reusing copper head gaskets?

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427belair
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reusing copper head gaskets?

#1 Post by 427belair » Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:25 pm

Is there a trick to reusing copper gaskets? Im a little worried about the water jackets sealing up. If its not a good idea can you use the MLS gaskets with orings?
Thanks in advance Jason

TS1955
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Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:33 pm

Re: reusing copper head gaskets?

#2 Post by TS1955 » Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:23 pm

Just spray both sides of the gasket with Copper coat and you'll be fine.

TS1955

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hugger73hatch
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Re: reusing copper head gaskets?

#3 Post by hugger73hatch » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:51 pm

TS1955 wrote:Just spray both sides of the gasket with Copper coat and you'll be fine.

TS1955

I have done this before and had no problems. I now run cometic.
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ojh
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Re: reusing copper head gaskets?

#4 Post by ojh » Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:40 am

When i use copper i number the head gasket so that it goes back into the same place. I've had mixed results with copper and have had best luck and reliability when you have a big head with a lot of mass. Copper on a sbc or bbc with stock type aluminum heads can be worrisome and tend to leak a little water but never had a cylinder pressure problem.
On a sbc how the 'O' ring is done makes a difference, have the machine shop do a figure '8' so that there is only a single wire between the thinnest point of where the cylinders adjoin, there isn't enough width to have parallel 'O' rings as they need about .100 to move the copper and let the stainless wire bite into the copper.
Good luck, oj
As far as MLS with 'O' rings i posed the question myself and haven't gotten an answer, i suspect that it isn't a good idea. We have been running a 632 with 'O' ring and cometic but when i pulled the heads last week i didn't care for what i saw. The gap between cylinders looks narrow to me as like when i was doing the sbc stuff and the MLS gasket was distressed and may not have been sealing proper between cylinders. I am thinking of pulling the 'O' rings and pounding some brass wire in there and let it go with the cometic.
Give me a shout back if you get some reliable advice, thanks oj

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CDR Performance
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Re: reusing copper head gaskets?

#5 Post by CDR Performance » Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:35 am

Coppers are re-useable, as stated check the placement of the wire. If the wire is not return to the same place on the gasket over time is may fail. Holmar or Copper spray is very important also.

ojh

I answered your mls question in the other thread.
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