Clever way to pull M30 head??

[Robin-535im]

Pulling the head to see if the broken rocker arm caused any damage to the valves (long-term operation at too low a lift).

I've got the head unbolted and all the connections to it disconnected. It's ready to be lifted off along with the intake manifold.

That sucker is too heavy for me to do alone though... even with help I'm not sure of the easiest way to get it out of the car without a cherry picker.

Is it easier if I take off the hood? Is there a clever way anyone has worked out to lift the head out of the engine bay with 1 person - besides being a burly-man and just hefting it out?

Many thanks,

- Robin

[shogun]

Feel sorry for you, that you have to do it alone. Even someone who does not know anything about a car, is very helpful in assisting.
Just yesterday we did a valve body job and replaced in and out seals on an Alpina B12 5.0 with 4 persons.
Took us from 8 AM till 8 PM, even though we had a pit, a hydraulic trans lifter and other nice anemities.
Do yourselves a favour and by a cherry pick, for example Harborfreight has one on sale now.
One of the best investments in tools I have done last year
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=crane&Submit=Go

You will be happy to use it many times, and 2 good high ramps are also good for any under car job.

Good Luck, Robin

[genphreak]

If you don't have the inlet manifold on, it shouldn't be too hard to lift but it will be easy to drop. To avoid injury and damage you MUST have two people or a block and tackle. A 4wd recovery strap would help (cheap from an auto store too) if you have a beam overhead- can you not rig something up? Good luck...

Beware that the locating dowels are

a) only 5mm high and once off them the head will want to slip under gravity.
b) come out and are easy to lose.

The only way I know is with 2;
ie Working on either side to loosen it, then lifting and (with a handy lump of wood one can rest it whilst the helper runs around and helps you. Bonnet (hood) can thus stay on... np.

:) Nick

[Martin in Bellevue]

This is why I covet the I beam & chain hoist. Although, taking the intake off isn't that big a deal, even with my gorilla hands.

[Dash01]

I got my M30 head off without a hoist, and after unbolting the exhaust manifolds, the intake parts except for the alu. intake manifold, and the timing chain sprocket, etc..

After unbolting the relevant stuff, put pads on the fenders to protect the paint, then laid 2 2x6s flat across the engine bay, then lifted by hand while assistant slipped the boards under the head, then slid the head sideways to rest on the boards by the passenger side fender, then lifted the head by hand (not that heavy) onto waiting wood blocks. Don't lay it down on a flat surface, due to valves sticking down, which you don't want to damage or bend.

Installation in reverse order, but used a ladder and rope to lower it into place. Did not break the fragile chain guide, etc. or touch/bugger the valves, firewall fittings, etc.. It helps to have enough rope so the head hangs 12-18" below the ladder, so it has enough swing to manouever while the ladder is resting on your shoulders. Think: dead tiger hanging from pole carried by natives

This manual method was quicker and cheaper than going to all the time and expense of bringing a hoist to the jobsite, which was my driveway. If my garage had been available, I'd have screwed an eyebolt into a ceiling joist and rigged a pulley. Does your kid have a swingset? That would make a good hoist frame. Got a good shade tree?

[BimmerMeUp]

Does your kid have a swingset? That would make a good hoist frame. Got a good shade tree?

You beat me to it... I've done the swingset trick before, just be sure it's not too rusted...

[92E34]

I've got an idea, though politically incorrect, Go find some Mexicans to help you get it off. Two or three should do it.

P.S. I know I'm going to hell.

[Mr Project]

I did it by myself with the intake manifold on, and I'm hardly big or strong. I think with a helper and a couple blocks of wood so you can get it part way up and then 'take a break' while setting it on the wood, you'd be fine.

[Ross]

Did mine w/ in & ex manifolds. Climb in there and grunt a bit.

[535ise]

Take the inlet manifold off and it shouldn't be too heavy for one bloke to lift ?

You will ideally need some help to put it back on but it's not impossible on your own.

[Dash01]

If I had this to do again, I'd still use the 2x6 board trick, as described above, but would leave the exhaust manifolds on, too, or at least put them on before re-installing the head. (Ex. manifold studs are difficult to reach and properly torque once the head is in place on the block--not much room to work. Off the car, this is easy, but makes positioning the assembled head/manifolds more difficult.) BTW, install and index the spark plugs and oil pressure sender while the head is still on the bench--easier.

I'd also use a couple of ~4-6" lengths of 1/2" dowel rod inserted in a couple of head bolt holes, as temporary alignment pins for re-installation of the head. This would keep the head and HG in place and from sliding around until the head bolts are installed.

