VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Reusing head gasket

Has anyone had any luck reusing a copper head gasket? This 33 Master i'm working on I had a machine shop recut the valve seat as they were in poor shape. I put in the new head gasket with a good amount of copper spray and toured it down to 60 pounds.. Last night I was thinking about it and it seemed odd the way the gasket sat on the head so out of precaution I pulled the head this morning and found it was right. If I clean up all mating surfaces and the gasket can I reuse the copper head gasket?

Owing to it being copper it can be further compressed. That would, of course, result in the need to exceed the original compression on it by increasing the torque. I don't know how much more elasticity is in your head bolts before they start to streatch/ Maybe enough torquerequited sufficiently seal the head to the block.

Maybe Chipper or Gene, et al, will give you some help here. The easy answer is no, you can't reuse the gasket but I think you can.

Best of luck with it,

Charlie

I would not reuse the head gasket especially if it is a reproduction head gasket.

jD,

You kind of left the instant matter just hanging out there without giving us a reason for you reply.

Well, let's assume that it is not a reproduction. Then the question is, why not? And, even if it is a reproduction the same question; why not? Mind sharing your thoughts on these issues?. I would, for one, be interested in your answer.

I'm always in search of more knowledge on our old engines. Please enlighten us.

Thanks,

Charlie

Back then Chevrolet said it was advisable to use a new head gasket. I would not think of reusing any head gasket.
Seeing this gasket was new it MAY be OK to reuse it but would torque it to 70 pounds this time.

Charlie...It is called "common sense to avoid any future issues".


I totally agree!

I found a NOS head gasket on Ebay so I will replace it.

"Seeing this gasket was new it MAY be OK to reuse it but would torque it to 70 pounds this time.

Gene, I agree and that is what I said, If a new one was readily available I would also not think of reusing the old one.

JD.

The use of "common sense" is often conveniently used to cover a lack of knowledge or to avoid a basis for one's statement; there is no such thing as "common sense." We either know or we don't know from being taught or experience.

It (copper) has only one short coming: copper is a soft metal. Pure copper is made of layers of crystals which slide over one another. It fails by internal slipping. (This slippage was remedied by adding tin, giving us bronze)*

* Source: J. Bronowski's book "Accent of Man", Chapter 4, "The Hidden Structure, pages125-126.

So, from the reading from the above cited source where it is mentioned that copper can be "hammered" because it is malleable up and until there is failure by slippage of the crystals, it would seem that it could be used again in such form as a head gasket. Experience may dictate that it fails when it is reused as in a head gasket. I don't know because I have not experienced such failure or been taught that failure will occur above 60 pounds of pressure or at what pressure it fails.

The above is all I have to go on. Perhaps not enough. Therefore, I concede this question to better the informed such as you and Gene.

Best,

Charlie

After reading the OP it's seems he installed a "new" gasket, was worried about orientation, lifted the head to check and I think he should be fine torqueing it back. Doesn't sound like he ran it so it was not subjected to running (thermal expansion cycle) and I expect the squash to be fine. Why should he spend more$? If he had run the engine or left it torqued for a longer time or it was an old gasket then maybe not re-use. I think we all know that once he runs the engine to warm it up he can check for leaks and if none he still should retorque the head anyway? Every procedure I have ever read states to retorque after running the engine for the first time anyway.

The key here is the copper spray. If he used the type of copper coat spray that I use (it is really sticky stuff) then once the head gasket is removed the head gasket should be replaced. If the car was super-scarce and head gaskets were extremely hard to come by or non-existent I could see possibly trying to reuse the head gasket, but the 1929-32 reproduction copper head gaskets (along with new old replacement stock head gaskets) are very plentiful so there is really no reason to reuse the head gasket a second time. If the reused gasket does fail on the second use then the cylinder head and valve train have to be removed yet again to install a new head gasket. Personally, I would rather do it right the second time around not the third time around.

Also, Gene mentioned to torque the head to 70 pounds if the head gasket is reused a second time. That is what you would need to do. However, if the head bolts are used bolts then at 70 pounds there is a risk that the used head bolts would be either stretched further or one or more could snap in half. As a test I was able to snap a used head bolt at a torque reading of 65 pounds. It has been recommend for years to torque used head bolts from 50 to 60 pounds. That seems to be the safety zone.

Yes if the copper spray was some kind of adheasive gunk like you state then he may as well throw the gasket away. Never seen that stuff and never had a need to use anything like it.

Copper spray has been used on head gaskets for years. I'm mainly a Model T and A mechanic and I use it all the time.This Chevy Master is new to me so I'm learning as I go. If your head it warped a few thousands it helps seal the problem. It is best used on modern copper gaskets. Just out of a test I used brake clean on a rag and it cleaned the gasket like brand new. I then cleaned the block and head with the brake clean. The copper spray just melted away like butter. When I use copper spray I do all contact sides. ie> the head, block and both sides of the head gasket. I then allow it to dry for about an hour. This allows any resdure propellant to dry off. Iv never had any leaks on any engine Iv ever worked on.