Unfortunately, trying to remove the cylinder head became a daunting task. After I loosened all the nuts, I tried to lift the head up, but it didn't budge. Scott Hung, a friend who owns a 5.0 Mustang track/daily driver dropped by to help me, but an hour of using a mallet, and wood & sledgehammer got us nowhere. I even tried to pry the cylinder head off with a crowbar, to no avail. Even while using brute force, however, we were careful not to damage the head, block, or the surfaces.
"Screwing Off" the Cylinder Head
I went to Mini Mania next morning to ask the owner Don Racine what was going on. He told me that the center stud was probably rusted into the head. He suggested I remove all the cylinder head studs, then twist the head back and forth to try to loosen the rusted stud. I did what he suggested, and got the cylinder head to move, but unfortunately, the center stud moved with it. In frustration, I decided to remove the water pump, alternator, and its bracket, so I could screw off the head with the stud attached - and I finally got the cylinder head out!