[Robin-535im]

I'd also use a couple of ~4-6" lengths of 1/2" dowel rod inserted in a couple of head bolt holes, as temporary alignment pins for re-installation of the head. This would keep the head and HG in place and from sliding around until the head bolts are installed.
Thanks guys for all the great suggestions. This board is a valuable resource for sure.

Harbor Freight had a 2-ton hoist for $180 with a 2/year replace-it-for-any-reason warranty. Since this is my first time I figured I'd take it slow and use some mechanical assistance... and considering I have to do all my work between 10:00PM and bedtime, getting help is less of an option. Plus, considering the Harbor Freight hydraulics go kaput after 1.5 years, a 2-year warranty looked really good.

Bought the lift and got the head out. Installing the manifolds to put it back in should be easier now too. It wasn't *that* heavy but without having seen how it all goes together it would have been risky to heft it out manually. Plus, I just had the fender resprayed so I'm certain it would get scratched if I gave it half a chance (still might, have to put it back in).

Seemed like a lot of carbon buildup on the pistons, more than I expected at 70k miles on the engine. Valves look fine to me, but I'll have to read up (or ask here) on a good way to clean it all up and check the valves for wear and tear.

Thanks again for the replies.

[grave77]

shouldn't be that hard .. I lifted it with a partner without removing the hood. you need a wooden log with a hammer to make the head get off the old gasket then it's ready to be lifted. I made my friend help me to hold it then I carried it alone to the bench.

[Ferret]

It's not that heavy!

Someone needs to go to the gym :p

Question though: Which is heavier... M30 head or M50 head?

[Ross]

How about holding that head out at arms length while saying that?

[Ferret]

How about holding that head out at arms length while saying that?

Haha, I cant keep hold of it unless I'm holding it by an end or have it wedged in my stomach :D

They /are/ heavy but not unliftable. I'd only say they weighed the same as the miniframes I work with at work.

[grave77]

sure it's M50 it has 2 cams "DOHC" also M50 heads are thicker

[Dash01]

How about holding that head out at arms length while saying that?


That's why I used the dead-tiger-hanging-from-a-pole-carried-by-native-porters trick, plus the two 2x6s laid across the engine bay: Lift with the pole and rope tied to the head (the far end of the pole resting on the far fender lip, the near end on your shoulder), then slip the 2x6s underneath, then slide the head over the 2x6s to the fender, then lift by hand and take it to the machinist for rebuilding.

The head weighs less than 80 lbs. or so, with manifolds attached. The far end of the pole holds ~1/2 that weight, so we're not talking about a major hernia here.

[Ferret]

That's why I used the dead-tiger-hanging-from-a-pole-carried-by-native-porters trick

Lmao, what brilliant imagery.

[Dash01]

Lmao, what brilliant imagery.

Glad you liked it. Worked great for me, with far less time, expense, and trouble than going to a rental place and dragging home a hoist. Actually, quicker than even calling Harbor Freight with credit card to order their hoist, which would then take days to arrive, plus time to set up and then store afterward.

If you have a garage, carport, or tree handy, you could also rig a rope and pulley for a hoist.

And, you'd probably would like my $5 crankshaft securing device, used to hold the crankshaft while removing the big 36mm nut on the timing chain sprocket.

You may also appreciate my breaker bar torque wrench used to retighten said nut on re-assembly. This involves a long breaker bar, a ~36mm socket, a bathroom scale, and simple arithmatic.

[skr]

come on, it's not that heavy... me and a friend carried the whole m21 (complete block and head) hanged with v-belts on a 2 meter pipe across my yard. i'm sure you can lift a head

[Robin-535im]

come on, it's not that heavy... me and a friend carried the whole m21 (complete block and head) hanged with v-belts on a 2 meter pipe across my yard. i'm sure you can lift a head
And there was this other time, where I was like, so strong, that I lifted a really heavy thing, and all the other guys were like, dude, isn't that heavy, and I was all, not for me dude.

:)

Seriously though - thanks for the vote of confidence. It's not especially heavy, just awkward and kind-of heavy, which to me means that if I'm not careful I'll break something, snap a wire, scratch the paint, etc., while wrangling it out of there. HF had a nice little crane for not too much that will help putting it back in nice and slow so I can line it up w/o hurting anything.

[skr]

i got one of those nice cranes too, but it takes time to install,you have to have a beam or something overhead to hang it on, etc. my grandpa told me something bout lifting stuff when i was little: If you can lift it, lift it. If you can't think of something else. :)