Head Gasket Fitting Issue

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

Left my mate to fit my head gasket last night while I had to shoot off. When I got back head was on all torqued up, on the down side the part if the gasket that sticks out the side of the head was on the cambelt side the wrong side. Obviously he was trying to help. My question is have I now got to replace the bolts and gaskets again or by some miracle can I reuse them . Payen gasket elring bolts. Cheer thanks for you patience

[Tom Fenton 1,528]

Personally if it hasn't run I'd re use the gasket but probably not the bolts.

[welshpug 1,629]

see I'd be the other way round, bolts fine but not gasket.

[j_turnell 134 3 Cars]

I would get new bolts as they should be stretch bolts, if it's not been run, prob get away with re-using the HG.

[petert 556]

Sorry, the bolts are toast.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

After doing my first HG two days ago i'd be inclined to agree with WP.

 

Reason being, with the 16v pug say the bolts have to be a maximum of 112mm long, which to me implies if they are used and are less than 112mm you could re-use them.

 

However, after doing mine, torq'in to 70nM and the additional 160 degrees, i wouldn't risk reusing bolts as the oomph required to do them made me feel a bolt could snap at any minute....... (I snapped a good 3/8 bar doing mine)

 

Would also think once a gasket has been compressed, it will always have been compressed..... And might not fill and tiny machined valleys etc

[welshpug 1,629]

which engine is it btw? alloy are stretch but iron aren't.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

I Thought the Torx type could be re-used but the Hex type can't. (Stated in the Haynes IIRC)

 

Us Northern folk are often forced to repair on a budget. If the bolts tighten up without popping out of the threads then they should be OK. Only seen the once on an XR2 with reused bolts.

If the engine hasn't run and the bolts haven't been hot, then I'd chance re-use them..... But that's me.

Worse case scenario is you have to do the head gasket again.

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

Just a 1.9 xu9ja

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

So here's what I went for, new gasket old bolts based on the fact I couldn't get the bolt in time, as I need the car for Sunday so watch this space.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Fingers crossed for you.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Probably what I've had done,

Just check the bolts are still tight after a few week of driving.

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

As it's main use is for track it gets check over after every blast I will add the bolts to my check list

[welshpug 1,629]

you wont need to do that if they were tightened correctly, there's no test you can do really!

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

I used the same settings as I used last year DamirGTI posted them.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

you wont need to do that if they were tightened correctly, there's no test you can do really!

Wasn't my point.

[Duroc 2 1 Cars]

I Thought the Torx type could be re-used but the Hex type can't. (Stated in the Haynes IIRC)

 

Other way round. The Torx are stretch ones.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

 

Other way round. The Torx are stretch ones.

You sure?

[Tom Fenton 1,528]

I am. Torx head are stretch type.

[dcc 855]

Not that the man with a cap needs any reassurance, but yes, torx head are stretch!

[petert 556]

which engine is it btw? alloy are stretch but iron aren't.

That's news to me. Why else would you turn them an additional 160 deg.?

[RossD 43]

Maybe another thing to consider - If your mate got the head gasket the wrong way around, has he maybe also forgotten to put the spacer on the bolt above the water pump, meaning its now also going to leak like a sieve? Certainly worth checking.

[amusingadam 6 1 Cars]

I have taken it all apart myself now and redone it just done my final torque checks all good so back on the track tomorrow.