Getting ready to do a kickstart conversion on my xr650L and got a complete gasket kit. I am only disassembling the engine, swapping the countershaft and re-assembling. Can/should any of the existing gaskets be re-used? I figure the fiber ones should be replaced, but what about the metal ones? The gasket kit came with a metal replacement for the cylinder head cover and one for the cylinder/head. Am I better off leaving the original metal ones in place or should I swap them out for new metal ones? Also the cylinder/head metal gasket is actually three gaskets crimped together. Why 3? Are you supposed to use all three? They don't look like they are supposed to be separated. Also any suggestions on using anything on the gaskets such as sealer or just put them on dry?

Replace them ALL. The metal gaskets are a single gasket piece made of three seperate layers. Use no adhesive or sealer. Just be sure to COMPLETELY clean both surfaces.

If a paper gasket doesn't tear I have no problem reusing it. I usually have a problem not tearing it though. I hate to scrape those gaskets. Metal ones can be reused too, but why? You have new ones. The headgasket is designed to be used as it is, all three layers. I have heard talk of stripping off one or two for more compression but wouldn't. I would go with a thinner base gasket before that.

Thanks, I was planning on using the new gaskets but wanted to check and see whether it was better for some reason to use the old metal ones. Just waiting on my countershaft.

The metal gaskets can be reused if someone is a tightwad or in a jam, but you have new ones, so might as well use them.

The multi-layer steel gasket is an "assembly" and should, generally speaking, not be taken apart.