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Am I right in thinking that the cylinder heads are independent as there's only one I'd like to remove (the #4)?

Any pitfalls in removing/reinstalling it?

Yes each one is independant of one another and can be pulled as such..what makes you want to do this?

I've got an oil leak from the #4 cylinder exhaust manifold stud and want to see if it's repairable

Right, I've undone 4 nuts on the cylinder head, plus the manifolds, guide sheets etc. but it won't move more than 1/4" - do I need to pull harder or am I missing something?

Well, after a lot grunting, swearing etc. and undoing the clip underneath the engine, the whole thing came out, cylinder and head. Not a lot of room to get them out and I don't think it's going to be easy getting them back in together.

Anyway, I can't get the two halves apart. The cylinder is cast iron and the head is aluminium - I can see a tiny gap between them so it must have moved a fraction (not enough to get a Stanley knife blade in or any sort of lever). I'm leaving it soaking in penetrating oil overnight but if it doesn't shift then, what can I do?

On the good news front, the suspect stud seems to be OK - the helicoil wasn't in flush. Doesn't explain where the oil leak was coming from, mind...

I'd think about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven would do the trick.

I'll give it a go - I guess the components get hotter than that in normal usage anyway

Spoke to an engineer at work and he suggested using a gurt big 'ammer. I held the cylinder in a padded vice and put a block of wood inside it, against the valves. A few taps and the head came free, which is a relief. Just trying to clean the old, baked on oil off the aluminium. Have left it soaking in kerosene overnight

Well, it's back on again - couldn't space the rings properly (at 120º apart) but don't
think they're all lined up. Had a bit of a worried moment when I
couldn't turn the engine round by hand until I realised I'd knocked it
into gear.

I'm hoping the oil leak might have been from the return pipe as the seal was rock
solid.

The offending exhaust stud threadsert/Helicoil has been
replaced. It's not perfect but more solid than before - I wish I could
get hold of the person who has forced the wrong sized bolts into holes
designed to have inserts in them - similar story in one of the brake
drums!

I do need to check the voltage at the #1 solenoid when the engine is running as
it does click/move when tested otherwise

Starts up OK (worrying noise initially but am told that's normal as all the oil has drained out). Quietened down a bit after that.

Think oil leak might have been caused by hardened seal on the oil return tube. Doesn't appear to be leaking now

I have the same leak, I am about to work on it, I have the engine out. How was your long term repair job? Did it ever start leaking again?