I installed new fel-pro Intake gaskets on a 1996 pontiac grand am 3.1 litre motor and torqued everything back to specs. Found out this wasnt the problem it is the head gaskets leaking. My question is if I pull this motor down again to install Head gaskets can I safely re-use the intake gaskets that I just bought and installed. set costs around 100 dollors. Thanks any experience will be helpful to me.
2006-11-29 07:47:23 · 6 answers · asked by James Dodge Boy 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Nope, once they are torqued down they compress and cannot be reused.
2006-11-29 08:33:46 · answer #1 · answered by Beaucoup 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a mechanic i would say don't reuse them. But as a poor redneck i would say give it a try. More than likely since they havn't been on there that long they will seal again, but they might not. My suggestion is that if they are hard to get to just buy new ones and install them, but if all it takes is unbolting a couple of things, you might as well try to save yourself some money and try it.
Another suggestion would be to just buy yourself a headgasket set. It will come with every gasket down to the head (including intake and exhaust manifold gaskets) then use the new ones out of that set. More than likely if you do a head gasket you will run into other gaskets that are bad (or that you ruin) on the way down to it. If it were me i'd just buy the head gasket set, because if you end up needing a bunch of different gaskets it will cost you more to buy them each seperate.
Oh yeah, you can't use silicon on exhaust gaskets or head gaskets. It only results in burnt silicon and a leaky seal.
2006-11-29 08:15:52 · answer #2 · answered by ninja boy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those goofy little 3.1 gaskets are a pain in the butt! The do leak a good bit, but they are desinged to actually move while installed. The gaskets inside the hard plastic part (which locates the pushrods) are silicone and very resilient. I wouldnt re-use them on a customers car, but I sure would on mine!
If the come off OK and are not split, they should be fine.
DO NOT USE SEALER OF ANY TYPE-----it defeats the design of the composite gasket.
2006-11-29 08:51:33 · answer #3 · answered by br549 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once you compress a gasket, it's questionable whether or not you should re-use it. If you just did this yesterday, then it might be worth the risk, but to put it together once and get it done, start with fresh gaskets....I HAVE re-used gaskets when I had to, but that's in a pinch. Another approach to save yourself some money would be to buy a sheet of gasket material, and cut your own. Sheets of gasket stuff are usually a lot cheaper.
2006-11-29 08:28:22 · answer #4 · answered by gokart121 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, me being me I wouldn't do it. And, it would depend on how long since you replaced them. They will take shape where they are and once removed and repositioned, you may develope a leak. Especially if you had to put silicone in the corners, removing all of that is essential. $100 bucks is cheap insurance to ensure you won't have a problem later. Good luck...
2006-11-29 08:15:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
If it's not damaged, sure. You might want to add some gasket seal.
2006-11-29 08:11:57 · answer #6 · answered by Wil T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