| Author | Message | ||
     X1bueller |
I had to pull my rear head off for a valve and stud job. The last time I used high quality James metal gaskets... It still looks pretty good. Do I need to replace it? | ||
| Normthenomad |
Yes. | ||
| Falloutnl |
When faced with that question, someone on here quoted Dirty Harry once. "Do you feel lucky?" That really is the best way to put it. | ||
| Victory |
We used to spray disk brake quiet on new head gaskets for insurance!  | ||
| 34nineteen |
When faced with that question, someone on here quoted Dirty Harry once. "Do you feel lucky?" That really is the best way to put it. This ^^^^^^^^^ Look at it this way. It should be OK, and if so, congratulations! you saved $25. If not, you'll have to tear it all back down, and replace the exhaust port gaskets, intake seals and rocker box gasket in addition to the head gasket. Oh, but the exhaust post gaskets, intake seals and the rocker box gaskets should be re-useable... They should be OK, and if so, congratulations! you saved $25. If not... (Message edited by 34nineteen on June 14, 2021) | ||
| Hootowl |
The only gaskets I would reuse are the rubber rockerbox gaskets, and the new metal primary gasket. Any crush gasket is, in my mind, a one-use item. | ||
| X1bueller |
Yea, that's what I was asking. You have the rubber rocker gaskets, and then the rubber/plastic rocker to head gasket, and then the head to cylinder gasket. I want to do the right thing, but also try to avoid spending $150 on a whole top end kit if I only need 1 or 2 things. | ||
| _buelligan_ |
You don't need to buy a whole top end kit to get 1 or 2 things. They are sold individually as well. | ||
| 34nineteen |
The only gaskets I would reuse are the rubber rockerbox gaskets, and the new metal primary gasket. Any crush gasket is, in my mind, a one-use item. I agree with this also, however I have been told by others that the MLS style gaskets are re-useable. I would always replace these: Cylinder head gasket Cylinder Head to Rockerbox gaskets Intake and exhaust seals Unnecessary and overzealous? Probably, but I dont want to dive back in to chase a leak if I can avoid it. The rubber gaskets between the rocker box and spacer/rocker cover I would be OK with re-using, if they looked in great shape. If I had to go back in and replace those, its no big deal on a tuber or Sportster. On an XB... well, thats a different sub-forum. | ||
| Hootowl |
Yes LOL rotate your engine means something else on an XB  |
