Wrestling with the MG

I've spent most of my free time the past couple days trying to extract the MG's engine head for rebuilding. The compression was getting so poor that I couldn't get the car moving in first without revving it to 3,500 rpms and feathering the clutch. Since it makes no sense to keep continually paying to have the valves adjusted every couple months (and it looks like a fairly difficult thing for a relative newbie like myself to do effectively), I decided to address the underlying problem. In order to solve my ongoing compression issues, I need to get the head out of the MG and to a rebuilder who will check for cracks and replace the valve seats.

I say need rather than needed because, despite two days hard labor, I have not managed to remove it. I did manage to unfasten all the hoses, the valve cover, and the intake and exhaust manifolds. Though I bloddied up my hands pretty good in the process, that part was fairly easy (if time consuming). After removing all attached parts, I then removed the nuts that were torqued down onto the head. This should have freed the head. Unfortunately thirty years of oil muck and oxidation have frozen the head in place. I tried using the starter motor to dislodge the head, but no luck there. After querying the MG BBS, I found that the head studs are often the culprit. So I started to remove the head studs. After tons of penetrant and much work with the wratchet, I have removed all but four of the head studs. Sadly, those four are seriously stuck.

As of this moment, the head won't budge. A friend from the MGOC is coming to help me tomorrow. He's bringing a crowbar as a last resort.

In other automotive news, I finally have a working radio in the Camry again. Thanks to Sir rLog for his generous help with the installation.