it sit for a while, then try again. If this doesn't work, use a stud
extractor (or double-nut the studs) and remove as many of them as you can.
This allows you to wriggle the head around more, breaking any residual seal
with the head gasket. If all the studs come out, you can also use
"percussive persuasion" to knock the head sideways to get it off the
block............

Lawrie
British Sportscar Center

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Arabian <arabian@allegronet.com>
To: MGlist <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Sunday, October 24, 1999 7:55 PM
Subject: 52TD Cyl Head stuck


>All,
>    Working on my 52 TD and tried to get the cylinder head off today and
>had zero luck.  All the bolts are removed per visual inspection and
>workshop manual (The rear head cover plate is still on, but I don't
>think that would impede the release of the head).  According to the
>workshop manual you should loosen it up with, er, purcussive pursuasion
>(hit it with a hammer - with a block of wood between to soften the blow)
>but this did nada to it.  I tried lifting it from the visible edges of
>the casting but to no avail (engine is still mounted in the car, and we
>actually were lifting the car up instead of breaking it loose).
>
>    I'm assuming that its just that the gasket has turned to glue after
>sitting for 30 years.  Any thoughts?  Bigger hammer?  Bolts I might have
>missed that need to be removed?
>
>Thanks,
>Adam Arabian
>
>


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