Reinforced cylinder head gasket Ford Falcon Territory 4.0 Barra 156 182 190 195 240T 245T 270T 325T

The Ford engines covered

The 4.0 litre Barra petrol straight-six, with double overhead camshafts, powers the Ford Falcon, Fairmont, Fairlane and Territory from 2002 to 2016. This page covers the naturally aspirated Barra 156, 182, 190 and 195 versions. It also covers the turbocharged Barra 240T, 245T, 270T and 325T versions.

Ford Australia lists the original gasket as BA6051A, common to all 4.0 litre double overhead camshaft engines. The manufacturer publishes neither its bore, nor its construction, nor its thickness. It is sized for the standard combustion pressure; as soon as that rises, the clamping load fades, the head lifts and coolant seeps into a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

Sealing does not rest on the gasket alone: the fasteners clamping the head to the block contribute as much. The stainless steel rings of a Cut Ring keep their shape after every combustion. On a Barra, 14 mm diameter studs limit head movement and leaks.

This page presents the part numbers from two racing manufacturers, Athena and Cometic, in two constructions: the Athena Cut Ring, a multilayer gasket with cut stainless steel rings, 93.8 mm bore and 1.00 mm thick, and the Cometic MLS, a multilayer stainless steel gasket with a 93 mm bore, available in six thicknesses from 0.69 to 1.91 mm. As a rule, the gasket bore must exceed that of the cylinders by at least 0.5 mm. Each part number is sold individually: a single gasket fits one engine.

Technical specifications

A gasket's volume is the space it leaves free above each cylinder. That space joins the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; only gaskets of the same bore can be compared. Here, the bore offered is 93.8 mm (Athena) and 93 mm (Cometic).

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, check the flatness of the head and block with a straightedge, and have them resurfaced if needed. Athena supplies this gasket ready to fit: apply no sealing paste. No modification of the head or block is needed.

Technical guide

The two constructions offered

	Athena Cut Ring A multilayer gasket with cut rings: a stainless steel ring, machined from solid, surrounds each cylinder bore, and a silicone bead applied by screen printing seals around it. A silicone-based surface treatment keeps the gasket from sticking to the head and block. The material, Motor Gasket, is exclusive to Athena: it resists corrosion, oils, fuels and the water and antifreeze mix.
	Cometic MLS A stack of stainless steel sheets, stamped and joined with rivets. The outer sheets carry an active bead around each cylinder and each fluid passage. A moderate clamping load is enough to seal, and the cylinder bore distorts little. A versatile solution, from the prepared naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Athena Cut Ring exists in 93.8 mm (330128R) and the Cometic MLS in 93 mm (six part numbers), with no other bore.

Thickness. The manufacturer supplies no thickness for the original gasket. No value is released for the Barra. The Athena Cut Ring exists only in 1.00 mm; the Cometic MLS comes in 0.69, 0.76, 1.02, 1.30, 1.52 and 1.91 mm. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

With no known original thickness, use a dial gauge to read how far the pistons rise above the block face, especially if you choose a thickness finer than that of the removed gasket: that figure gives the clearance left between piston and head. On the Barra, the measurement is made with a dial gauge, head removed.

The two brands

	Athena S.p.A. is an Italian maker of gaskets and engine components, established in Alonte, in Veneto, where its head office and main plant stand. It also has sites in Spain, the United States, Brazil and India. Several carmakers fit its multilayer gaskets on the assembly line, and its entire racing range is designed and built in Italy. Part number 330128R is the one on this page.
	Cometic Gasket, Inc. is an American maker of engine gaskets and sealing solutions. Based in Concord, Ohio since its founding in 1989, it has built its name on the gasket made to order, in the bore and thickness requested. All of its production takes place in the United States, using 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 93.8 mm maximum bore of the gaskets offered 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: BA6051A, among others.

Important: the part number on this page suits the Barra 156, 182, 190, 195, 240T, 245T, 270T and 325T engines: check the engine code of your Falcon or Territory before ordering. The gasket's stud holes are 14 mm instead of the original 12 mm: plan for larger-diameter studs.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

When the original gasket is no longer enough, the reinforced gasket takes over: under higher combustion pressure it keeps its shape instead of being crushed. Barra engines find here a gasket with a 93.8 mm bore.

Turbo, supercharger or a raised compression ratio: the head gasket is the first part stressed, the weak point of the top end. A reinforced gasket prevents the leak, and the head removal that goes with it costs well above the gasket. This holds for the Falcon and Territory as for any hard-driven engine.