Temporarily reusing head gaskets.

[Leadslingingdaddy]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

If you really want to save money, pull the spark plugs and look in the hole. Roll the engine by hand to satisfy yourself it will roll. Then get it running. Just leave the heads on it. Why do you need to see the cylinders to try and get it running. It's either going to run or not. Pulling the head just to look isn't going to change anything. If your only going at it to look..... it's a waste of time.

What he said....

[sorner]

Originally Posted by Leadslingingdaddy

What he said....

+1

But if you must tear it apart to look around (which sounds like something I would do, but mostly because I like to see things with my eyes and not assume based on tests), if they're the metal type you can probably get away with it, maybe. If they're the graphite kind, forget it. They aren't coming off in one piece.

[olds45512]

My concern is the fact that the tins have been pulled off the one side and the head bolts look one they have old tool marks on them, for all I know someone has had the head off and there isn't even a gasket. Since this thing has been sitting forever and nobody has heard it run I would just like to know as much about the engines condition as possible before I even attempt to fire it.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by olds45512

My concern is the fact that the tins have been pulled off the one side and the head bolts look one they have old tool marks on them, for all I know someone has had the head off and there isn't even a gasket. Since this thing has been sitting forever and nobody has heard it run I would just like to know as much about the engines condition as possible before I even attempt to fire it.

I would attempt to fire it without taking the heads off.
can't hurt anything really.
Turn the driveshaft over with the plugs out by hand, and if no stoppages then try it with the starter and feel if you have compression.
if so, then check for spark, if so, then squirt gas in the carb and see if it will run and go from there.
you are testing it.
if it appears to be ok then you can spend $25 on head gaskets and clean the carbon and look @ the valves and the bore to see if anything drastic is present.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by olds45512

My concern is the fact that the tins have been pulled off the one side and the head bolts look one they have old tool marks on them, for all I know someone has had the head off and there isn't even a gasket. Since this thing has been sitting forever and nobody has heard it run I would just like to know as much about the engines condition as possible before I even attempt to fire it.

You can tell if it has a gasket on it by looking at the jug/head from the top or front.

I still wouldn't pull a head just because. I like what George just said.