Morris Minor Owners Club

well started the job today got everything undone no probs but cant get the head to shift tryed hammer and block of wood plus gas a bit of heat round the holes wnere the studs are and more plus gas .going to leave it soaking then try club hammer and block of wood .

Maybe someone with more experience can tell us whether this would work or not...

You could try, after removing the pushrods, to crank the engine with the starter. The compression from the pistons should break it free.

Please note I'm not sure if this would be safe to do, I'd just like to know what someone with more experience thinks. And the pushrods would need to be removed first so that they don't bend when the head lifts up.

Absolutely - with plug leads off - crank the engine ! Don't forget to undo the bypass hose... I guess you had no great problem with the head nuts??

ive tryed spinning it over a few times and no joy , the nuts came undone easilly roy was not using a big enough ratchet , will let the plus gas do its stuff i think its corrosion round the studs

Silly question, but have you undone all the studs - you need to remove the rocker gear completely, and, as mentioned above, undo the bypass hose; not to mention disconnecting the exhaust.

done all that

So the rocker gear and push rods are all removed? Surprising it doesn't lift then on the starter - with the spark plugs still in? If no go - start to remove the 5 external studs - one by one - with two nuts locked together on the stud. Tighten and slacken each one a little until it comes out........hopefully you have already drained the water... You really shouldn't use a ratchet for 'tight' nuts....T bar or ring key is better.....

Undone the studs as in removed them from the block completely with a stud extractor or two nuts locked together?

I had a cylinder head where one of the studs was seized on the head, don't ask me how, but welding a nut to it, plus gas etc wouldn't shift it.
In the end, I had to rotate the head from the block on the one remaining stud, and having it drilled out by a friendly machine shop.
The point I'm making is if everything's free, it can only be stuck to the studs. So try pulling them out using two head stud nuts together, then it can't really be stuck to anything!

'simmitc' has a v good point above - if you leave the manifold on the head (and disconnect the exhaust pipe) - it gives you a jolly good handle to wiggle and pull the head! This difficulty in lifting a head is one of the reasons I advise a thin smear of grease on the surfaces of the head gasket!

Tap the sides of the head with a club hammer, it might be enough to break the seal

well drove it today and what a differance no smoke more responsive less noisy , only problem i had was a waterleak from top hose , i fitted a new stat housing and its at a different angle ,anyway mover it up a bit further tightned up the clip a bit more stopped dripping sorted now i think .