DIY head install/remove bracket.
Please do not PM me with request to make this bracket. Thanks!
List of material and tools.
Flat stock 2 1/2" wide X 1/4" thick X 8 15/16" long, and 4" wide X 1/4" thick X 8 15/16" long.

Center drill
"L" drill
2" colbalt hole saw
Bendable flat metal (105* jig)
Four 1/4 X 20 X 1 1/2" bolts/nuts
Four 1/4" washers
Four 6m X 1.0 X 45mm long bolts
Four 1/8" NPT black pipe couplers (3/4" long)
When cutting length of flat stock, be sure it's square with factory edge. Marked in "yellow" is the measuring start points (bottom edge and right edge).

Come off the bottom edge of the 2 1/2 flat stock to 5/8" and mark/scribe the length of piece. Now coming off the right edge to 13/16" and mark/punch for your first hole to be drilled.


At this point if you have new/used intake gaskets laying around, used the marked/punched dimple as a guide. The 5/8" marked/scribed line will be your guide for the left hole.

Now mark/punch the top two holes, if you used the gasket to mark/punch your holes, then your ready to move down and start drilling.
Those of you who don't have a gasket handy, look at the pic below to get your measurements. Be sure your right edge is square with the factory bottom edge.

Time to drill bottom plate. Drill the punch marks first with a center drill so the "L" drill don't walk on you.


Next, take the 4" flat stock piece and make sure the right edge is square with the factory bottom edge. Use the pic below to get your measurements for the 2" hole saw.

After you marked/punched where the 2" hole is going, use the center drill to start a hole and prevent the hole saw drill from walking.

Now for the hole saw, it's best to use a drill press. You can try using a hand drill, but might have trouble holding the drill square and cause the hole saw to "bind".
Your going to keep the RPM's slow when using a hole saw. Going at a faster RPM will cause the hole saw to "chatter" and "burn up" the teeth on the blade. Use oil to keep the teeth cool, and remember "SLOW RPM"!!

After you have the 2" hole in the 4" flat stock, you need to "bevel" the bottom edge for welding, and the 2 1/2" flat stock will get a bevel on the top edge.


NOTICE in all the pics, your 4" flat stock will have the 2" hole just left of center. The 2 1/2" flat stock will always have the very first measured/marker hole on the bottom/right. DON'T accidentally "flip" one of the pieces and weld them on backwards.
Now move onto making the 105* template/jig. I used metal drawer dividers. Anything flat that can be bent and stay sturdy. Give them a bend till your at 105*.

Back to the bracket, clamp the 4" flat stock in a vise. Use the 105* templates/jig and clamp them to the 4" flat stock.

Now put your 2 1/2 flat stock onto the 105* jig and adjust until your "bevel" edges line up, also match up the two flat stock pieces line up length wise.

Now check to be sure you still have 105* angle.

Now your ready to weld the back side of the bracket.

After the bracket has cooled, flip over and weld the front side.

You are ready to add the 1/8" NPT couplers. I used 1/4" X 20 bolts/nut/washer to bolt the coupler to the bracket. Try to keep the coupler hole centered up with the bracket hole. Now tack weld these couplers to bracket (pic below). These couplers act as a spacer needed for the head/rocker box clearance.

At this point you are done. You can cut off the corners of the top of bracket or leave it square. I chose to cut the corners off for "looks".

When hooking up the chain to bracket for lifting/install head, Dale set the chain up thru the back of bracket and locked it in with a ratchet extension. I don't know how a hook will work, but Dale's method kept the head at the right angle to lower the head evenly with the block/head gasket.

You will use the 6m bolts and washers to bolt the bracket to head for lifting/install.

This post is important and I cannot condone Photobucket's $400/year ransom... so, through some IT wizardary.. tada!
if anyone is interested in their own hosting solution for $35/year including a domain, PM me.
Richard
EDT: Here is an image of the measurement of the spacer I found in his album
Thank you very much
Joe
if anyone is interested in their own hosting solution for $35/year including a domain, PM me.
Richard
EDT: Here is an image of the measurement of the spacer I found in his album

Great job of restoring an important thread Richard.
As I go to all these different forums the Photobucket kidnapping is everywhere. It reminds me of when Webshots wiped out all the pictorials I had. I never got back all the pictures I had there. An important lesson that if you want your work to be retained often it's better to just provide it to the site rather using a third party.
Great job of restoring an important thread Richard.
As I go to all these different forums the Photobucket kidnapping is everywhere. It reminds me of when Webshots wiped out all the pictorials I had. I never got back all the pictures I had there. An important lesson that if you want your work to be retained often it's better to just provide it to the site rather using a third party.
Good save! That is why I keep my originals on my home system.
Even with the cab off tht bracket makes moving the head a lot less of a pain.
After all you don't want to scratch the sealant on the gaskets by moving the
heads around while trying to set them down.
I would tape the paper to the metal piece to keep it rigid before center punch. I would draw (scratch) a square line on both pieces (on the right hand side) just in case you didn't cut them squared
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Genius!
Looks like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-...7792/100130546
Thanks.
The head is around 70 lbs so it’s not something that really needs a bracket that can handle 500 lbs. I was mocking up one out of hardboard and that bolt hole is right there. Right there in the center. The one bolt can easy handle hundreds of pounds. A piece of 1/8” flat stock hanging over would work too and again would be more then adequate. Those clamps I had, you just need a flat washer to keep the loop from bending and it’s installed upside down. The stainless is better steel then the HD version.
And if you install studs or the take-off bolts with the heads sawed off you can also guide the head back on.
And if you install studs or the take-off bolts with the heads sawed off you can also guide the head back on.











