Mine is stamped BK450 in the middle top, between the pushrod holes.
I buy them from Karcraft.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

That was where I got that imposter from. What colour / general appearance is it top and bottom? The imposter had S/S looking sealing rings around the bore but otherwise black.

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it's black, kind of rippled surface, sticky coated, with copper rings round the water holes.
Seal rings look like SS.

I used 2 of these for years when I had flat top pistons in, could have reused them both when I took them off. Were perfect.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

OK Ta. I have had similar experiences with the composite copper gaskets - re-usable, which I have done more than once.

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here you go... the circled bit says BK450

Thanks very much for that Simon, I went and had a look this morning (I was looking nearer the ends before) and it is a BK450.

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By gtmowog

The 'cooper' one above is the one that came off it at around 4000 km from the rebuild. The dark mark across the pushrod holes was how it cam from the packet. It is perfect.

The BK450 does have the copper sealing rings around the front water jacket holes but not the rear ones. It can be seen to be suffering considerable heat distress between cylinders 2 & 3 and although cannot bee seen in this pic, it is in a state of failure.


By gtmowog



By gtmowog

Leakage can be seen between cylinders 2 & 3 and from the water jacket holes that do not have the sealing rings.

Nope, no more crappy BK450's for me.

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GT,,, there was a bad batch of them some time ago & i`m not sure whether any of those made it here to Aust, but there`s a good possibility

you may had got one of these---> http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=295818

The "good" BK450 head gaskets just connot be faulted, they`re the very best A-series head gasket ever made.

But maybe you had trouble with it because it was fitted to a rod change mini with a heavy flywheel

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Thanks for the heads up. I do like to keep an open mind, however it could well have been the gearbox as you suggest, it is the worst kind of rod shift, a turbo box too, wouldn't be the flywheel though, it's a super-dooper light weight.

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GT,,, be careful mate,,, it looks like you have martian-pee residing in your engine block

probably the previous copper head gasket oxidizing from contamination with the rod change gearbox, fluxating with the heavy flywheel:-) best you fit a turbo injected twin cam to counter the problem

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.