1974 Daimler Double-Six VDP (higher axle stands)

Yes. Been thinking along those lines for a while peteh1969 but no-one else has ever suggested it so I thought I was perhaps being ridiculous.

All the guidance with these engines is to make sure the liners don't move but, on a seized engine, this is exactly what you'd want. It means you can still get the piston assy out the block then work on separating any stuck ones on the bench. On an engine without wet liners the pistons are still stuck in the block.

I'm thinking once the other head is off if I turn the crank will get movement as long as stuck pistons are ones going in same direction. If they are all stuck or ones going in opposite directions will need to take conrod caps off and tap them out.

I've also had a dry-run with the HE and find you can get the pistons out easily. Funnily enough last night I took the 2nd bank of pistons out the HE and the very last one brought its liner out with it. No real pressure used. Think it was just the conrod catching the edge of the liner as I tapped it up. The manual tells you to press them out but I don't think that would be necessary.


last piston out of HE block brought its liner with it under very gentle pressure

Thanks ivanhoew. I was actually thinking about all this last night. Made the mistake of reading a thread by rich American enthusiasts (about V12 compression problems) and went to bed feeling rather ill.

Among their talk of losing 9 thousands of an inch on timing due to slack in the chain there was talk of apprentices skimming heads squint or different amounts being taken of each head. Basically was thinking I can't hand these heads over to anyone. Especially not in Scotland. Sorry to any patriotic Scots out there but I've found most guys here in the motor trade can barely read and do things the way Big Frank or someone told them to

So yeah I was thinking can you get a big bit of glass and take the absolute minimum off the head yourself?

I'm enjoying this & the progress you are making.
In my experience I would clean all the bores with wire brush attachment in a grinder or a drill.
Everything you can (bores & piston tops). I'd then expect you to get a bit rock on the crank & with a bit back & forth it'll eventually turn. Done this many times.

As for recommendations in Scotland i'd suggest Engine Resources in Dundee. They did some unconventional work for me last year.

I'll be heading up there soon & if you can get the heads over the Clyde to Lanarkshire I don't mind taking them up there for a quote.
I.

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I've never been lucky locally in the past. Ones that still make my toes curl are:

• took Hillman Imp wishbone to Spark Eroding company in Hamilton to get hardened bolt out. The guy drilled it squint and said he'd tried to leave some of the thread in the wishbone for me. there is no thread in the wishbone. I's specifically asked him to spark it out
• trying to get correct paint and thinners from motor factors in Possil. They didn't do data sheets. Nothing had a name. They'd mix up some sort of paint for me (not the colour, the type). Gave me RFU acrylic clear and told me could mix it 50:50 with cellulose lacquer. Turned out like snakeskin. Asked another paint supplier for a viscosity cup. They weren't impressed
• Volksway, Burnside. entrusted with sorting idle problem on my Polo. Clueless. Made it worse with no apology, explanation or refund
• URO at Kinning Park. Constantly given wrong parts for Polo. The guy couldn't understand there was a 1.1 and a 1.05 engine. Totally different. Ended up having to shove the fkn Haynes manual in his face

Having said all that the guy at Southern Cylinder Grinding Co (off Victoria Road) seemed to know what he was doing and took his art very seriously

shell looks ok?

So last night nearly got the bank-A head off all in one go. It's so much easier when you do things a 2nd time. I think it's fear of the unknown that slows most restorations down. If I got another XJ could probably get to the stage I'm at just now in 7 months, rather than 7 years work.

Good examples were replacing the sills and wheelarches. Job was on hold for months & months as I thought the car would fold in half when I removed the old ones and with the arches I kept buying different ones as they didn't fit properly. When I finally took the plunge had them on in a night or two.

Anyway back to the other head and its studs. I had all the thin outers off already. Wasn't going to waste time trying to get the thin inners out as you can't really get to them and they were left in on the B head which came off fine so my plan was just to remove the 10 thick studs that live in the water jacket. Getting bold I wasn't even going to bother taking out the front and back thick studs since they, like the thin studs, wouldn't be corroded.

