head gasket reuseability

[walkertx2008]

Before any one says it i searched around, read through the entire head gasket thickness sticky, and other stuff i could find.

my question is i have an HKS MHG in the engine i am rebuilding, it came with the gasket in it when i bought the car so i don't know the size, what i am wondering is am i able to reuse the gasket if it is still in good condition, and if so what all do i need to do to the gasket, block and head to make it work 100% without having to worry after the rebuild?

any info from any source would be greatly appreciated, and the more in depth detailed steps would be awesome, thanks guys

 

[IBoughtASupra]

I go about headgaskets this way. If they are used, meaning torqued down and not even with the engine started, just torqued, I won't reuse them. I don't really listen to what people say about reusing then, no matter how many people do it.

The headgasket is a critical point in building an engine, if you don't have enough for a good name and correct thickness headgasket, put off your engine build until you get the funds.

 

[Poodles]

It's a metal headgasket, completely different from a composite headgasket (and seal in completely different ways). Yes, they can be reused, but you have to remove all the viton (that includes between the layers, meaning you have to remove the rivets) and use some other sealant coating (copper spray is the common item to use).

 

[IJ.]

Before any one says it i searched around, read through the entire head gasket thickness sticky, and other stuff i could find.

my question is i have an HKS MHG in the engine i am rebuilding, it came with the gasket in it when i bought the car so i don't know the size, what i am wondering is am i able to reuse the gasket if it is still in good condition, and if so what all do i need to do to the gasket, block and head to make it work 100% without having to worry after the rebuild?

any info from any source would be greatly appreciated, and the more in depth detailed steps would be awesome, thanks guys

Just had to go back 4 years

 

[walkertx2008]

its gonna be awhile before i am able to do the rebuild any way, i'm still stock piling parts for it. once i do start the build and get the head gasket off what is the best way to find the size and to tell if it reusable? and what exactly does everyone mean by remove the rivets? i see that a lot in all of the posts i've read and i'm not 100% sure what it actually means, i know i sound really stupid asking these questions but i want to make sure i know everything there is possible to know before i do any thing with the head gasket. thanks again guys

 

[IJ.]

There are some brass rivets that hold the layers in alignment, you have to remove them to clean ALL the viton off, I found a pair of wire cutters collapse the rivet nicely then you just pull what's left out, much safer than drilling.

 

[whitemike]

just had to go back 4 years

lol

 

[walkertx2008]

so if you have to remove the rivets, how would you go about putting them back in after cleaning everything? and i was reading that the 1.2mm HKS MHG is the most common people use for regular maintenance and small upgrades so i'm assuming that's what mine has in it, but again what is the best way to measure the thickness once i get the engine apart? and once i find out what the size is would it be better and easier to just buy a new one of the same size? and if i did that what all would i have to do to the block and the head to prep them for the new gasket? just clean them really good and make sure there are no imperfections? again i know its a bunch of seemingly dumb questions but im trying to figure this stuff out so i don't ruin my car on the rebuild

 

[IJ.]

I don't bother, the Block has alignment dowels and all my 7M's used studs, I spray the layers with Copper Sealer then while it's still tacky I drop each layer on then bolt the head down.

Since I've been doing it this way 0 BHG's.

 

[walkertx2008]

Do you mean u dnt bother putting the rivets back in? You just clean the viton then spray the block head and gasket withcopper sealer and bolt them all together? I've got myself arp headbolts for the rebuild, and if you do that how can I tell if the gasket is reuseable? And again what all would I have to do to the block and head for preparation before putting them back together?

 

[suprarx7nut]

Would a Greddy MHG be reusable after ~4000 miles? My guess is no, but I was curious and this seemed like a good chance to ask.

 

[walkertx2008]

I'm using ARP head bolts in my rebuild so im not sure it would work as well as your approach although that does sound like a fairly easy way to accomplish it, i think i am just gonna try and find out the size of the gasket and buy a new one and not worry about it, if it is a 1.2mm then the new gasket is only 110.00 so thats not that much when it comes to making sure the engine is functioning correctly. but my other question has still yet to be answered, what all do i have to do to the block and head to make sure they are ready for the new gasket? just clean them and make sure they are straight and smooth? and am i gonna have to get them machined? thanks again guys