Hi all,

I did a search but couldn't really find what I was looking for so I hope I can call on the wisdom of you all out there. Basically I have blown a head gasket on the right hand side, charachterised by water/steam out the exhaust and a pressurised cooling system straight after starting.
So I want to remove the heads and replace both gaskets, I have gotten the impression from reading what I found that it is possible to remove the heads with the motor in the car but couldn't see any specific instructions or tips on how to do it.
The problem is the car is a 454 auto with AC and PB, So when I look at it i'm struck with how the hell does one get to the bolts (it has bolts not studs), And is it possible to do with a BB and all the gear without removing the motor.
So is there anyone out there who can confirm they have done it and it is possible, and how did you go about getting all the bolts out etc. Basically any tips/advice you could provide would be much appreciated.
In the mean time i'll just keep being depressed about the whole situation.

Many thanks in advance.

 

Ouch. Not an easy deal, but nowhere near impossible. It's a rip and tear thing- remove the exhaust manifolds, intake and carb (can come off as one), distributor, rocker covers and all the valve train stuff, (rockers, pushrods), the A/C compressor and it's brackets, you can pull the compressor forward a bit and tie it to the right upper control arm. Break the fuel line loose at the pump, rotate it out of the way and tighten it back down. Alternator bracketry needs to be off too- it'll come off with the head, but it's just that much more weight you have to deal with, and there are a couple of bolts that tie the brackets and the P/S pump all together- miss one and you'll fight trying to figure out why the head won't come off. Head bolts can be a bear- the one that's under the brake booster may not have enough room to get it out of the head- make sure it's not threaded in and is free, then leave it there until you get the head off.
That's all that comes to mind about teardown- If I think of anything else I'll post- but I'm sure someone else will chime in too.

And yes, I did pull both heads off my 69 when I swapped pistons. Did everything but replace the main bearings and cam on that one.

And be aware- iron BB heads are heavy. Especially when you bend over a fiberglass fender with them. Help is not a bad idea.

 

I replaced both HGs on my BB with it in the car...wasn't too bad but I have vintage air so no evaporator box on the firewall to get in my way. Just take your time, take pics of everything before you start stripping, stay organized and clean...bag and label the bolts for each accessory component. Use a card board box and poke holes in it in the pattern of the head bolts and put each bolt in the hole where it belongs to keep track of where each bolt goes. Keep everything surgically clean. If the heads have been on a long time, I would change the oil seals and have the decks surfaced.....Use some new razor blades to clean the block deck. Upon reassembly, put sealer on the head bolts and intake bolts, put a thin layer of rtv on the intake gaskets around the ports and water passages. Reassembly carefully. You can do it....good luck!

 

I recently did this - same gear as your car... Get some of those u-joint socket extensions for the bolts under the brake booster. You may want to consider pulling the a/c evap box off the firewall on the pass side - your socket extension will dig into it and crack it open otherwise when breaking bolts loose on right rear... I was going Vintage Air after putting heads back on so I accepted a few cracks in the box... It never went back on the car! Now I have the full factory air set of parts in boxes in garage.

 

Great news all things considered. And my evap box already has a crack or two in it, so I can't really loose too much in that department. But it's god to know it can be done.... All I have to do now is drag my **** out and do it.
Thanks for your input guys, i'm not feeling so depressed about it anymore. On the bright side I can paint my engine and tidy up the firewall a little while I have the space.

 

The biggest issue in doing that job (correctly) is to bag and label all of the hardware [bolts, nuts, washers, etc.] well so that they can be replaced properly. It is also important to remember the sequence in which all that 'stuff' got removed, so that you can reverse that same procedure.

Also, you need to decide if you are going to use this "opportunity" to clean up the engine bay. You will end up taking many of the accessories off, anyway. It's a good time to do so, but you will be magnifying the task many times over, if you do. Cleaning all the hardware, rebuilding and repainting any old/worn accessories you choose to work on, can be time consuming. Think it over well so you are comfortable with your decision for the 'long haul'.

You can change heads with the engine in the vehicle. It's just a PITA compared with a 'full pull'. But, in your case, its the right thing to do.