I also figured might not even bother taking all the water-jacket studs out as the B head came off with 2 still in place.

So welded two nuts on properly to a couple of the inners. First one came out fine and it was the middle one which lives in a deeper part of the casting. Was pleased about that as this one had snapped on the other bank. Next one was easy to reach front one and it snapped below the head. Not great but not too worried as been through this with B head.



better welds on nuts this time. this is inner row 1st & middle water-jacket studs




middle one came out fine



front one snapped before turning



I also welded nut to another inner stud. The stud between the one that came out and the one that snapped (so 2nd front)and it moved but jammed so I've poured the last of my brake-fluid/acetone mix onto that and the snapped one.




#2 inner stud turned but jammed so left for time being


Next I got all the outers out without any drama. Some I loosened with the sliding T-bar instead of having to get the big bar on them. If they need that it worries me. Actually I'm not so sure if the Cola I posted about earlier had any effect as these outer studs didn't get any fluid down them and all came out fine.




example outer stud which came out fine...



...without chemical help despite being very corroded so jury is out on Cola




two of the Coke-free outer studs came out under normal pressure from sliding T-bar


So I figured with only four problem studs remaining (inner row) there would be enough movement available on the outer edge to tap a gap open but it wasn't sounding like it would go so then I took out the front and back outer ones with the lock-nut trick (again, easier now that I've done it so many times).



decided to take out front & back (outer) non water-jacket studs to increase movement available to rock head


Then welded nuts onto the last two inners studs. One wound out fine altho I just couldn't get the end of it out the head and the other turned a few times then jammed.



2nd inner stud to come out



the one next to it moved a fair bit before jamming


At this point I couldn't really go any further and it was after 3am so was right time to try tapping and straight away it opened up. It's not shakeable like the B head was when there were only two studs left but I think it will go.


head starting to move with gentle tapping. that'll do for tonight



#1 (snapped before moving) & #2 (moved a couple of turns) inner studs left soaking in some penetrating fluid


There's basically only 3 studs that can be stopping it lifting. The snapped one which hasn't turned at all and the two that jammed after several turns. Worst case scenario is that I need to snap them to get the head off.

Anyway I've been musing over what to do for the next stage. Lets say I get the IRS back on. I can then move the car back far enough to get crane in for engine-removal. The length of the box/engine combined is apparently 7' so am gonna need at least 10' in front of the car for working and space to move it back plus I need to get the crane in the other end of barn past a VW Polo, a Hillman Imp and 7 motorbikes (one of which is on a hydraulic bike-lifter) so it's a major upheaval. Plus need to get the crane down from a lock-up about 4 miles away. Am therefore keen on the idea of removing the engine & box from below or just the engine. Not sure what's do-able but have seen ppl on other forums getting the box out separate. with the engine having no heads etc on it am sure it would come out the bottom.

Then there is always the option of just leaving the engine and box in and removing the crank/pistons etc from the block.

You read my mind ftz313

I was thinking about that especially with the nuts being welded on top of two of the studs but I reckon they'll either snap or come out next time I work on it and then the head should come off like the last one.

Well done Sir.

The corrosion happens as the gasket only seals the outer edge of the block and the cylinders at the fire rings - If care is not taken with the correct antifreeze type and strengths then electrolytic corrosion sets up between the Steel studs and the aluminium - the aluminium being sacrificial.

You are actually quite lucky - I have seen Imp heads which sit in similar open deck block type construction have corrosion 1/8" + deep and undercutting the fire rings - Rover V8's that have a closed deck typically only corrode around the edges of the water way at each end of the head as the whole gasket is compressed and not in contact with water.

The Honda V6 I stripped had dire corrosion set up by the fire rings that was disolving the alloy around the liners whilst oily bits looked like they had done 20K

Epic engines a V12 and I admire the work and efforts gone into stripping that lot down.