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rotorwrench · 03-26-2019, 01:04 PM

The L-head V8 is a simple motor. The first one I tore down was a real education. It was obvious that it was simple but it was also obvious that that simple valve train was frozen solid in the block. I lost my first home made horse shoe clip puller to a junk salvage guy that was given free range to haul off scrap when I was going to A&P school. That big 1.25" bar was 5 feet long and was tapered down to a point on one end with a slight S-curve to the tip end. I could hook into the clip holes and pry even the stiffest ones out. I miss that thing. I have All Power tools and an old KD Tool valve puller that do the job now.

Take your time with the pistons. If they aren't too rusty, you can drive them out. If they look like cauliflower with corrosion then sometimes they have to be broken out. A carefully worked hole saw can get the break out process started. It can be a lot of work for nothing if the block turns out to be bad but it is a challenge that most mechanics should experience at least once in their life.

03-26-2019, 01:04 PM	#19
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,453	Re: First Flathead Build The L-head V8 is a simple motor. The first one I tore down was a real education. It was obvious that it was simple but it was also obvious that that simple valve train was frozen solid in the block. I lost my first home made horse shoe clip puller to a junk salvage guy that was given free range to haul off scrap when I was going to A&P school. That big 1.25" bar was 5 feet long and was tapered down to a point on one end with a slight S-curve to the tip end. I could hook into the clip holes and pry even the stiffest ones out. I miss that thing. I have All Power tools and an old KD Tool valve puller that do the job now. Take your time with the pistons. If they aren't too rusty, you can drive them out. If they look like cauliflower with corrosion then sometimes they have to be broken out. A carefully worked hole saw can get the break out process started. It can be a lot of work for nothing if the block turns out to be bad but it is a challenge that most mechanics should experience at least once in their life.