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MG MGA - engine removal with aluminum head

Hi,

I was reading Barney's site about engine removal. He says the easiest way is to "Remove valve cover and attach a 16 to 18 inch length of 1/4 inch log chain to the valve cover attachment studs using flat washers and hex nuts (tight)"

Would this be safe if I have an aluminum head? I don't want to damage it.

Thanks,

Darian
Darian Henderson

Hi Darian. I would not use that method with an aluminum cylinder head. I would be afraid the aluminum threads might let go. I have pulled my all cast iron engine by placing a chain over top of the engine, and fastening each end to the front motor mounts and then connecting the center of the chain to the engine hoist. This is the way I have always pulled my engine, and it works extremely well. As the hoist is raised, the engine tips at a steep angle, which helps the engine clear the body. Let us know how the engine removal goes. Cheers, Glenn
Glenn

Hi Darian. Oops. Sorry, one end of the chain goes around the motor mount, The other end wraps around the exhaust manifold. All else above is correct Sorry for the error, Glenn
Glenn

I always use one of those "tilt an engine" bars. I pass one chain under the engine just in front of the sump (oil pan) and one behind the sump. One chain goes to the front of the engine tilter and one to the rear of it.
Tilting the engine to the exact angle is easy by just turning the handle on the end of the threaded bar.

Mick
Mick Anderson

I made a pulling attachment out of a big piece of angle iron. I drilled 4 holes in one side for the rocker studs, and then a series of lifting holes in the opposite flange along it's full length. I fasten it to the engine using the two outer (long) rocker studs, and then choose the appropriate lifting hole (depending on weight/balance due to which parts are installed) and fasten my engine crane to it with a shackle. If you need a better explanation, I will try to remember to take a picture tomorrow since it is still attached to my engine, which is currently hanging from a stand.

Del Rawlins

Mine has an aluminum head and I used the Barney method with no problems. (I separated tranny first, too.)
Steve

The alumimum head should not make a difference. I use the stud at the back of the engine and the front of the engine. I DO NOT USE the studs that hold the rocker arms that thread into the alum head. You can buy the anchor mounting lifts form Moss or Vic British and use a chain to lift it out
JEFF BECKER

Stop worrying about the strength of the rocker cover studs. When you tighten the nut on a 5/16-24 stud to 25 lb-ft torque you pull about 4200 pounds tension on the stud. Hanging a 400 pound engine on a pair of these studs is only 5% of that load.

The engine lifting bracket is intended to be used on the rocker cover studs, put in place of the thick washer under the cap nut. That allows for lifting the engine with the valve cover in place.

I have never owned the lifting brackets, just remove the valve cover and put the chain directly on the rocker cover stud with a flat washer and nut, and be sure the nut is tight.
Barney Gaylord

Well, that's good to know. The car's going to the body shop soon and everyone I've talked to wants the engine pulled before they paint the engine compartment. I guess it's not too hard to do, but I'll avoid it if possible.

Thanks again,

Darian
Darian Henderson

Darian-It's not the strength of the studs I'd be worried about,but the way the studs are mounted in the head.The HRG head uses different studs than an original cast iron head.They are only 1/4 inch into the aluminum of the head and underneath that is the waterjacket.You ruin that head,by putting stresses it wasn't made for, you might as well throw the money out your window,why take the chance.Just about everyone here has an iron head,how many have HRG's.
gary starr

When I was learning, we had a specialist in clutch and gearbox R&R who simply used the rockershaft itself - a heavy duty 3/8 dia 2" exhaust clamp on the center of the shaft. Lets you hook your hoist right in there, gives a lot of tiltability. I was horrified as a young smartass, but came to see that it put the load on all 4 rocker studs and 4 head studs too. Round part of the clamp on the shaft, hook on the pressed channel part. Been doing it that way for 40 years, still have the same HD muffler clamp! No hassle with dubious chains, ropes, brackets, etc; never slips, takes up no space, doesn't get hung up on brackets, break the t/stat housing or distributor cap, etc.
FRM
FR Millmore

FR, I'm not having a dig at your expense at all but, something I feel obliged to offer here.

A friend of mine recently pulled the head to repair a blown head gasket in his MGA. As he dismantled the rocker assembly (to use front and rear head studs to lift) he discovered the rocker shaft was fractured through its entire width. The fault was immediately adjacent to the rear face of the second pillar edge and concealed by the rocker, washer and spring.

Regards
Roger
Roger T

Gary, good point about the aluminum threads. I was thinking more about the danger of pulling the studs sideways by just using a chain, but it's probably better to make a bracket that goes under the head stud. The rocker shaft idea has some merit, but instead of using one exhaust clamp, maybe a couple (or more) of them bolted to some flat bar stock, which is actually attached to the hoist chain. That would tend to spread the load out some more and avoid damaging the shaft.
Del Rawlins

Roger-
That's nothing to do with lifting the engine - it's clearly a fatigue failure, not an overload failure, which would have bent it and destroyed the pillars. It probably resulted from running with loose head & rocker studs, maybe in the far distant past.

The approximate load on the shaft from a single open valve is: 150lb spring pressure + 150 x rocker ratio pushrod pressure, about 225lb = engine weight from one open valve. And it survives that for millions of cycles with more than one valve open at all times.

FRM
FR Millmore

FRM- I think what Roger means is that if your method was used to pull that engine the rocker shaft could have failed while in the air,Murphy's law being what it is-
gary starr

I never use the rocker studs to pull an engine with an HRG head on it - as has been stated, they are much different than a cast iron head and I think there is some danger to the rocker cover studs if you did it that way. You might be right and you COULD do it, by why take the risk when it is easy to avoid?

Just use a chain with one end on one of the rear exhaust studs in the head (more deeply seated in the head, and in sheer), and the other end on the top generator bracket hole. Yes, there will be some twist, but you should have someone helping you anyway and it is easy to pull them that way.

My record time is about 45 minutes to have it on the ground beside the car....
Bill Spohn

Thanks again.

Darian
Darian Henderson

This thread was discussed between 19/04/2007 and 23/04/2007

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