“Reuse” Head Gaskets?

[rwest]

I put my engine together dry to check for clearances etc., I put the head to cylinder gaskets in as well and torqued it all to spec.

Starting to think that I just wasted the gaskets as the torque probably flattens them down and if I reuse I may have leaks.

Am I correct in thinking I must replace?

Thanks,
Rutager

[Lapkritis]

The copper base gaskets don't deform. A dry run assembly is no cause for replacement.

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[rwest]

Originally Posted by Lapkritis

The copper base gaskets don't deform. A dry run assembly is no cause for replacement.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

Not the copper ones, the ones between the heads and cylinders- do they need replacement after torqueing?

Thanks

[boyt911sc]

Rutager,

The cost of a set of cylinder head gaskets is about $60 if I am correct. You might get away re-using them but why take the unnecessary risk. You are just saving $60+ compared to the amount of work re-doing the the job plus the time to remove and install the motor back.

Tony

[mikedsilva]

I replaced my head gaskets after doing something similar. I got some advice that suggested people have re-used them, but the impression I got was that you are better to replace.

[rwest]

Thanks Tony and Mike,

I was prepared to replace, but didn’t want to spend the money if it wasn’t something that needed to be done.

Agreed that it would be foolish to try and save a few bucks at this point.

Rutager

['76 911S 3.0]

I have a set I never used:

FS: 3.0 Cylinder Head Gasket Set (Victor Reinz)

[Steve@Rennsport]

Originally Posted by rwest

Agreed that it would be foolish to try and save a few bucks at this point.
Rutager

Wise man.

I NEVER reuse head gaskets or base gaskets. Its just never worth the risk of leakage unless one's labor is free and you don't mind doing the job all over again.

For me, I simply cannot afford to have unhappy customers (and I sure don't need the practice).

[rwest]

Good to hear from you Steve,

My labor is free, but don’t want to do it again- new gaskets for sure.

[Walt Fricke]

Since I only have to gripe at myself, I've reused the base gaskets without any qualms. I have also reused the CE ring (top) gaskets when I had to remove a head before running a reassembled engine, and that worked also. They are steel, and should act like a spring, and without being subjected to the heat of a running engine to have an effect on things, maybe can be expected to spring back when the compression is released? It might be instructive if someone measured one before and after being compressed during a trial fitting.

I know a shop owner who claimed to have a way to recondition/spread well used CE rings so they could be crushed again when reused, though I could never figure out how to do that. I can live with my work reinstalling the bezels of my gauges, because you can't see that part, but not something like a CE ring. But he is a machinist and maybe made some clever tool. A screw driver in my hands didn't cut it, even by my loose standards.

But we all differ in our approaches to risk. I recently sprung for a stock SC rebuild by a professional. He even used a new #8 nose bearing. Compared with the overall cost, which included some suspension parts, this kind of stuff was peanuts.

Though I think the take-away for the CEs is why install them when doing this kind of dry assembly. And perhaps for a dry assembly you could do fine with substantially reduced torque on the head nuts?

Maybe you need full torque if Plastigaugeing the rod bearing or main bearing clearances? (I was astounded to learn you can measure the difference in the big end ID of a rod in terms of ovality between snugging and full torque on the rod bolts. Nothing like learning a fact you have to accept.) But the heads for claying the valves and piston clearance? If things aren't true from head to head you should have issues with cam rotation.