31-03-2019, 12:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 31-03-2019, 12:23 PM by James Anderson.)
Well its been a few days now since I last reported and thought I'd just tell you what happened. My silence is partly due to my not being exceptionally proud of the following account. On Thursday 28th Fox Wedges arrived from RJ Pryce at mid-day and their angle of attack wasn't narrow enough to be initially useful so I had to sharpen them. I had already resorted to an expendable 1" wide chisel and had to use it to creat enough width for the aforementioned wedges. Using the lift on T Bars inserted in the 1st and 4th spark plug threads via an hydraulic lift (see previous photos) approx. 3hrs later there was an enormous bang and the car dropped onto its axle stand (O/S front wheel removed to gain access from the lift) and remaining wheel and the cylinder head flew off only when I'd gained about 1/4-1/2" lift of the head, the carburettor side with most of the remaining studs being the most stubborn and inaccessible.
Damage from using various implements was fortunately confined to the edges of the cylinder head, hasn't impacted on its overall surface and the block has been spared any damage as angle of attack with wedges was always horizontal if not slightly elevated. The only problem I've found that could've been responsible for the problem occurring in the first place was the very heavy deposit of carbon in the cylinder head stud holes that once drilled out enabled the head to be removed and replaced effortlessly.
The reason for removing it in the first place was because I was trailing what I initially thought was smoke but it transpired was steam from the 1st piston has been effectively steam cleaned as a consequence! Performance was as usual terrific but I was getting through water and the only time the 'smoke' went away was when I had boiled off all the cooling water! John Mason has kindly been cheering me privately from the touchline and Jon E popped round yesterday to witness the event and I'm on the verge of reassembly of the studs and cylinder head weather, Mother's Day interventions and other disturbances permitting.
Thanks to your tip I got the head off and retained some degree of sanity...a Big Thank You
, Fox Wedges now an essential tool in the 'special tools' cupboard!
Damage from using various implements was fortunately confined to the edges of the cylinder head, hasn't impacted on its overall surface and the block has been spared any damage as angle of attack with wedges was always horizontal if not slightly elevated. The only problem I've found that could've been responsible for the problem occurring in the first place was the very heavy deposit of carbon in the cylinder head stud holes that once drilled out enabled the head to be removed and replaced effortlessly.
The reason for removing it in the first place was because I was trailing what I initially thought was smoke but it transpired was steam from the 1st piston has been effectively steam cleaned as a consequence! Performance was as usual terrific but I was getting through water and the only time the 'smoke' went away was when I had boiled off all the cooling water! John Mason has kindly been cheering me privately from the touchline and Jon E popped round yesterday to witness the event and I'm on the verge of reassembly of the studs and cylinder head weather, Mother's Day interventions and other disturbances permitting.
Thanks to your tip I got the head off and retained some degree of sanity...a Big Thank You
, Fox Wedges now an essential tool in the 'special tools' cupboard!