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Reusing a cometic head gasket

4K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  inis 
#1 ·
I recently messed up a valve on my head and am having to change out the head due to damage to a valve. No damage was done to my old cometic head gasket and i was hoping to get my car back up and running this weekend. Does anyone know if the cometic head gaskets are reusable? Also i cant remember what size mine is so ordering one and keeping my same tune is kind of difficult.
 
#3 ·
id never re use a head gasket. Once the torque isput down on it it indents the gasket. Its just cheaper to get another cosmetic one if that's what you ran before. Also like vitaloasked what were your compression numbers?
 
#5 ·
thats usually the way i am is change it. but i cant remember the one that i got. i know there are several different thicknesses. and for the life of me i cant remember what it was. any way i can figure out which one it was? and you think stock head gasket will hold up to 25psi? and my compression is 8:1 ( i think) its been many years since ive been into this motor. my build was a great build so it lasted a while. the only reason i am having to mess with it is i sucked up some water on a really really bad storm day and i chipped an exhaust vlave.
 
#7 ·
My OEM gasket handles 20psi daily, 30psi occasionally (twice now) but is more torquing the head properly than the gasket, followed Tom's guide to torquing it and haven't had a problem. Measure the old one, if it's thicker use a SVT one.

Edit:Tom beat me to it.
 
#8 ·
never reuse a head gasket. they crush and will not seal again. use a oem motorcraft one. i ran 27psi for 2 years no problem with it. your compression is so low that i wouldnt worry to much about the compression difference. just watch the j&s for a couple runs
 
#9 ·
does it matter which one? I have contacted ford and they say there is 2 different ones and we cant seem to figure out the differences between the 2 of them.
 
#13 ·
Had a similar issue, had to pull the head off for a chipped valve also after 2000 miles... called and the rep at cometic... said it can be used until the dimples are flat on the outer corners. Once those dimples are flat the gasket will not longer conform to the surfaces.... that was when i was running direct port zex nitrous kit & jrsc bbk. After a season i pulled then head for a p&p job, cleaned hg, reinstalled, ran a procharger kit at 14psi for 2 yrs. Now the motor is back appart for internals and a turbo... cometic gasket looks flawless and dimples still out... being this is my first 400+whp zetec build and the amount of time ive used it, ill replace it this time around. Just wanted to fill u in on my experience and info i recieved
 
#14 ·
cometic head gaskets seem to be hit and miss with alot of people. some people like dan put nearly 500whp worth of boost to them and some people like me try to use them on a stock engine and it doesnt last a day. i will never run a cometic head gasket again.
 
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