Should I replace head gasket "while I'm in there"?

[NWindsor]

I'm working on a motor out gasket and seal replacement on my 85.5 NA . So far most of the gaskets and seals have been original (the cam housing to cylinder head gasket had nearly fused with the aluminum requiring all the elbow grease to get it off). So the question is - do I replace the head gasket too? I did a compression test before pulling the motor and all cylinders read 165psi. There haven't been any signs of oil and coolant mixing or air pockets in the cooling system. The head gasket was part of the Victor Reinz set I bought and everything else is off that would need to come off to remove the cylinder head. I haven't heard of head gaskets failing on these cars but maybe 40 years is pushing the limit? So "while I'm in there", or "if it ain't broke"?....

[Tom]

I'd change it. Although the n/a gaskets don't blow as often as the turbo, 40 years is 40 years. When I first did the HG on my 951, it was about 30-years-old at the time, and was just a mess. Most of the composite parts over the coolant had decayed with almost nothing left, and the sealing rings were fragile like glass. They find dinosaur bones in better shape than my old gasket.

[944m3]

1000% yes

[NWindsor]

Thanks guys! That was my suspicion but I didn't want to create more problems than I was trying to solve. With the way all the other gaskets have been falling apart and o-rings disintegrating I figured the head gasket condition would be the same.

[Ajay213]

This was one of my regrets when I did my initial 'top end' resto, I went down to the head and I was sitting there flip flopping about yanking the head off, but I decided not to as I was already spending crazy but I regret that I didn't do it.

You didn't mention mileage and stuff, but I'd also look at maybe rebuilding the head - nothing crazy just refresh it back to a stock level.

[944online]

I would recommend doing the head gasket as well as the oil pan gasket with rod bearings. All of those jobs will never be easier to do then while the motor is out of the car. Rear crank seal would be a good idea as well.

[NWindsor]

I got the head gasket installed yesterday, oil pan gasket and rear main seal are done already. I bought the Victor Reinz gasket kits for both top and bottom end with the intention of replacing every supplied gasket and o-ring from those kits. There wasn't anything mechanically wrong with the motor when I pulled it other than leaking a significant amount of oil from ALL the usual places. I probably should have done the rod bearings when I had the oil pan off but this winter project is already a couple months behind schedule and I got some cruises/cars and coffees coming up pretty quick I'd like to attend.

[Thom]

The orange rear main seal made by Reinz is not terrific and does not seal as well as the black equivalent made by Elring, just FYI.

[NWindsor]

Good to know. Last summer, while retrieving a 6mm combination wrench that had fallen into the clutch inspection hole in the bellhousing (what are the odds?), I replaced the rear main seal with the National brand one. It might have been leaking a smidge as well but I wouldn't have been able to tell with the amount of oil running down from above it.

[Tom]

I do think the Elring is easier to install without leaking, but I ultimately got the factory P234 rear mail seal tool and haven't one leak since (not that I install a lot of them, but still).