Gasket Professor-Can I re-use my head gaskets?

Question:
Hi I am running your titan gaskets at the moment on my sb chev … i have a ring seal issue with the motor at the moment.The 1st time i fired the motor it ran for @ 5min theni pulled the heads of to inspect the bores.The 2nd time it ran for 2 15min and now i had to pull the motor apart.Can i still reuse the titan gaskets.Motor runs water and i seal the gaskets with threebond each time.Will this be ok Thanks

Gasket Professor Answer:
Yes. You can re-use the Titan or Pro Copper style head gaskets several times, only if the head gaskets are cleaned carefully. If a buildup of sealant occurs, combustion pressure will not be contained as the Head/Gasket/Block will become separated by a layer of sealant which cannot withstand combustion pressure and heat. Metal-to-metal contact of the Head/Gasket/Block at the O-ring is required to achieve the best combustion seal.

The cleaning and re-use process will damage or remove the silicone bead seals of the Titan head gaskets however, the copper gaskets are still very much re-usable. As you suggest, Threebond is suitable for sealing but it’s difficult to remove this sealant from the copper gaskets. KW Copper Coat may be a more user friendly choice if the heads will be coming off again anytime soon. To properly clean your gaskets & sealing surfaces I suggest finding a solvent such as Acetone or Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) to dissolve the Threebond sealant to insure all surfaces are completely cleaned down to the bare metal. Once clean, the gaskets can be re-installed using another light application of the sealant.

Thanks for your business!