How do you remove the rocker shaft on a Poly 318?

[Bens65fury]

New guy here that just posted in the Welcome Wagon forum.
We are currently doing head gaskets on a 65 Poly 318 and are trying to get the rocker shaft assembly off. I am pretty sure they are held on by locating pins that get "sticky" if they have been there a long time, which these have. I've been hitting the bosses with a non metallic hammer but no dice. Or....can I just leave them on and pull the head being careful with the rods?? Any advice or help is appreciated.

Paul

 

[mr. fix it]

there is a small dowel pin on top of one of the rocker castings you need to pull out.
Then you slide the entire shaft out one end or the other and carefully keep things in order as you remove the rocker arms..
the pin is second from the left rocker shaft support on this shot of the head.
(it has already been removed)

In this case, I had to use some carb spray cleaner to remove the shaft since it was gunked up pretty badly..

I removed the heads and was careful to not allow any to fall out.
Again, the heads here were so badly gunked up that some cam out with the head and I had no choice but to remove the shaft to remove the pushrods.

 

[Bens65fury]

there is a small dowel pin on top of one of the rocker castings you need to pull out.
Then you slide the entire shaft out one end or the other and carefully keep things in order as you remove the rocker arms..
the pin is second from the left rocker shaft support on this shot of the head.
(it has already been removed)

In this case, I had to use some carb spray cleaner to remove the shaft since it was gunked up pretty badly..

I removed the heads and was careful to not allow any to fall out.
Again, the heads here were so badly gunked up that some cam out with the head and I had no choice but to remove the shaft to remove the pushrods.

Thanks Mr fix it. So I guess the whole assembly doesn't come out as a unit (bummer). It has to come out in pieces, right? Also, I see the dowel pin on the shaft on my engine....how does it come out? Is it threaded or do you just twist it out? thanks again for your help!!

 

[mr. fix it]

I used a pair of vise grips to twist it free and then heavy duty angled side cutters to pry underneath the pin and gave it a bit if a twist adding the carb cleaner spray as needed to free it up if memory serves me correctly.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

There is news to me. Never knew that great learned something already today.