Would you all use a slightly damaged head gasket?

3800Fan · Jan 13, 2018

One of my headgaskets arrived in the mail yesterday and looks like I wasn't handled properly for an item placed in a cushioned envelope. At the top of the gasket near the pushrod holes there's a crease with some very faint cracks in the sealing material, there was also two small gouges in the sealing material on opposite sides of the gasket aside from a very slight bend that wasn't immediatley noticeable. None of this damage occurs anywhere near the coolant passages of the water jacket or the crush area around the combustion chambers and I was also planning on using copper spray-a-gasket on it anyways since it's recommended by a few companies on the 3.8. Would you all run the gasket as is or should I try and see if RockAuto will exchange it for me? I'm a regular customer of theirs and have had no issues with returning any items to them.

motor_oil_madman · Jan 13, 2018

Are you okay with doing the job twice?

3800Fan · Jan 13, 2018

Good point.

46Harry · Jan 13, 2018

I agree with motor_oil_madman, why take a chance on doing the job twice. Contact Rock Auto, they will send you a new gasket to replace the defective one.

spasm3 · Jan 13, 2018

The time and trouble of installing a head, new head bolts etc. Not worth it. Save what $30? I'd use another gasket.

rustypigeon · Jan 13, 2018

Originally Posted By: Hemispheres

item placed in a cushioned envelope.

A cushioned envelope is a poor choice for shipping a headgasket. I can just picture my mailman folding it in half to get it to fit in my mailbox. I would not use it.

fdcg27 · Jan 13, 2018

No way I'd go to the trouble of installing the heads and buttoning everything back up with a damaged HG. This is not a job you want to do twice and RA will willing replace a part damaged in shipping, especially since it should have been shipped in a hard cardboard box and not an envelope.

3800Fan · Jan 13, 2018

Originally Posted By: rustypigeon

Originally Posted By: Hemispheres

item placed in a cushioned envelope.

A cushioned envelope is a poor choice for shipping a headgasket. I can just picture my mailman folding it in half to get it to fit in my mailbox. I would not use it.

I'm filing a complaint regardless. Last week the carrier almost struck my vehicle and yesterday they left the envelope on a wet lawn chair in the middle of a downpour.

Kira · Jan 13, 2018

Get the part returned/replaced THEN file your complaint. In the future consider the fragility of the part before using any ship-to-home parts place. Many years ago I had the sensible option of having a recored radiator delivered form 3 miles away. It was a Friday. I went for a new one in a clean, crisp box from a clean, tidy shelf. DGMW (Don't Get Me Wrong) I love RockAuto. I just received an O2 sensor from them 2 days ago. How the careless warehouse help throws something like a big old head gasket into a box is something you needn't learn about. Assume they do it badly.

dlundblad · Jan 13, 2018

Return it and get your money back. Buy the part at a local parts store. Perhaps AAP paired with a discount code.

Donald · Jan 13, 2018

How much is your time worth to re-do it?

Gebo · Jan 13, 2018

3800Fan · Jan 13, 2018

They are going to issue a refund and Ill just reorder using UPS. Odd part is they didnt immediately request a return. Only thing Im concerned about now is the other gasket and the pushrods.