Re-use M30 head gasket

[Dash01]

Installing brand new HG on M30 engine, and discovered mistake before starting the engine or doing the final angle torque on head bolts, so took the head back off. In this case, the otherwise brand new head bolts have not had their normal stretch upon installation, nor has the new HG gotten squished as it normally would with angle torque of the bolts.

In this situation, is it OK to re-use the HG, with complete torque of the head bolts?

OK to re-use the otherwise brand new head bolts?

Or, get a brand new HG and head bolts?

[Dave M]

bump for a good question.

I have an M50 head gasket I'm too cheap to toss. It was installed, car ran for less than 1 minute, then the engine was compeltely disassembled. Don't ask :(

Dave M

[winfred]

not torqued to the final value the gasket and bolts should be fine, i wouldn't put the gasket on another block/head just incase theres any defect that the gasket absorbed

fully torqued gasket id consider it playing with fire, you may get away with it but it could bite you in the ass

[Bin_jammin]

Re-using a head gasket is just asking for trouble. If you've torqued it you will have already compressed the sealing rings around the cylinders. Torquing it down again means the rings will be distorted when you fully compress them. Think of it like this. You can be cheap, and reuse it and do the job over again when it fails, or just bite the bullet and do it right the first (second?) time.

[John 535is (Sydney)]

agree with winfred. if not torqued down you should not have any trouble on the same motor. If you are really worried, a new 'gasket only' is not that expensive. Bolts will be fine. john535is

[Ross]

I would have said absolutely not but winfred makes a good point about it not having been crushed completely. I'll let you be the experimenter though.
Please advise us how it goes.

[bimmerd00d]

i'm about to try this on my M20 too, i haven't even done the first torque sequence though, I just set the head on there.