BTW, why do you want to check the gaskets?  If you pull the heads, you
can't reuse the gaskets.  These are crush type things of thick rubber.
 If you take off the head, especially on an old one, I don't think you
can ever reuse the head gasket.

Has anyone successfully reused a head gasket?

If you're pulling the heads because you have a coolant leak into the
head and want to check the gasket and head for leaks, then I can
understand.  But, if you are pulling the head off to look at the
gasket to see if it is damaged, I think you'd be better off to plan on
replacing that gasket.

I'm kind of wondering if anyone is actually reusing newish head gaskets.

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 15:04:56 -0700, Rocket J Squirrel
<j.michael.elliott@adelphia.net> wrote:
> I have a 1971 bus. I have pulled the engine a few times to take care of
> this and that.
>
> I have also recently acquired a 1984 automatic Westy with no A/C. At
> first glance, pulling its engine seems a bit harder. If, for example,
> one wanted to pull the heads and check the gaskets. Some kind of
> mechanical adventure like that.
>
> So, on a scale 1 to 10, assuming that taking off the gas cap is a "1",
> and pulling the 1971 bus's engine is a "5" -- how would you rate this
> year/model Vanagon engine pull?
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 VW Type 2 / 84 Westy: A poor but proud race.
> KG6RCR
>