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I've read a number of old forum thread and seen the hook things made out of old spark plugs. But the reference to a "puller" (that screws into the spark plug holes and then has a differential smaller thread which enable it to be tightened down against a plate pushing on the head studs) seems a no-brainer as it requires no other tools or hoist to 'hang' the engine from. And yet there is no futher reference to such, photos or anything.
Does the method work, and has anyone got a simple method of making them which doesn't require lathes or welding...? It can't be rocket science.
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It didn't work for me. There was a lot of corrosion around my studs jamming everything solid. I tried hardowood wedges and eventually took the block off and used a big bit of wood from inside.
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Car type: '28 GE Cup. '28 AD Chummy '30 RL Saloon. '34 RP Saloon. Too Many toys!
Jon. Provided the 'bar' was stiff enough I shouldnt have thought that there was any option for it not to work.
However last time I had a reluctant head i just loosened off the nuts. Put them back finger tight and backed off 1/4 turn. Then started the sod up. Result waa lots of hissing and a free head.
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See my post in, Necessity is the mother of invention on page 4, pictures and how to make, used them on a Citroen B12 and they worked a treat.
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Car type: '28 GE Cup. '28 AD Chummy '30 RL Saloon. '34 RP Saloon. Too Many toys!
Fill the carb bowl. Or bollock some juice down each plug hole
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17-09-2018, 11:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 17-09-2018, 11:24 PM by Phil Kingdom.)
Sorry I sort of misread your post a bit, from your description, I should imagine the bottom half of a plug would be to tall so only the threaded section of the spark plug could be used, drill it out and tap it to say 10mm and weld in a peace of studding or lock in place with a nut then just use a flat plate with a hole in it across the head studs with nuts on and use a nut to tighten down on, then a couple of sharp taps with a soft mallet should work but I think I would use at least two of then to spread the load, sounds like a good idea, think I will knock up a couple with some plates. though shaped plates may be needed to clear the water inlets depending on the type of engine you have.
This may well work on a cast iron head, but not for a really tight aluminum head as it could strip out the plug threads.
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Yes, although I accept that it probably failed because the bar was not stiff enough. I welded what I thought sufficient from angle and steel plate and it bowed. I gave it up as a bad job! I have made numerous special tools including one for changing the guts of a series 2 land rover steering relay with it still in the chassis and my Frankenstein hub puller. The head remover is (so far) my only failure.
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In the past I've used a puller (made by Vic Wilde of the PWA7C Northwest Group) to remove a head that had been in place at least 30 years. It consisted of a steel bar 310mm long x 33 wide by 7.5mm thick, drilled to take 2 spark plugs adapted to take 8mm threaded bar so the height of the bar could be set by tightening nuts either side, and four bolts fitted through threaded holes that could then be tightened down onto four studs in-line adjacent to the plug holes (missing out the middle one). The ends of the bolts were turned to the stud diameter. This device was capable of pulling with considerable force - the weakest points were the turned ends of the bolts as they pressed on the studs and these had became slightly dished by repeated use.
On another occasion, when I did not have access to this item - carefully tapping in of screwdrivers and other wedged objects did the job, though the gasket suffered and a new one was required.
Colin
