Can you reuse head gaskets??

[jay92889]

I bought a '91 EX with a 6 month old head gasket and the camshaft snapped before cylinder 3 when the last owner came to a stop sign. I replaced the rocker arm journals and camshaft and it won't start, and it makes a very loud click when I try, which sounds like a bent valve. I'm sure I have to replace the head, and I have a spare one, but I was curious if I could reuse the headgasket at all. Isn't there some kind of copper spray you can spray it with and reuse it, or do I need to get a completely new one?! I'm trying to be a cheap as possible, no money. =/

Thanks, Jay

[mayberry]

You can do anything you want to do. Whether its going to work out the way you want is another story

[alkoholikwun]

dont reuse head gasket, since your head will be taken apart, just buy a new one, its not expensive. rather put a new one on instead of reusing old one, which has probably the same one since the day car started rolling.

[H22Artman]

not a good idea.
but since your being cheap you might try using some copper coat first.

the gasket doesnt care how old it is. once you've torqued the head down you have compressed the gasket.
when you take the head off again the gasket only decompresses very slightly. generally not enough to be able to reuse.

[TypeG]

i wouldn't do it.

it may work, but for how long? later.

[AbsurdNY]

If you are going through all the trouble of removing the head, why would you take the chance of reusing a old head gasket?

Valve covers are a different story. If you reuse a valve cover gasket and it happens to leak, its easy to take right back off again and replace. Head gaskets are not.

[GearBangnAccord]

replace a VC gasket Why RTV sealant is way cheaper plus u get multiple uses, now the HG is a different story just go NEW trust me im sure ur head is warp somewhat and it will leak again sooner or later.

[deevergote]

Can you reuse condoms?

[chessboxer]

I do.

But as stated, don't reuse your old headgasket.

[deevergote]

I do.

But as stated, don't reuse your old headgasket.

If you never actually remove it, are you still re-using it? Or are you just STILL using it?

[chessboxer]

Hard on like King Kong yo.

[lost_accord]

You can reuse head gaskets. Also you can roll strips of soup cans into bad crank bearings to fix them & put cedar saw dust in automatic transmissions to make them shift like new! (for all of 200 miles) All old tricks in the shady used car sales world. I've seen and fixed all these personally.

DO NOT EVER DO THESE THINGS TO ANY VEHICLE.

Thank you.

[turbo90accord]

always replace the headgasket if it has been torqued down and put under heat. The gasket forms the the block and head and once compressed and heated it cannot be reused. Sure some may have done it before but be smart you dont want to pull your head twice.