Topic: Cam towers stuck to the head?

[grumpy]

I'm into my K3 head down to having the cam out... but the cam towers won't come off.

I looked everywhere for a hidden bolt, quadruple checked the service manual, Honda Man's book, and even Clymer. I have all the dang bolts off. The only thing that could be holding them down is oil stiction but they won't budge.
I really want to knock at them with a rubber mallet but I know that's not the best idea.

[NewOldSchool]

Same thing happened to me, oil sticktion or something. Tap them lightly and wiggle them around while pulling up, they'll slide off.

[MCRider]

Yup ^^^.  Rubber mallet OK. light taps should do it. Each has 2 locating dowels on the back sides that will also put up a fight. So keep your taps equal. DOn't want to rock it much and put it in a bind.

[grumpy]

OK got them off.
The pucks were the problem. They're rock hard & were stuck good to both the tower & the head.

Side note:
The pucks were still sealing. There was no oil underneath. I thought for sure I'd find one or two had failed. Guess the leak is from farther down. Time to pull the head...

And you guys were NOT kidding about the tight access to the two outboard head bolts! Man, couldn't they have open the bores up a little more??

[MCRider]

OK got them off.
The pucks were the problem. They're rock hard & were stuck good to both the tower & the head.

Side note:
The pucks were still sealing. There was no oil underneath. I thought for sure I'd find one or two had failed. Guess the leak is from farther down. Time to pull the head...

And you guys were NOT kidding about the tight access to the two outboard head bolts! Man, couldn't they have open the bores up a little more??

You can reach the outboard 2 either from above, or from the side, slide a open end wrench in thru the fins to engage the hex.

Be sure to remove them (all 4) first before removing the head nuts. They should be fairly easy to turn. If you remove the head nuts first the head will relax into those 4 bolts and make them very hard to turn.

[grumpy]

Thanks! Good tip!

[HondaMan]

While you have those towers off: pull out the dowel pins and polish them down a bit with 100 grit emery paper. They have swelled with crud a hair over the years, making them stick. They will also be hard to reassemble!

[Dyrden]

Good tips here guys.  I'm feeling a bit dense and have used the search function.  Ive pulled the cam and rockers/shafts and see the 12mm stud nuts around the cam towers.  I saw its best remove the 4 small hex head bolts near the spark plugs:

1) The four small phillips/hex head bolts near the spark plugs look impossible to reach by sliding an open ended wrench through the fins(unless I grind the wrench down to about half its thickness.  Any other ideas to remove these? (I haven't tackled it yet, and have to go to work but if there's a trick or tool I can buy at sears then Ill pick it up on the way home)  Grumpy, did you just use a long phillips at an extreme angle? Howd you do it?

2) Here's where I'm feeling extra dense.  The 12mm stud nuts under the cam tower seem barely or not accessible with a 12mm open ended wrench.  A socket doesn't fit because of the shape and overhang of the cam towers.  A closed 12mm wrench is too thick to slip over the stud and clear the edges of the cam tower.  How did you guys pull these without going crazy or stripping the bolts by not getting good wrench to nut contact?  I used a standard 12mm opened ended wrench and was just able to spin the more accessible of the bunch but the ones near the center of the cam towers are very recessed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[MCRider]

Good tips here guys.  I'm feeling a bit dense and have used the search function.  Ive pulled the cam and rockers/shafts and see the 12mm stud nuts around the cam towers.  I saw its best remove the 4 small hex head bolts near the spark plugs:

1) The four small phillips/hex head bolts near the spark plugs look impossible to reach by sliding an open ended wrench through the fins(unless I grind the wrench down to about half its thickness.  Any other ideas to remove these? (I haven't tackled it yet, and have to go to work but if there's a trick or tool I can buy at sears then Ill pick it up on the way home)  Grumpy, did you just use a long phillips at an extreme angle? Howd you do it?

2) Here's where I'm feeling extra dense.  The 12mm stud nuts under the cam tower seem barely or not accessible with a 12mm open ended wrench.  A socket doesn't fit because of the shape and overhang of the cam towers.  A closed 12mm wrench is too thick to slip over the stud and clear the edges of the cam tower.  How did you guys pull these without going crazy or stripping the bolts by not getting good wrench to nut contact?  I used a standard 12mm opened ended wrench and was just able to spin the more accessible of the bunch but the ones near the center of the cam towers are very recessed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Not real sure what the problem is here. Maybe its that you haven't removed the cam towers/bearings/stands themselves?  But you say you've removed them?  If you have then this should all be clear. All the fasteners are straight shots, easy peazy. (Remember the 4 under the pucks come off/out first)

But your statement..."overhang of the cam towers" makes it sound like they are still there. They should be completely off the head.

All the things you inquire about are easily solvable, done all the time. First the comb hex/phillips are usually engaged from above. You must remove the rubber quarter size "biscuits" from their holes. If you're lucky a T Handle #3 phillips will get them. But not at an angle its a straight shot down from above. Too tight for that, a thinwalled deep well socket should do the trick.

All the 12mm head nuts should be accessable with standard 12mm socket, again straight shot.

[Dyrden]

Ah, I got it now.  Same deal as the OP.  They feel held down.  Ill pull the towers and gain access to the head stud nuts.  Thanks.  Had a brain fart there.  Mine must be stuck to the head.  Ill persuade them when I get home.

Thanks!

[MCRider]

Ah, I got it now.  Same deal as the OP.  They feel held down.  Ill pull the towers and gain access to the head stud nuts.  Thanks.  Had a brain fart there.  Mine must be stuck to the head.  Ill persuade them when I get home.

Thanks!

Oh you threw me a curve ball. I thought you WERE the OP!      

BE SURE to remove the 4 under the rubber puckies FIRST or you may suffer the fate of many who strip off the head of the screw.

[Dyrden]

Will do. Thanks. Feels good having oil on my hands.