Remove heads without pulling motor

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dart_68

dart_68

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Got a quick question.

Can the heads on a V8 in a 73 Duster with headers be pulled without pulling the motor? I'm wondering if there's enough room to move the headers far enough to get to the lower bolts.

Thanks.
 
I did on the passenger side of my dart. But the drivers side was a nope. But I have power steering in the way.
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yes you just undo the collector so the headers can swing and move forward and back enough to get at the lower bolts .
 
Its not easy, but I did it once in college in the parking lot of my apartment complex...at night because we were not allowed to work on cars in the parking lot (LAME!). I think it will depend on the headers. The ones I had (cheap-0's), the flange was in the way...I had to use a universal joint for a few of the center lower bolts.
 
yes its possible i just did this last week. but if you have a brake booster you have to remove it. Also chasing threads and trying to keep all the push rods in order when pulling apart so they go back the same. also there are two notches at the end of the rocker arm shaft driver side points to the front and passenger to the back.
 
Yup. Fixed a burned valve in my dart. But had stock manifolds.
 
Thanks for the info all. I was asking because I'm trying to decide whether or not to install my 360 with the stock heads and change them to better flowing heads later or to blow off this year and just keep the engine out and put the heads on for next year.
 
Change heads many times on 68 and 69 darts with headers without pulling motor. Manual brake cars, one had power steering. Back couple bolts can be a pain but you can get them
 
The worse part is the reinstall and torquing the bolts down. I’ve done it on a truck and it was harder than it looks, even when you have a ton of room, whichyou don’t in an A body.

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get a shoe box with a lid , label drivers and passenger side plus front and back on the lid then take every bolt and push rod out in order from front to back on 1 side at a time .stab them into the shoe box lid hanging down into the box in order as you take them out . voila everything neatly organized and ready to back together the exact same way it cane apart .
 
dart_68 said:
Thanks for the info all. I was asking because I'm trying to decide whether or not to install my 360 with the stock heads and change them to better flowing heads later or to blow off this year and just keep the engine out and put the heads on for next year.
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I wouldn't suggest skipping this year if you are ready to install what you have. Once you put it off, it becomes easy to put it off again, and again. Next thing you know, a few years have gone by and your car is still sitting with no engine.
As for swapping heads in the car, I will never do that again on a A-body with hedders. It's actually easier if you just take the engine out again. Engines come out so easy, it actually takes me less time than fighting everything in that tiny engine compartment.
Either way, good luck with the project.
 
I think it's a header dependent question. I just had to pull mine off, 2 weeks after I installed the motor.....

With TTI's , it wasn't that bad. Just unbolted the collectors and dropped Pittman and idler arms, so I could move the headers around a bit..
 
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