Head gasket..reuse or not (1 Viewer)

[EWTexas]

Ok I must have installed my head gasket backwards or front for back , how ever you say it , only about 1 hour run time on it in 10 min trys with overheats , so can I reuse it after I pull the head or get a new one, out of 20 or so rebuilds I've never had to pull one this early have no Idea if it will be too compressed any one ever reuse one????

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Depends on how it looks when it comes out. I'd say no, but it really depends. Did you use an OEM gasket?

 

[Benjaman]

You could copper coat both side and may be ok, but I'd get a new one. If you have a lot of time and no money, it's worth a try, but you may find your self wondering about a failure from now on.

 

[Dynosoar]

NO WAY! it is not worth the time it takes to do it again. Just go buy a good Toyota OEM gasket and be done with it. Some of the non Toyota made gaskets have the coolant flow passages in the wrong place . They are not worth the paper the are made of.

Dynosoar

 

[EWTexas]

Thats about what I thought..still can't believe I put the damn thing on wrong but must have , been having overheat since I cranked it the first time and after replacing all the stuff that could cause it I find that no oil is coming out the hole that feeds the rocker assy. So either I f**ked up on putting the head gasket or the machine shop put the cam bearings in wrong and I checked those per the toyota manual so I guess I have sh** all over my head from shoving it so far up.

 

[Elbert]

I would say no as well, seems like once it goes through the torque process and its wrong then its trash in my view?

 

[Mark W]

I would be surprised if you could remove the gasket without damage. H *have* disassembled Chevy crate motors that have never been run and those gaskets were perfect and reusable. But once the engine has run and gotten hot I would bet money with confidence that the gasket will be trashed when you remove it.

Felpros are great gaskets.... I will not use Victor head gaskets on F series engines.


Most (all)? quality head gaskets for the 2 and 3 F engines will have an extension at the rear to prevent complete assembly of the engine if the gasket is backwards. The gasket design for the F engine may not have included that. feature. But they also would not have included the port to allow the oil to pass through it either.


Mark...

 

[rover67]

i wouldn't do it. no way. too much invested at that point (time/money) to not just get another.

 

[wengejor]

call CDAN and get an OEM gasket on the way

 

[EWTexas]

it's a 2F and it does have locater pins (1/2in pipe actually) front and back but could still let gasket flip IF I remember right, first 2F I've rebuilt, chevys,fords, and a lot of english 2 seaters O well thanks for confirming what I thought.

 

[Tinker]

I'd be more worried about my rocker arms & valve guides after running until it overheats with no oil to 'em.

 

[TobyB]

yeah, I'd check those, too.

Once you torque a head gasket, it's done. It only seals once....

t

 

[doublehaul]

I've only done 1 head gasket in my life so don't know much about it, but I'd say HELL NO! No way I'd get back to that point and reuse one, especially if you're going back because you think that gasket is giving you issues.

 

[EWTexas]

Already checked the rocker assy...still covered in assy grease and still nice..can't check valve guilds yet but valves still seem tight..new..all new head job...only has about 1 hour run time..and never over about 8 to 10 min at a time..I shut it down every time it got up to around 210F..it runs great...all balanced...sweet... all new except crank which was turned..never felt this good even when I bought it 15 years ago

 

[CliffClaven]

Just curious but how did you get the push rods installed with the gasket on backwards? I torqued my head on today and it did not seem like there would be a possibilty to install the gasket wrong and still get everything together. I used the Stone gasket set from Spector Off Road. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Mark W]

Flip it end to end, not side to side. If the gasket does not have an extension at the back to prevent it, it will fit.


Mark...

 

[lehiguy]

A friend had this very thing happen to him about 16 years back. The rocker shaft and the bushings in the rockers had to be replaced, but he ran it for many, many months that way. The culprit was... wait for it... a stupid after-market head gasket.

 

[EWTexas]

Shaft and rockers ok...already striped them and mic. for size and roundness..was real worried about it so did it first off..on a side note I got a kick out of hearing the engine cranking with the plugs out tring to get oil up out of that hole to check, had 30lbs on pressure gauge and with the damn engine being new and balanced ...lol...sounds like a damn tubine from a jet starting up.