[BillsNogo]

I bought some head gaskets online and it was not packaged well. The guy just put cardboard flat around it and taped it. So of course ups bent it and now my gaskets are not flat, they luckily did not kink, but are pretty wavy and far from flat.

So, my question is, should it be fine and flatten out enough when torquing down the heads, or are they toast already?

 

[lktna]

I personally would not use them but that is just me.

 

[MarkW]

What kind of gaskets are they? A MLS gasket may have hidden damage. If you know they're not kinked they should be ok. Those head bolts will straighten out a wavy gasket pretty good. Check the fire rings real good.

 

[BillsNogo]

It is the Mr Gasket UltraSeal 5802. Other than kinked, it looks okay. MrGasket packaged them in the same package and they stuck together a little, but seemed to come apart alright, although they are stick head gaskets :yes:

 

[JRouche]

IMO no kinks in the ring then no problem. But wavy to one guy is really jacked up to another. Only problem I would see is if there was a kink in the metal, if not then the clamping pressure will flatten it out. Not cuts, lines, kinks, sounds ok to me. Do straighten it out as much as possible before installing. JR

Oh, and that silicon or what ever seal they use to sell the gasket is minor. The ring of metal is what does the sealing.