Re-use steel head gasket

[rcull]

The gasket is a single layer steel gasket, the engine a Buick straight eight, cast iron block and head.
I have never re-used a head gasket, and I was just looking around the web and there seems to be a fair amount of support for it.
My situation was a startup problem which has caused me to have to pull the head and reinstall it. I would rather not wait for a replacement gasket (probably at least a week).
The head had been surfaced, the block decked, so the situation is probably as good as you could get. The engine was run about 20 minutes before disassembly. I was considering using a copper gasket coating and reinstalling it.
What's your experience?

[gmrocket]

Clean it , spray it with copper coat and install...multiple times if you want on that deal

[engineguyBill]

I would never reuse a steel shim head gasket. It will not seal the second time, regardless of the goop you put on it.

[gmrocket]

I would never reuse a steel shim head gasket. It will not seal the second time, regardless of the goop you put on it.

Wrong, I've been reusing them for years after NHRA inspection with a bunch more cylinder pressure that his would ever dream of seeing.

Still together after many reuses...years later.

Just ask anyone who gets torn down regularly

[dondon]

went thru teardown at a divisional event. didn't have another steel shim gasket, reused old one, ran same times next day, just copper coated old gasket

[bentvalves]

I would never reuse a steel shim head gasket. It will not seal the second time, regardless of the goop you put on it.

Wrong, I've been reusing them for years after NHRA inspection with a bunch more cylinder pressure that his would ever dream of seeing.

Still together after many reuses...years later.

Just ask anyone who gets torn down regularly

do you prefer hylomar or copper spray to reuse these gaskets?

[ProPower engines]

The gasket is a single layer steel gasket, the engine a Buick straight eight, cast iron block and head.
I have never re-used a head gasket, and I was just looking around the web and there seems to be a fair amount of support for it.
My situation was a startup problem which has caused me to have to pull the head and reinstall it. I would rather not wait for a replacement gasket (probably at least a week).
The head had been surfaced, the block decked, so the situation is probably as good as you could get. The engine was run about 20 minutes before disassembly. I was considering using a copper gasket coating and reinstalling it.
What's your experience?

A single steel shim gasket..............its been done every week at track events with no issues.Spray a few coats of copper gasket spray OR Hylomar would be best but short of that several coats and let tack up between coats and no worries.
Guys do it with both single shim style gaskets as well as the newer MLS and never have issues.

is it the standard practice in your case no. A new gasket should go in but if the gasket is not damaged in any way
then coat it and put it back in. You will never see any difference in sealing.

[Krooser]

My first experience with reusing head gaskets was in '67.

I worked at Humphrey Chevrolet in Milwaukee and was shocked when I saw the HD mechanics reuse a shim headgasket on a job where the complaint was a leaky headgasket!

They'd slobber on some Indian Head gasket goo and bolt it back on...done!

But that was nothing compared to watching them pull a 327 head without removing the intake manifold!!!

[gmrocket]

I would never reuse a steel shim head gasket. It will not seal the second time, regardless of the goop you put on it.

Wrong, I've been reusing them for years after NHRA inspection with a bunch more cylinder pressure that his would ever dream of seeing.

Still together after many reuses...years later.

Just ask anyone who gets torn down regularly

do you prefer hylomar or copper spray to reuse these gaskets?

I use permatex copper coat . I find that other stuff to messy