I'm not above reusing a rocker box lid gasket if it's in good shape.(rubber, not cork) I clean inspect and reuse the clutch inspection cover o-ring repeatedly on the twin cam. Anything below the rocker box lid on the top end, NO.

When i was in the cam of the month club, after replacing the OEM gasket with a silicone impregnated james gasket on the cam chest, I reused that gasket at least 7 times with no problems on an EVO. I also routinely reused the two primary inspection cover gaskets on my EVO's as well as the pushrod tube O-rings.

 

All gaskets compress when the fasteners holding the cover (any cover) are torqued to specs. Don't believe me.... next time take out your micrometer and mic the old gasket and then the new one. I built Harley motors and trannys for years in my shop and yes If I had to go back in it got new gaskets.... every time. No greater waste of time (money) than having to redo a job for an oil leak. If our boy started this job with a gasket set on hand why on earth wouldn't he use it to insure against leaks? Not installing a new gasket on a primary cover or clutch derby cover is one thing, very easy to change, but rocker boxes that's just shitty workmanship. He got lucky (maybe). Someone already said it, never buy a bike from this guy!

 

He also had like 29k miles when he did this so it wasnt like it was a fairly fresh gasket. He seemed to have both time and money on his hands so I dont think he cares one way or other if it leaks and he has to go back in and redo the job.

I think harleycharlie1992 said it best with "I would hate to see some of the home mechanics thinking its ok to reuse old gaskets on their work, its just creating a bad job and a bad habit".

 

I wasn't one who posted before on this thread, but will post my opinion and maybe explain where others are coming from. I'm not trying to flame you but just trying to explain in a different way. I'm not calling anyone stupid and not slamming anyone intentionally.

The risk of it leaking is the part that would be "stupid"(not my words) about it. Before running it, after putting it back together with used gasket, wouldn't know if it was going to leak or not.

The "no leak, then no problem" is just luck. What would you have said/thought if it had leaked? My guess is that you would have thought/said "boy that was kinda not so smart to re-use those gaskets". So with your logic, you think its ok if you gamble and it ends up ok but not ok if it does not end up ok. How do you know the outcome ahead of time?

Problem is that you can't always tell visually if a gasket is squeezed to a point that it can let gas/air/oil...etc, flow past if reused. Even if it has only been on an hour, week, years, seconds.

I think the part about reusing gaskets(even though it apparently worked out for this guy) that others have issue with(me included) is that it is a risk that involves the possibility to have to go right back in and replace the gaskets anyways (doubling the work and hence possibility of mucking something up) that is really kinda silly to take based on how cheap gaskets are vs. how detrimental they can be.

 

You are wasting your time. If one does things different from what the "experts" on this forum feel is the right way to do things, even if it works, you will be flamed. And I mean anything different by the way, riding style, gear preference, options, finance, fuel choice, whatever. It is pretty damn funny to hear all these old ladies preach.

 

I try not to re-use gaskets and if I break a component apart, I usually replace it. I used OEM push rods with my cam job. I don't think I could come to terms with adjustable. A friend of mine races 800 horsepower big block modifieds, I asked him about adjustable push rods and he said "That sounds dangerous"

 

Yes, I understand that adjustable pushrods can loosen up, but I've used them for over 150,000 miles without a problem. They make the periodic lifter and cam bearing replacement MUCH easier.

I used to ride Hondas that had threaded adjusters for the valve lash with no problems. My current car is a Honda Fit, which has threaded valve adjusters. They've never come loose, either.

Yes, I might not use adjustable rods with an 800 HP race engine, but we're talking a 70 HP Harley motor. Even if one of them started to come loose, I would hear it long before it did any damage.

 

If an engine gasket bears the mark of the part(s) that it was sandwiched between, it's "damaged". It doesn't matter if it falls apart. If the gasket has already been compressed between correctly torqued parts, its ability to seal has been diminished to the point that, IMO, it's not worth the risk of re-using it. I used the stock pushrods with my 95" build because the 24Ns I installed have a stock lobe base an don't require adjustable pushrods. I used Cometic gaskets on the top end and have no complaints. I haven't re-used old gaskets since I was a teenager and couldn't afford new ones.

 

I went in and threw stock pushrods back in and have to say that rocker gasket looked brand spanking new to the naked eye. I threw new gaskets in for safe measure after 33k miles but I must say these gaskets are a far cry from my old evo gaskets.

 

I did that once, back in the day, with 2 different women. This was when condoms were behind the counter & it was embarassing to ask for them. I DID wash it out in between chicks.

As far as gaskets--I even use new drain plug O-rings when I change oil. You can't tell if a gasket or ring is bad by looking at it. Once it's been compressed, that's it. Same with spark plugs & master cylinder gaskets. I never put the old one back. Might be overkill, but it's cheap insurance, even if only psychological.