Copper gaskets, reusable?

[300rman]

are copper head gaskets re-usable?
i tore my 300 top end apart, and i cant find a new head gasket on Ebay. so, naturally, my question is: can they be re-used? i have heard people go both ways with this.

[oOGoFastOo]

yes if it is a pure copper gasket you can re-use it but you have to anneal it first by evenly heating it to a dull orange glowing color and then submerging it into room temp. water. then you just steel wool it until shiny and use it again.

[evand]

i have done it a few times with no problem.

my gramps told me he use to heat them up real hot then smear some indiand head on them and put them on before they cooled off, he swore up and down about doing them like that.

[TeamGeek6]

IF the gasket is FLAT. Reuse it on a warped head or deck and it wont seal.

Copper is malleable (soft) and heating it will not fix a warped section.

I make head gaskets from asbestos head gasket material