GS550E TSCC Head Removal

[BSAKat]

Hey friends,

Do you absolutely have to pull the camshafts out of the 550E's TSCC head to remove the head itself or can they be left in place? I'm trying to get this head off and I've removed the rocker cover, oil lines, the 12 acorn bolts inside the head, the entire exhaust, and everything else save for the cams but the head refuses to separate from the cylinder block. I tapped it loose with a nylon deadblow hammer, but all it's done is knocked the cylinders loose from the bottom end, so that now when I pull on the head the entire assembly wants to come up. This is, uh, less than ideal.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Well, there's the whole issue of the pesky cam chain in the way, keeping the head literally chained to the crank shaft.

[BSAKat]

Well, there's the whole issue of the pesky cam chain in the way, keeping the head literally chained to the crank shaft.

The cam chain isn't my problem. I broke it to remove the head. This engine is hashed anyway, I'm just taking it apart to see what happened.

[Nessism]

If the cam change is broke then there is no reason you can't pull the head with the cams in place. Realize that there is a short bolt that connects the cylinder to the head in the front center.

[BSAKat]

If the cam change is broke then there is no reason you can't pull the head with the cams in place. Realize that there is a short bolt that connects the cylinder to the head in the front center.

That must be my problem. I completely missed that bolt and didn't see it in the shop manual diagram. Thanks.

[Grimly]

That must be my problem. I completely missed that bolt and didn't see it in the shop manual diagram. Thanks.

No sledgehammers needed for this one.

[Cipher]

No sledgehammers needed for this one.

Yeah i dismantled mine and it came apart very easily.
I removed all the fasteners though. That one out front is a clever bugger.

OP what did you find inside some pics please.

Burnt valves? How were the cylinder bores. Mine still had zero scoring and unworn cross hatch markings.
Surprising since two valves had lost an edge. No apparent impact damage from this though.

[zuluwiz]

No sledgehammers? But.....but.....that's the FUN part!