Reusing head gasket

[maury]

I had to pull the head after only 10 miles of use. I was surprised when the head gasket literally fell off the head when I pulled it off. It is an OEM gasket. Can I (should I) reuse it? If reusing, any special prep to gasket?

[5speed]

I'm not a mechanic but I've spun wrenches for 30+ years on my vehicles and I'm going to say no for the simple fact you've torqued the head down and the head gasket will have been "crushed".
Same reason you can't use a crush washer again.
I could be completely wrong but I am a bit anal. lol

[JSBail]

I've reused a multi layer steel gasket on a cb550 I once had with no problems (don't ask why ) and copper racing head gaskets can be reused as well but I'm not sure about OEM style composite head gaskets.

[ericheath]

The question has been here before and as I recall, the advice was it won't hurt to try it, if it hadn't had a heat cycle.

I guess if I was thinking on traveling far from home, I would risk it.

[flyin900]

If it has been heat cycled I wouldn't reuse it myself. I have reused one before where the engine was never fired, but the head had been torqued down with no issues and it was an aftermarket Vesrah one. For the sake of $60 for a new OEM one it would be too much work in replacing it yet again for me to bother trying to reuse it.

[wingrider]

I wonder if they (OEM) would come off a non run engine if copper coat was used on them?

I am feeling the need to switch to copper gaskets, and haven't run my engine yet.

[CYBORG]

When Winston blew two head gaskets before his attempt at the speed record in his class, we removed two headgaskets from another wing and installed them on his bike. He went on to win with a record setting run. We did apply copper coat to both sides of the gaskets

[Rat]

When Winston blew two head gaskets before his attempt at the speed record in his class, we removed two headgaskets from another wing and installed them on his bike. He went on to win with a record setting run. We did apply copper coat to both sides of the gaskets

Mind you ... we were doing it overnight and had no choice .... and the engine we stole them from had not been fired up ....

Gord

[CYBORG]

True. But the bike they went on DOES have a blower

[Oldewing]

In Winston's overnight fix....One was stole from a running bike and one from on that had not been fired. So one of each. And yes we had our backs against the wall and had no choice. I would not do this on my daily rider, nope, never....