Topic: The Cylinder Head just won't come off!

[Romhog]

Well, I'm glad I have the patience, but attempting to remove the cylinder head on my CB550 over the weekend felt like.... controlled violence ... but in the end, I can't get it removed!!
I sprayed  pbblaster and let it soke for about 3-4 hours and tried using various hammer and wedge techniques but just started getting nervous that I would crack it or mar up the head/block.

I think where the wind in my sails went limp was when I finally got the idea to setup a wedge point with 2 car jacks across the bike and a large steel pipe sitting on top of the them to make a "table" to wedge on.  ( the pipe sits though were the carbs would be) up as close as I could to the intakes and then took a  large crowbar and just about stood on the bar with my other foot on the foot petal to keep the bike from lifting off the ground, and then started hammering it as well with a 3 -lb hammer. and she just won't show signs of letting go.

I have the 2 flange bolts removed and all 12 bolts are either removed or (a few of them are turning the bolts with them but have enough room to at least free loose.) .  I tried a bit of heating up the gap as well but only for about 5 min around the block 2-3 times but nothing changed.

does anyone have another trick or idea I can try? I have a feeling the only method that will work is the hammer and chisel  but i hate hitting the block like that trying to get a wedge started.

thanks in advance!

Paul

[754]

Do you have a manual? Iknow on 750 there are a few bolts everyone misses, if they do not use the book.

[Romhog]

yeah I'm working right out of the Service Repair Manual. Not that it matters but you said 750 and my bike is a 550. I just had a weird idea but those bolts should be floating through the head not threaded correct ?? I've never seen bolt straight all the way through a cylinder head before but that's just me trying to think Of reasons

[rb550four]

I've had this problem with seized 550's before, used to hang the motors from the rafters, then I found that leaving it in the frame offers more weight for pulling the jugs off



I set them up like this and it usually works overnight . Although I did have a really stubborn one once that
required a 1 1/4 overturned socket over a rag and an air chisel, hitting the chisel a few times on the socket to break the pistons free. The rag is very important , if you don't use one you won't be saving the piston. You just want to break the rings free and the head( that is tied to the rafters with the bike hanging) the bike will eventually slip downward and the jugs will be left suspended. Sorry about the crappy pics.      RB

[rb550four]

Cylinder head, duh, if the cam and timing chain aren't out and  the 2 bolts under the cam covers,  aren't off , you can pull your ass off all day and it won't come. Please post pics of this pressure resistant engine so we can get a better idea of what's going on.    RB

[754]

If everything is off that should be,,make a fitting to put grease nipple into a sparkplug thread..then pump it into acylinder with closed valves.. Pump it off..

[Romhog]

thanks for sharing the pics and taking the time to give me ideas.....
 I feel so bad and maybe heading home after 7 days strait of working  to tackle taking the head off the bike isn't a good idea  ...... but...754 hit the nail on the head..... I @#^@#^ forgot to get one of the nuts loose that I thought was one stuck to the bolt (but loose). turns out I just overlooked it 3 times.... 
head is off!

[lucky]

Happens 99% of the time.

[iron_worker]

Hopefully you didn't wreck anything while trying to jam wedges under it....

IW

[Duanob]

Happens 99% of the time.

Yep to all of us!