1 person Head Removal? (2 Viewers)

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cybrstar

cybrstar

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I tried to search but there are too many threads on doing the Headgasket, which I am about to attempt. I was wondering how hard it is to pull and install the head with just 1 person? Is an engine crane/cherry picker needed or can you muscle it off/on?
 
I've done it twice alone and I have a cherry picker in the garage. I felt it was easier and I had more control by just lifting it in place. If you've removed the intake manifold it's not hard. I didn't remove the hood either, but I did set some long bolts with the heads cut off as alignment pins when I set it back on. Just be very cognizant of the head gasket and the radiator bypass nipple.
 
So using a Cherry Picker removing the hood is not necessary?
 
logicbyondreaso said:
If you are going to do it alone, get a cherry picker. No matter how strong you are, there is precision involved that you can't get by just muscling it.
I've done a head job twice by myself. Both times I used a hoist.
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I couldn't agree more. I did my '92 FJ80 head gasket last year. I removed the head with much difficulty by using blocks and plywood to lift the head over the radiator. It was time consuming and could have caused real damage. I got a cherry picker for the reassembly. I could see no way to lower this behemoth without damaging the new head gasket without the cherry picker. My sense is that you need to lower the head onto the gasket in a controlled, very slow way to align everything and not dent the cylinder crush seals.
 
Shipwreck said:
No, other way around. Depending on your cherry picker, the length of the arm and whether or not you use a leveller you probably need to remove the hood to allow clearance of the hoist.
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Man, the hood must weigh just as much as the head itself. :rofl:

That could shed off 50lbs if anyone made a carbon fiber hood.
 
It may be because my cherry picker is old and beat up, but the reason I preferred setting by hand method was because with one person you need to align the head in three planes with one hand while turning the bleed screw on the hoist using a long extension with the other hand. My cherry picker tends to drop quickly from a stop. I don't have as much precise control with the hoist as I do with just using my arms.
If you had a second person and an accurate hoist it would be a different story.
 
I remove the hood. I have always used just myself to pull and put back the head, you have more control then with a picker. I also remove the intake and exhaust to pull and put back on. It is not that heavy.
 
I'm not a big guy (actually the opposite) but I removed my hood and air filter assembly and sat in there and pulled/placed my head by myself (lap to block, heavy but not terribly difficult.)

I'd do it the same way next time, pulling the hood is great for access and lighting (and leverage as described.)
 
Engine hoist and a leveler make it a LOT easier. Pulling it is not that big a deal but reinstalling it requires a bit of finesse.

HG2.jpg
 
I did it myself with a few pulleys hanging from my garage ceiling rafters and some rope.. It was pretty easy this way, it also made installing it easier as well.. It will be nice to have a helper hold the rope while you eyeball everything when removing and installing..
 
ariff said:
I did it myself with a few pulleys hanging from my garage ceiling rafters and some rope.. It was pretty easy this way, it also made installing it easier as well.. It will be nice to have a helper hold the rope while you eyeball everything when removing and installing..
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Was going to do it this way as well, string a board between some rafters and then use rope... or rachet straps if really feeling redneck to pull up the head using the two engine hook attachments. I ended up just sitting in the engine bay hood still on with the airbox removed and I lifted the back and I was able to have a friend help for the front!
 
JM74 said:
Was going to do it this way as well, string a board between some rafters and then use rope... or rachet straps if really feeling redneck to pull up the head using the two engine hook attachments. I ended up just sitting in the engine bay hood still on with the airbox removed and I lifted the back and I was able to have a friend help for the front!
Click to expand...
Yeah I was a bit skeptical about how safe it would be, but did all the math and it ended up I could safely lift like 750 lbs and I knew the head did not weigh anywhere near that. It is more just awkward trying to evenly lift it off and lower it on.. The pulleys worked great.. So good I left everything installed up there for if I ever needed to do something like this again.
 
ariff said:
Yeah I was a bit skeptical about how safe it would be, but did all the math and it ended up I could safely lift like 750 lbs and I knew the head did not weigh anywhere near that. It is more just awkward trying to evenly lift it off and lower it on.. The pulleys worked great.. So good I left everything installed up there for if I ever needed to do something like this again.
Click to expand...

Sounds stout! I think the head only weighs 80ish pounds, If im not wrong you could almost pull the whole block at 750 rated lbs... lol
 
I sat my head on a 1x12 on the drivers side, wiggled one foot down to the frame rail behind the ac compressor and the other foot on the cross member under the removed radiator. I picked the head up and gently sat it on the alignment pins. No issues. Its heavy but not unwieldy.
 
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