Original still leaking oil from the head..

[Randy Littrell]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

No, don't take the head off. If you do that, you'll have to replace the gasket. Can't use them over.

I will have to disagree with you on that one.

I have reused quite a few original head gaskets.

If the head comes off and the gasket is clean, I paint them with aluminum paint and reuse.

Haven't had one leak yet!





Randy

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Randy Littrell

I will have to disagree with you on that one.

I have reused quite a few original head gaskets.

If the head comes off and the gasket is clean, I paint them with aluminum paint and reuse.

Haven't had one leak yet!

Randy

Well Randy, I don't really care if you disagree. They are a one time use. Glad it works for you, but a head gasket is designed to be used once. When you bolt them down, the material crushes. I'm going to say that your more lucky than anything. That, or you don't work your engines that hard, or put many hours on them. Or it could be that you don't know when you have a leak..... Most people don't.

[zippy1]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Well Randy, I don't really care if you disagree. They are a one time use. Glad it works for you, but a head gasket is designed to be used once. When you bolt them down, the material crushes. I'm going to say that your more lucky than anything. That, or you don't work your engines that hard, or put many hours on them.

X-2 All day long.

[ol'George]

My experience:
I have reused head gaskets on small engines in a pinch.
Some held, some didn't,-- the ones that didn't, got replaced.
I stand with John, they are designed as a one time deal.
I would not reuse one for someone else's engine.

If it fails, you get to practice the replacement again.
Sometimes you can't get a gasket quick, and you need the equipment now, so you do what you have too.
If they were not blown when you removed them, your reuse chances are better.
So it is a judgment call.

[johncub7172]

Ok, so I'm guilty of re-using a head gasket a time or two.

Jon, you mention there should not be "any" oil inside the gasket? Did I miss something here, because oil inside coming out through a "re-used" head gasket could only mean bad piston rings, or valve seats improperly installed? Other?

I run my k241 hard, but with in limits, and rebuilt by a professional member. Like the original post states, my engine is doing the exact same thing. I'll try a new h/g later when the 1450 is done. Once in a while I may or may not notice a weak engine.

[Randy Littrell]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Well Randy, I don't really care if you disagree. They are a one time use. Glad it works for you, but a head gasket is designed to be used once. When you bolt them down, the material crushes. I'm going to say that your more lucky than anything. That, or you don't work your engines that hard, or put many hours on them. Or it could be that you don't know when you have a leak..... Most people don't.

Well, we can agree to disagree.

But....I do know when I have head gaskets leaking and just because I don't have over 10,000 post doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing with small engines.

I would never reuse something in a customers engine, but if its mine, I have no problem.

I can't always open my wallet and throw dollars at things, nothing wrong with knowing how to make do with what you have.




Randy

[ol'George]

We tend to think of head gaskets as to what we are working on.
In an air cooled flathead Kohler for instance, the only oil that comes out is unburned oil that gets into the combustion chamber, via valve seal or past piston rings, or a holed piston etc.
In a overhead design, and or water boiler engine, it could be coming from an oil passage area, valve/cam tower or a water jacket, so there are more variables, for oil to get into the combustion chamber.
Also on a turbo engine, the turbine bearings are lubed with crankcase motor oil, and when the seals cook and fail, oil is injected into the combustion chamber along with fuel and air.
( another variable)
I hope I've not muddied the waters so to speak.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Randy Littrell

Well, we can agree to disagree.

But....I do know when I have head gaskets leaking and just because I don't have over 10,000 post doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing with small engines.

Whatever you think Randy.

Yeah.... we can agree to disagree. I agree that your mechanical knowledge is limited, so I disagree with your advice.

I think George had the most polite response to you in post #14, so I'll just defer to it. I really don't have the patience to argue with you politely.

[IHcubcadet1]

My intention of this thread was not to fight over who reuses head gaskets. We all have our ways of fixing and maintaining things. Whether is right or wrong. It's whatever we are happy with. Thank you.

As for my head gasket. I will try a new one and if that doesn't work, i think some of my rings are bad. Thank you.

[Sam Mac]

If you have oil coming out from between the head and the block on a flat head Kohler you have a bad head gasket or the mating surfaces are not flat, period, end of conversation. If you have bad rings it will smoke from the exhaust pipe.

If you resurface the head and install a new gasket and torque it properly then warm it up and re-torque as you should no reason to have a leaker.

I never reuse a head gasket, if you want to I honestly don't care, it's not my engine.