Whilst it's not specific on the omega, I've use the rule before that if the engine has not been run on a head-gasket, then it's likely to be fine. I've even done the same before, in that I've torqued up a head, and then realised I've made a mistake and had to take it off again. Not run the engine in the meantime, so re-used the gasket, and it was fine for many thousands of miles thereafter.
The trick about using an old head-bolt is a good one, although what I've tended to do is grind a massive flat on one side of the bolt, and the same on the opposite side of the bolt, meaning you end up with a 4mm thick flat bolt which acts as a thread-chaser. Thereafter, a vacuum cleaner with a length of small-bore tubing gaffer-taped to the end of it is great for getting corrosion/dust/water/oil out of the threads in the block.
Again, I'm not entirely sure with regard to the omega engine, but engines I've worked on before respond well to having a swipe of lithuim grease on the head bolt threads, and another swipe under the head of the bolt, allowing you to get a reasonably reliable torque reading which is less caused by friction and more by actual bolt loading.
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Topic: DOH! another head swap setback (Read 945 times)