Oil cooled head gasket re use ?

[wraith]

I'm sure I read on here that you can re use the oil cooled head gasket and you just need to repaint it? 

Can anybody confirm this and it you need to repaint it and with what.

Thanks 

[davecara]

@fatblokeonbanditto the recurring gasket enquiry please

[jonny1bump]

I personally just wouldn't, unless at track or something and no choice. If you got old school copper and piano wire you reuse with adhesive like gascrinch or  loctite etc, recently I regretted that decision too.

[wraith]

42 minutes ago, jonny1bump said:

I personally just wouldn't, unless at track or something and no choice. If you got old school copper and piano wire you reuse with adhesive like gascrinch or  loctite etc, recently I regretted that decision too.

I've always got new ones but with the price of them and if it was the case that re using them was well tryed and tested.

[fatblokeonbandit]

Yup done it loads of times, not on my high comp engines but standard ones no problem.

as long as the gaskets undamaged and very clean and degreased, 5 coats of Halfords primer each side and off you go..

no guarantees but I’ve not had one leak yet

 

base gaskets as

Edited September 13, 2022 by fatblokeonbandit

[wraith]

57 minutes ago, fatblokeonbandit said:

Yup done it loads of times, not on my high comp engines but standard ones no problem.

as long as the gaskets undamaged and very clean and degreased, 5 coats of Halfords primer each side and off you go..

no guarantees but I’ve not had one leak yet

 

base gaskets as

Thanks 

[clivegto]

I have also done this after seeing @fatblokeonbanditdo it on hear years ago now and it works a treat 

[george 1100]

The MLS ones can be pulled apart by removing rivets, cleaned, light copper spray, rivet back together and off you go

[Motovalet]

Done this on a SRAD too and worked like a charm!

[jonny1bump]

On 9/13/2022 at 9:49 PM, fatblokeonbandit said:

Yup done it loads of times, not on my high comp engines but standard ones no problem.

as long as the gaskets undamaged and very clean and degreased, 5 coats of Halfords primer each side and off you go..

no guarantees but I’ve not had one leak yet

 

base gaskets as

Ahhh you done it on base gasket not head. 

[wraith]

Well did both head and base gaskets, no leaks upto now 

Cheers all, that saved me ££££

[jonny1bump]

Ever done it with spring steel gasket. 

[coombehouse]

5 hours ago, jonny1bump said:

Ever done it with spring steel gasket. 

All the gaskets mentioned above are steel. 

[fatblokeonbandit]

On 10/17/2022 at 10:26 PM, jonny1bump said:

Ahhh you done it on base gasket not head. 

Top pics the head gasket,

[jonny1bump]

6 hours ago, coombehouse said:

All the gaskets mentioned above are steel. 

Yeah good point I meant cosmetic layered spring steel.

[FJD]

On 9/16/2022 at 4:06 AM, george 1100 said:

The MLS ones can be pulled apart by removing rivets, cleaned, light copper spray, rivet back together and off you go

Can you explain furthermore about the riveting ?

I've never seen the MLS gasket disassembled, repainted ?, and re-riveted.

What rivets do you use ?

And what paint ?

 

[george 1100]

The 3 layers are held together with rivets. 

Seperate the layers, super clean them, use copper spray as per directions, re-rivet

[Gixer1460]

LOL - carefully avoiding the question, are you a politician? 

[FJD]

So....waiting for details....what rivets ?

[george 1100]

Haha, this is getting weird but I'll play along 

I don't know about other gaskets, I'm just talking about cometic multi layered steel (MLS) gaskets. 

Zoom in and you will see the rivets that hold the multi layers together

[Joseph]

1 hour ago, FJD said:

So....waiting for details....what rivets ?

Real name is pressed eyelets

[FJD]

I've built a few engines over the years, but never re-used a head gasket so far.

I know they have a few layers, and are held together with these pressed rings(rivets, eyelets etc).

But i have never seen these rivets for sale, neither any sort of reconditioning spray paint, so i'm curious to find out about it.it's never too late to learn though

[jonny1bump]

Its not something I would do myself as the springness (Is that proper word) in the gasket has been compressed to create the seal, so very curious myself.

I'm sure the Gaskets fatblokes done are stock. May be wrong here thou.

[Arttu]

1 hour ago, FJD said:

But i have never seen these rivets for sale, neither any sort of reconditioning spray paint, so i'm curious to find out about it.it's never too late to learn though

Well, it isn't something that the gasket manufacturers assume you to do. So you won't find reconditioning kits for your gasket

The rivets aren't that critical since they are needed only for holding the sandwich together while you assemble the engine. When I have done this I have been able to re-use old rivets that I have drilled open. Alternatively you can get creative and use pop rivets, suitable copper wire or something like that. For sealing I have used Permatex copper spray.

[coombehouse]

Disassembly of MLS gaskets is something that was fairly common in production racing to gain more compression where the rules did not allow machining. Layers were removed to reduce gasket thickness & recoated with spray silicon or even just normal acrylic paint. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by coombehouse