Need help removing cam tower

[danielt]

The cam tower appears to be sealed to the heads with a black goop. I have removed all 18 nuts, yet the tower will not budge. I have attempted to pry the tower off and also picked up the entire engine by the cam tower and it won't budge. Is there a secret button to push or what???? Oh by the way it is an 1981 3.0L from an SC.

Thanks,
DAniel

[Thomas Owen]

Hopefully you have removed the chain housing, and, if so, you could tap with a mallet around the tower. The surface area between the tower and head is not great, someone probably used a different sealant/adhesive than loctite 574.
Good luck.
Tom

[Jim Sims]

Presuming you have removed cams, rocker arms, chain cases and all 18 nuts (including the three internal wrenching barrel nuts from both cam towers (both sides of the engine) for a total of 36 nuts then try using a soft face/dead blow hammer against the towers. Do not hit the cylinder head fins; they'll break off! Recall that each cylinder head also has two locating pins which will limit sideways movement of the towers; they have to be lifted off after being broken free. Pray that the "Dukes of Hazard" didn't epoxy the cam towers on!

[Early_S_Man]

If the heads are still bolted to the studs ... take off all 24 10 mm Allen nuts and take the head/cam tower assembly off at once! Put the heads in a Black & Decker Workmate, and get a 2x6 piece of lumber 4-5 feet long and pry at the ends of the cam tower ... SLOWLY!!! If the black 'gunk' is like tar ... pounding isn't the answer!

------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

[john walker's workshop]

once the cam tower/head assembly is on the bench and all the nuts removed, i've never had any that didn't come apart easily with a little pry on both sides of the head, using a stout screwdriver blade.

[danielt]

Thanks everyone. After taking the heads and camtower off as one piece, it was much easier to seperate the heads individually.

Thanks again,
Daniel