MG Car Repair: MG Midget, wooden mallet, head gasket

Question
I am replacing the head gasket on my 1972 MG Midget 1275.I have followed the instructions in the manual regarding striping it down but I cannot break the seal on the old gasket to remove the head. I have rocked the car, turned the flywheel, struck the head with a wooden mallet and soaked the area in WD40 without success. Do you have any tips on what may help?

Answer
Hi Mark,
Yes, the head does stick to the block sometimes. Various methods are used by mechanics but don't give in to the one that tells you to drive a wedge like a screwdriver or such between the head and block. Even though the head and block are iron, you can still damage the mating surfaces.

Sometimes you can attach a chain to the forward most stud for the thermostat and attach it to an engine hoist and just put a good amount of strain on it and leave it that way over night. On the most stubborn ones you can remove the rocker arms and push rods and use a stud remover to remove all of those studs and use two thin nuts on each of the other studs as the "Double Nut" method to remove them.

Sometimes with the studs out the head will break loose easier. The objective is to put a strain on only one end of the head to start the release of the gasket. An engine hoist or chain hoist lifting hard on the forward most thermostat stud usually does the trick.

Most of the head gaskets were coated with a sealer that is activated by heat and swells up to make a good seal but it also sometimes makes a good bond also. Do NOT coat the new gasket with anything and do clean both surfaces very well with Emory cloth and have the head checked with a machinist straight edge.
Howard