I'm replacing the head gasket and doing the timing belt and after getting all the head bolts out the damn cylinder head wont come off.

Yes all ten bolts are out
Radiator is out
exhaust mani is out
intake mani bracket and alternator bracket are off
all wiring harness plugs and fuel rail are off

What do I do? I need to have it going by tomorrow, I am at the mercy of the EvoM Gods.....

I wacked it pretty hard with a rubber mallot and it doesnt lift off the block. I saw people recommending using a screw driver to pry and that sounds like an aweful idea.

 

If you're positive everything is off, then pry bar.

 

that's going to mess up my head though, right?

 

Shouldn't be that tough. even with my high mileage it pulled off. Just used a screwdriver between the edges and it lifted off.

I would highly recommend the service manual Cd just incase you overlooked a bracket.

Good luck.

 

Another screwdriver user! Are you prying a the corners?

 

Just tried prying and I got it up half an inch but that's it. I can locate where exactly it's "sticking". I tried to take the intake mani off but there is no way to get the three bolts on the bottom!

 

Did you take the support bracket off?? It's the black one with the 4 bolts through it. Also the Alt bracket goes to the head to.

 

There are dowels on each side of the block I think. They sort of "locate" the head to make sure it's on exactly where its supposed to be. You might not be able to pry one side up more than an inch or so without doing the other side too. Screwdriver should work fine for prying, just use a rag over it or something.

Here's a pic of what I mean.

 

Thanks for the input guys, it's time to give it another go...

 

the support brackets that connect to the intake manifold are out? if you lay under the car you can get to them. also the mivec oil feed line is it disconnected?

 

At last! That MIVEC oil line was it! I don't know how i didn't see it all this time, what a time consuming mistake! The head is off, the Buschur dual valve springs are being put it, then I have to do the timing belt while its apart and then bolt it all back together. Oh yea, and a nice pair of S2's while I'm at it.

Thanks again for the help everyone!

 

Good luck putting it al together

 

Hopefully no damage?

 

i fought with my mivec oil feed line trying to get it back on and come to find out it was slightly bent so may want to check into that

 

Alright! I have the new springs on and cams in, the head is back on the car BUTTTTTTTTTTT I may have messed up. When I put the new cams on they didn't go on the exact same positioning as the originals, aka the dowel pin on the end of the cam is at a 45 degree angle instead of straight up. I realized this after I bolted it to the block so I hope I didn't bend a valve.

I'm pretty sure its fine though, so I'm going to use a crecent wrench and slowly turn the cams to the position the need to be in, I need some way to keep them there because they want to spring back....

We'll see.