Before you pull the engine, do a thorough cooling system flush with evap-o-rust or phosphoric acid to loosen up the crud in the bottom of the water jacket. There's usually an inch or more of debris at the bottom and it can be as hard as concrete. If you don't want to contaminate the radiator, loop the upper and lower radiator hoses together and circulate the flush through the engine a few minutes at a time to keep it warm.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!