Reusing a head gasket.

[cadet trooper]

Okay, I know it is a no no to reuse a head gasket but while rebuilding my AC5020 with a Toyosha engine I'm having difficulty finding a new head gasket I'm supposed to get the new piston rings this week and the head gaskets are becoming non existant but still working on that. My question is has anyone ever reused a head gasket and what if any a compound to use that will make it work? I was very careful removing the old one and it looks like new although compressed. The tractor only has 1100 hours on it but next rebuild is scrap yard. Thanks in advance for you help.

 

[George Andreasen]

I'm not familiar with the engine, but if it's gas you might try that spray on copper from NAPA. Let it dry tacky, reinstall and torque.. then cross your fingers (been there, done that). I wouldn't try it with a diesel though..higher compression might blow a less than perfect gasket. Anyone else have any experience to offer?

 

[cadet trooper]

Yes it is a diesel.

 

[steve(ill)]

lots of guys reuse the head gaskets, i have not tried it.. heard quite a bit at nnalert com site.

 

[old]

Metal or fiber gasket. If its metal you might get by with it but if fiber forget it. If metal put in in your house oven and turn the oven on to 500, let it get up to full heat. Turn it off and then let it cool to room temp. Then you might get by with it but still spray it with copper coat.
Hobby farm

 

[Rex in Australia]

Silver paint.
Is an old way to re-use a metal gasket that is in good condition.
Good luck, God Bless, and all the best for 2008.

Rex

 

[muleman]

I have re-used old head gaskets many times on the Olds 350 diesel and on several tractor and truck engines, even ones with leaking heads or broken head bolts as long as they look fairly good and don"t have burns or tears around the cylinder. A lot depends on how easy it is to remove the head if it still leaks, or how hard to get or expensive the gasket is compared to the value of the equipment. A new gasket will leak if the original cause isn"t fixed such as warped heads or uneven cooling.

 

[Slowpoke]

There are a couple of people that custom make head gaskets. They advertise in Antique Power Magazine and Gas Engine Magazine. Someone with a current issue may be able to post contact info. Yes, I have reused head gaskets with good results.

 

[cadet trooper]

Thanks folks, I was eyeing that gasket anyway everytime I was coming up dry on locating a new one. Happy New Year to you all and glad to hear from Rex across the pond! I"m hoping to start back together with the old girl next weekend, I"ll post the pictures when I get it running.

 

[Anonymous-0]

how did you manage to kill it with only 1100 hrs?

I see these with 3 and 4 thousand hrs still going strong.

 

[cadet trooper]

I sold it new in 1979 to a guy who worked in our local truck plant who only mowed about 5 or 6 acres twice a year and left it sit outside all the time and didn't cover the exhaust and after the battery died he just let it sit and then his health failed so I think it sat outside for 5 or 6 six years and the #2 piston got really stuck his son works for me so I bought it back after his dad passed away because it was the first 5020 I sold new. Some scrap jockey wound up with the mid mount mower deck. I'm telling you it's a shame he had the rear tires filled with calcium bacause he had hills to mow and the rear rims are trashed but the tires are 90%. The good news is if I get it running everything else seems to be OK such as the crankjournals, wrist pins very nice. Makes a challenging project.

 

[Dick L]

You should be able to buy the 16 inch rims without centers from Miller Tire or someone like them and weld the old centers in. I just machined a set of C centers to fit the 5020 hubs and mounted a pair of 11/24's.

There was a gasket set for the 5020 on ebay a few months back. If I would have thought they were hard to come by I would have bid on them. Have you called Sandy Lake to see if they can get gaskets.

 

[cadet trooper]

Thanks DickL,I think I"ll be OK with the old head gasket because it is in pretty good shape. I feel pretty good about the engine once I get it together next two issues are the starter, someone tried to unstick it with a direct jump and burned up the wires at the terminal to the brushes, the commutator looks real good however the solenoid is gone :-(. It"s just the next obstacle to overcome and the last one is the exhaust manifold the whole bottom is rusted out (gone) I think I can find one on the net if not I have an excellent cast iron welder friend that can do about anything with cast iron if not we"ll make a header for it. Once I get the engine going and other things working i.e. hydraulics etc. I"ll go to work on the rear wheels and I may need to pick your brain on that one. Thanks a bunch! There is a wealth of knowledge on this site! Awesome!

 

[loveshisallis]

I would , remove the toyokazi engine and replace it with an american made wd block.
gotta get back to american made.

 

[cadet trooper]

Great idea! It may come to that.