After measuring the compression of the cylinders as 150/110/100/100 and finding water in the valve cover area it was obvious that, at a minimum, the head gasket needed replacement. Sounds simple, until the you realize the engine in question may not have ever been disassembled since 1978, and all the bolts are fuzed to the block.
Those that gave their all in attempting to remove the head from the engine block:
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| MGB Engine Head - Stubborn as a British Tory |
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| Autocraft Stud Remover - only partially accurate :-( |
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| MGB Center Head Stud - Snapped; air injection holes plugged. |
Finally - after many injuries and curses - the head is removed; the head gasket looks less than optimal - perhaps we shall not reuse it:
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| MGB Head Gasket is less than fantastic |
Well now that the head is removed.... I can't get
ANY of the seven remaining head studs out of the block. You can see the center stud is a bit shorter than the others, mostly due to its upper part BEING STUCK IN THE BLOODY
Autocraft Stud Remover And Snapper(TM). As we have a race in about three weeks, I shall decline to snap the remaining bolts and let a professional snap them. They will probably be quicker - took me a few days to just snap one!
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| Seven Angry Studs |
