Reinforced head gasket Ford Lincoln 2.7 EcoBoost T27PD0X C27PD0X

The Ford and Lincoln engines covered

The T27PD0X and C27PD0X petrol engines, EcoBoost V6s of 2.7 litres, power the Ford and Lincoln models in the compatibility table below. Each takes two head gaskets, one per cylinder bank.

The original gasket carries the part number FT4E-6051-BD. Its bore is 84.5 mm; the manufacturer publishes neither its construction nor its thickness. It is designed for the original combustion pressure: as soon as it rises, the clamping force fades, the cylinder head lifts and coolant seeps into a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

Sealing does not depend on the head gasket alone: it also rests on the fasteners, which press the cylinder head against the block. A composite gasket is crushed for good beyond 100 N/mm² of allowable stress, whereas the 301 stainless steel of MLX gaskets takes 517 N/mm², 5 times more, and regains its shape at each combustion.

This page gathers the part numbers of Cometic, an American maker of racing gaskets, in a single construction: the MLX with its chamber stopper. Their bore is 85.6 mm, 1.1 mm larger than the original gasket, and the thickness offered is 0.91 mm, enough to adjust the compression ratio without touching the pistons or the cylinder head. As a rule, the gasket bore chosen is at least 0.5 mm larger than the actual cylinder bore. The part numbers are sold separately. As the engine uses one gasket per cylinder bank, order both part numbers, one for each side.

Technical specifications

The gasket volume is the space it leaves above each cylinder. It adds to the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio, the more so the larger it is. Compare these values only between gaskets of the same bore.

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, check the flatness of the head and block with a straight edge, then have them resurfaced if needed. These gaskets are fitted dry, with no sealing paste, because Cometic supplies them already coated.

Technical guide

The construction offered

Cometic MLX A multi-layer stainless steel gasket whose folded centre layer forms a stopper around the combustion chamber, with a high-temperature coating. Clamping rises locally without adding to bore distortion. It is the most resistant of the all-steel gaskets, to be kept for severe boost; it is offered here in 85.6 mm only.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Cometic MLX only exists here in 85.6 mm (C15447 and C15448).

Thickness. No thickness is published by the manufacturer for the original gasket. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

With no published original thickness, use a dial gauge to read how far the pistons stand proud of the block face, especially if the head has been resurfaced: that figure sets the clearance left between piston and cylinder head.

The brand

Cometic Gasket, Inc. is an American company founded in 1989 and based in Concord, Ohio, that designs gaskets and sealing solutions for engines. Its strength is the gasket made to order, at the bore and thickness you want. All of its manufacturing takes place in the United States, with American materials.

Advantages over the original gasket

When a reinforced gasket becomes necessary

• Adding forced induction, or raising boost on an already turbocharged engine
• Cylinder rebored beyond what the 84.5 mm bore of the original gasket covers
• Looking for a compression ratio different from standard, higher or lower
• Engine that has already lost its gasket, or is consuming coolant
• Competition use, where the gasket goes through repeated temperature rises

Vehicle compatibility

OEM part number: FT4E-6051-BD.

Important: the part numbers on this page only suit the T27PD0X and C27PD0X engines, which take two gaskets, one per cylinder bank: check your vehicle's engine code before ordering. Supplier designations: C15447-036 for the right side, C15448-036 for the left side.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

When the original gasket reaches its limits, the reinforced gasket steps in: under a stronger combustion pressure, it keeps its shape instead of being crushed.

As soon as power increases, through more boost, a supercharger or a higher compression ratio, the head gasket is the first part to give way in the top end. Choosing a reinforced gasket means putting safety first: it avoids the failure and the cylinder head removal that comes with it.