Gaskets

[winr1]

I bet a reg hog Brent an others have informed BBM of the problem .... yeah ??


Ricky.

[blykins]

I used to, but I'm no longer allowed to sell BBM stuff. 

[Barry_R]

I have seen water migration across the deck with Cometic gaskets a few times.  The emboss bead around some of the coolant/oil passages does not completely go around the opening in some blocks - leaving a portion of the bead overhanging the opening.  Another thing to check....

[Stangman]

I used to, but I'm no longer allowed to sell BBM stuff.

Brent what do you mean your not allowed t9 sell them. Can you say or mums the word.

[blykins]

Was black-balled from selling their stuff.   That's probably all I'll say in public.

[Rory428]

Before I bought my TFS heads 2 years ago, I had been patiently waiting for BBM to have their aluminum heads back in stock. But. like their FE blocks, it seems that other than intake manifolds, they have had nothing available for FEs for sale in at least 2 or 3 years. So I don`t know how much of a hardship not being able to sell non existent FE parts really is. Unfortunately, it seems that many FE parts "suppliers" have good intentions, and may make a batch or two, of parts with sporatic delivery, and then it just goes away. With all those photos showing racks of new  FE heads and blocks, in a modern, hospital clean, manufacturing facility, I had really hoped that BBM would be a different story, but it appears not to be the case.

[mike7570]

Barry R -  Which one is off, the block or the gasket? I’m also concerned about the depth the pipe plugs thread in before they’re tight on the outside oil galley. Seems they go in about 3/4 inch from the outside of the block. How far is too deep ibefore they interfere with the oil passage?

[blykins]

You are ok on the gallery plugs on the side.  I’ve never had those occlude the main oil passage and they’re all sunk in like that.

You do have to watch the depth on the main oil gallery plug on the front of the block though, the one next to the timing cover.  I usually have to chop it off pretty extensively.

[Barry_R]

Send that picture to Cometic. 
Please.

I spoke with them at PRI about that exact issue - but I did not have an image to forward to them.
Restricting that big coolant hole won't matter - but they NEED to "jellybean" the emboss bead around that hole so that it will seal on various blocks.
I have seen several - including my own - with rust on the deck from coolant migration across the surface.

...and agree with Mr. Lykins on that front galley plug - we need to shorten those all the time.

[XR7]

So Mike, what is the plan to seal that hole better on an assembled short-block? I would almost think that putting some epoxy into the one side of that hole would work. It could be just slightly below the deck and still seal? Something like splash zone or JB steel putty, two part epoxies might work. Splash zone tends to sag longer set time but easy to form and sand after, the steel putty is stiffer and might stay in place better, sets up a little quicker. Wonder what other "work arounds" there might be??? On an un-assembled block drill the hole and put an aluminum threaded plug in there, and mill it down even to/with the deck.

[mike7570]

I was advised to use a little sealer like TA-31 at the mismatch and the head bolt torque should prevent any leaks across the deck. Cross my fingers! Since my block is iron I don’t think there would be an easy way to plug and move it.

[Tunnelwedge]

I use Cometic head gaskets on a Genesis block with BBM heads and had to drill oil holes
in the gaskets to get them to work.
edit: I consider them reusable, I've reused mine. Torqued them at least 5 times now. I ran the engine took the heads off had a look
put the same gaskets back in and it's been running now for 5 years. I see no reason not to reuse them when I pull the heads again.   
We will see though.

Triva: The drawing for the C3 head gasket.