Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:06:35

Title: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:06:35
Fitted yesterday, removed tonight, can I reuse tomorrow or do I need a new one, done about five miles before finding the problem
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: tunnie on 25 May 2009, 19:07:12
I would say no as they are designed to stretch when fitted.
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: markey mark on 25 May 2009, 19:16:44
i wouldnt have a problem with reuseing them martin  :y
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 25 May 2009, 19:17:08
1) As crazy as it sounds, it would probably run OK

2) However, for the low cost of a gasket and a few bolts, and given that you want to keep the car for some time - the only thing to do is to replace them.  :y

By the way - was the gasket fitted correctly?
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Ghost on 25 May 2009, 19:18:40
if you want to do the job correctly then get new gasket and bolts, its very risky to try and use used ones again. ( its not worth the hassel )
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Omega man 2 on 25 May 2009, 19:19:38
I wouldn't :-/
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: espen22 on 25 May 2009, 19:21:22
No to the gasket, thats a bad idea. the bolts are not stretching like they should when they are reused so u are risking a head gasket failure over time, but i have done it on my own cars a couple of times..
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:30:51
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1) As crazy as it sounds, it would probably run OK

2) However, for the low cost of a gasket and a few bolts, and given that you want to keep the car for some time - the only thing to do is to replace them.  :y

By the way - was the gasket fitted correctly?


Gasket was upside down - I had heat stroke and was working while a bit out of it.

Depends if I can get one tomorrow
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 25 May 2009, 19:34:31
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Quote
1) As crazy as it sounds, it would probably run OK

2) However, for the low cost of a gasket and a few bolts, and given that you want to keep the car for some time - the only thing to do is to replace them.  :y

By the way - was the gasket fitted correctly?


Gasket was upside down - I had heat stroke and was working while a bit out of it.

Depends if I can get one tomorrow

Oops!

Well - I left a follower out - I'm glad someone else can make a mistake also ;D

Glad you sorted it though mate - at least you can sort it now  :y

Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Andy B on 25 May 2009, 19:39:42
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Gasket was upside down  ......

What are your cam support bearings like? I lnow it's not been driven far, but it seems you've had no oil flow to the heads.  :(
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:41:10
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Quote
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1) As crazy as it sounds, it would probably run OK

2) However, for the low cost of a gasket and a few bolts, and given that you want to keep the car for some time - the only thing to do is to replace them.  :y

By the way - was the gasket fitted correctly?


Gasket was upside down - I had heat stroke and was working while a bit out of it.

Depends if I can get one tomorrow

Oops!

Well - I left a follower out - I'm glad someone else can make a mistake also ;D

Glad you sorted it though mate - at least you can sort it now  :y



4 days off the road though now - it did go well on the test drive even though it was noisy.

It survived because I had smothered it in oil.

For a little drive it was nearly 3.0 performance - until it got too noisy.

Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:43:25
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Gasket was upside down  ......

What are your cam support bearings like? I lnow it's not been driven far, but it seems you've had no oil flow to the heads.  :(

7 are fine, 1 has slight surface marks. Looks OK.

Cam is fine.Cams are fine

It will do anyway, if it does go bad I will refit the original head after refurbishing it.

However I cannot remove 135 without doing 246 as well
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Andy B on 25 May 2009, 19:45:20
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However I cannot remove 135 without doing 246 as well

Why's that?  :-/
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:45:54
It might not have been far but I tipped a lot of oil over them before fitting the cam cover.

Worst case I just rebuild old 135, so better stock up on gaskets ect
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 25 May 2009, 19:47:13
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However I cannot remove 135 without doing 246 as well

Why's that?  :-/

Can't remove 135 without moving the coolant pipe, can't unbolt that with 246 in the way.

I have short fingers and wide hands.
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Andy B on 25 May 2009, 20:07:37
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However I cannot remove 135 without doing 246 as well

Why's that?  :-/

Can't remove 135 without moving the coolant pipe, can't unbolt that with 246 in the way.

I have short fingers and wide hands.

Just asking ..... ;) as said else where I've never ever got that far on my car ....... yet!  :-?   ::)  ::)  ::) :-X
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: espen22 on 25 May 2009, 20:34:36
rub the damage carefully with p800 wet paper, and remove all alu deposits from camshaft. think you will do just fine with that. check that there is no alu deposits in the hole where the oil is supposed to come up and lube.. think that the engine will be ok.
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 08:47:22
Will have to reuse - dealer gone belly up :(
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Jimbob on 26 May 2009, 08:51:17
can you risk the bolts shearing on you?

stretch bolts being used twice here doesnt sound good to me,

Mark has had head bolts sheer, and with the force you are tightening can really do you some damage when the go and you punch some metal obect really hard :(

can you really not wait a day or 2 to be safe?
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 11:28:02
Gasket looked OK

Short cut for changing - looses Coolant pipe the jack up the pre cat, saves unbolting the exhaust.

Currently looking for torque equivalences
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 12:27:50
Didn't look too bad, I have torqued to 75nm - the limit for 10.9 rated M10 bolts.

Spares are being ordered ready for any issues.
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 26 May 2009, 12:45:22
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Didn't look too bad, I have torqued to 75nm - the limit for 10.9 rated M10 bolts.

Spares are being ordered ready for any issues.

What? The head bolts? :o (mental picture of head bouncing up and down on the block as the engine fires)

I would say it's fine to re-use the bolts. They have only had a single stretch cycle and not been subjected to numerous thermal cycles as they would in an engine in real "use".

If the head gasket is the metal type they would probably be OK to re-use at a push. Ideally replace them, of course.

Kevin
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 15:51:55
I did some measuring

20 nm + 215 deg

75 was about 120 deg and I gave it another 90

Too worried about breaking them

Spent a lot of the day chasing another down - no luck yet
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 18:02:34
Seems OK

Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: beemerdevil on 26 May 2009, 18:29:51
I would get new ones matey :y
Title: Re: Can I reuse head gasket & bolts?
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 May 2009, 18:49:49
New gasket & bolts ordered, will fit in a couple of weeks when all the cuts have gone.

That said now second quickest 2.6 on OOF