Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I will be putting new heads on a 56 400 this weekend. 352 V-8. Any advice? The heater core box looks to be a bit of a pain to work around. I would appreciate any input on this. Thanks gentlemen.

Have you read the shop manual? It gives a step-by-step including the notation that you must remove the heater. Relatively easy to remove though you'll almost certainly find that you'll need a new rubber gasket between it and the cowl.

One thing not mentioned in the shop manual is that you will need two big guys to lift off one head. I prefer to use a "cherry picker" (engine hoist) instead.

Also, you should have a 374CID not 352CID engine. Once the heads are off you can tell by the bore size.

Craig

Perhaps Randy Berger will chime in here, as I recall he built a simple but elegant ramp system to get the heads in and out, and as I recall he has pictures. They don't match a Mopar Hemi for weight, but they are surely heavy!

The heater box prohibits R&R of the rear most head bolt that paasses thru the rear most rocker shaft perch.

My advice to use a cherry picker, small block and tackle or prefer a differential hoist. Of course that means removal of the hood.
The head weighs 70 pounds BARE. Probably about 85 pounds fully dressed.

Back in the day, my dad used to lift 'em off by hand, after making a couple of tee handles out of some bolts that fit threaded holes in the head (perhaps with the rocker shafts removed?). He still has those handles somewhere in one of the old tool boxes.

IIRC, Randy Berger made a couple of straps, from flat bar stock, that would allow you to do same.

I think I'd spare straining my back and make a fixture that would let a cherry picker lift 'em off and set 'em back on, but hold them at the proper angle. Of course, I have three cars and a few used engines to deal with.

Good advice above. A cherry picker makes life easier, but with a moving blanket across the hood, two strong guys can get one in place by the armstrong method. The technical paper says a bare head weighs 64# and a little more than 70# with springs/valves/retainers. Not necessary to add the rockers till it is in place on the head.

Be sure to watch the locating dowel sleeves both on the head/block and the head/rocker shaft stands. All too often, they aren't started straight, get pinched, mess up rocker shaft alignment and torque. I've even see a few engines with them missing entirely.

thnx, jack vines

I apologize, the vehicle is 55 400. The heads i have are rebuilt off of my 55 Clipper 352. Is this gonna work?

Quote:
<p>1955 Clipper engines were 320CID. But, yes, it will work.</p>
<p>What is wrong with the heads on your 400 engine? Did you have hardened exhaust seats installed on the rebuilt heads?
</p>
<p>
Craig
</p>

Good point about the hardened valve seats. I wouldn't install a set of heads that hadn't had those installed. In any case I did it myself without a cherry picker and I am a little fellow not given to strongarming anything. I made the handlles out of scrap iron. I couldn't find 14mm bolts anywhere so I made the bolts that screwed into the sparkplug holes out of two old sparkplugs. I slid the heads down a wood ramp onto the valley cover, removed the ramp and laid the head on the valley cover gently and then lifted the heads from the cover to their proper location on the block. Pictures are better than words.

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