Reusing head gaskets?

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zhandfull

zhandfull

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Reusing head gaskets on a motor that has not been fired up (blue felpro type)?

Had to pull the heads off a rebuilt motor after they were torqued and motor had been sitting for about 6 months. Head came off easily no sticking. Thinking about reusing the head gaskets. Anybody did this. I know most will say don't do it! But I'm thinking they will be fine since the motor was never fired up.

Anybody here did this? Did it work out OK or did you end up blowing a head gasket later down the line?

Were talking about a 390HP MP crate motor here nothing to wild!
 
I think the price of new gaskets is a cheap price to pay for peace of mind. If they do fail, you have the whole job to do over again plus possible oil and coolant contamination issues to deal with. I'd replace them with new gaskets if it were mine.
 
changing a head gasket on a installed motor is no small job ...to have to tear down the top end over 25.00 not a gamble I would take.
 
Just the thought of pulling a manifold up and away on a '65 would be reason enough for me to go ahead and do it off the stand. 390 crate is not a slouch, thats ~2X the original HP of that motor on a lot car. I would reuse the intake gaskets in a pinch but the head gasket has a crush on the fire rings. I have done it when I was high school poor, but I'm not in high school anymore.
 
Done it plenty of times (with truly used gaskets,also reused other gaskets too) on thrown together 318's, For some reason they always seem to be the ones that don't leak either! lol

If it's a car you don't want to take apart then maybe not though...
 
I wouldn't reuse them.

The old timers trick was to paint them with silver spray paint before reusing them. I know it worked 34 years ago when I reused a head gasket on a Ford 240 straight 6 and it was still going when the old van was just flat wore out but who knows if the same stuff is still in the paint.
 
It might work but, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT. Get some new gaskets.

Think of it this way. Would you use a condom again after 6 months?:finga:
 
zhandfull said:
reusing head gaskets on a motor that has not been fired up (blue felpro type)?

Had to pull the heads off a rebuilt motor after they were torqued and motor had been sitting for about 6 months. Head came off easily no sticking. Thinking about reusing the head gaskets. Anybody did this. I know most will say don't do it! But i'm thinking they will be fine since the motor was never fired up.

Anybody here did this? Did it work out ok or did you end up blowing a head gasket later down the line?

Were talking about a 390hp mp crate motor here nothing to wild!
Click to expand...

bolt em back on you will never know the difference
 
I've done exactly what you want to do. Keep them where the were same side and torque them 5 over what you had before. a lot of times I had to do this on motors the night before a race. Cometic steel I have used several time just keep spraying all three layers with copper coat.

This use to be an issue when heads and blocks were surface ground with a stone like a flywheel. With todays machines the surfaces are smooth depending on the machine shop used. On some when we needed a motor in a hurry we would only use one of the layers from tri-steel. This was done to raise compresion for methanal. Sometimes you have to do what has to be done. There is no grantees but its your motor and your time and money.

I've done this with always good results. A motor that was bored with a torque plate that is .030 + over bore could distort the cylinders with more than 5 over head torque so it helps to know your motor and Machine work if not a standard bore and going higher then 5. Use copper coat It is the old timers silver paint as mentioned. It doesn't help the fire ring buts prevents seepage.

I wouldn't recommend using gaskets from a fresh motor like this one from Shady Dell. The block was surfaced with a DA with the pistons installed. as were the heads. DA marks on everything even the pistons.
 

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I have done it a few times with no problems. Like you said, the engine was never fired. I would spray them with copper coat and be done with it.

Jack
 
Oldmanmopar said:
I've done exactly what you want to do. Keep them where the were same side and torque them 5 over what you had before. a lot of times I had to do this on motors the night before a race. Cometic steel I have used several time just keep spraying all three layers with copper coat.

This use to be an issue when heads and blocks were surface ground with a stone like a flywheel. With todays machines the surfaces are smooth depending on the machine shop used. On some when we needed a motor in a hurry we would only use one of the layers from tri-steel. This was done to raise compresion for methanal. Sometimes you have to do what has to be done. There is no grantees but its your motor and your time and money.

I've done this with always good results. A motor that was bored with a torque plate that is .030 + over bore could distort the cylinders with more than 5 over head torque so it helps to know your motor and Machine work if not a standard bore and going higher then 5. Use copper coat It is the old timers silver paint as mentioned. It doesn't help the fire ring buts prevents seepage.

I wouldn't recommend using gaskets from a fresh motor like this one from Shady Dell. The block was surfaced with a DA with the pistons installed. as were the heads. DA marks on everything even the pistons.
Click to expand...
Ouch.....rebuild shop I worked at years ago used to see a lot of stuff from the local "re-manufacture" shop.....every last one of them had track from what looked to be a belt sander.....
 
Head gaskets are what? $15 a piece? Why go to all that trouble and work. If they work, great, but if they don't you are tearing it all back down. Not worth taking the chance for such a small investment in my opinion.
 
I've had brand new gaskets that came out of a kit fail in just a few hours. Get new and get quality.
 
Use them tighten you heads bolts 5 over they will be good to go.I have done this more than once with Fel Pro blue gaskets and never had a issue.

Jim
 
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