Can I reuse head/intake gaskets?
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5th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,769
From: NJ
Can I reuse head/intake gaskets?
Well, I am in the process of pulling back apart my motor to flycut the pistons because i was having ptv contact, I bought felpro headgaskets and new ford oem manifold gaskets with all arp bolts and had everything torque'd down to spec, the motor is still sitting on the stand and i have to rip the manifold/heads back off, can i reuse the head/manifold gaskets even though they were torque'd down? Again, the motor has never left the motor stand.
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11
From: Texas
Well, I am in the process of pulling back apart my motor to flycut the pistons because i was having ptv contact, I bought felpro headgaskets and new ford oem manifold gaskets with all arp bolts and had everything torque'd down to spec, the motor is still sitting on the stand and i have to rip the manifold/heads back off, can i reuse the head/manifold gaskets even though they were torque'd down? Again, the motor has never left the motor stand.
NO you can not, This will not work save yourself the troble and get new ones you have already torqued the heads that means there are no good even if you have not started it. I have done this and screwed a motor up by overheating it and cracking both heads. Get New Ones
6th Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,468
From: California
While with some gaskets you can depending on the gaskets, I wouldn't do it unless you were using high dollar gaskets specifically listed as reusable(like certain copper gaskets). The 4.6L Fords are especially prissy when it comes to head gaskets due to the type used and surface finish. And it's really not worth the trouble to take the change, Fel Pro's OEM replacement gaskets are usually quite strong and plenty cheap, so it's simply good insurance to change them anyway.
As far as the intake gaskets, if it's something with a steel core and the sealing faces are intact with no signs of wear/damage etc, they should be fine.
As far as the intake gaskets, if it's something with a steel core and the sealing faces are intact with no signs of wear/damage etc, they should be fine.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,999
From:
Well for sure it's good advice to call for new but I see your concern since the motor was not run yet.
There is alot at stake here. Can cause alot of damage if coolant gets into the oil or just a royal pain in the *** if you have to change them later, in the car.
Basically it depends on how much of a gambler you are. I used to help wrench on my friend's 9 second Plymouth Duster. It was a 440 and we reused head gaskets all the time. Difference here was it was not a daily driver, it only had water in the cooling system and changing the heads on the car was pretty easy on some of the older stuff. Plus the big Dodges have 17 head bolts on each head. Major clamp down.
There is alot at stake here. Can cause alot of damage if coolant gets into the oil or just a royal pain in the *** if you have to change them later, in the car.
Basically it depends on how much of a gambler you are. I used to help wrench on my friend's 9 second Plymouth Duster. It was a 440 and we reused head gaskets all the time. Difference here was it was not a daily driver, it only had water in the cooling system and changing the heads on the car was pretty easy on some of the older stuff. Plus the big Dodges have 17 head bolts on each head. Major clamp down.
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