from best gasket compay web siteManufacturing vintage automotive gaskets is what we do…sealing history! 95% of our products are manufactured in the USA by BESTgasket. Even though we have been making gaskets for 60 years, perhaps you have never heard of us until now. Advertising has never been their strength; providing the best gaskets for your vintage ride, is!
BESTgasket was founded in the 1940s by Jack Best, making and selling a full product line of automotive gaskets regionally on the West Coast. In the 1980s, the company began focusing primarily on gaskets for the vintage market. BESTgasket was purchased by Craig Weaver and Armin Brown in 1996. At that time, BESTgasket was known as the low price leader in the industry. Not satisfied, the present owners have charted a new course emphasizing quality. BESTgasket's products are now second to none, while maintaining our pricing advantage.
BESTgasket manufactures HIGH-QUALITY gaskets throughout our entire product line, but here we want to bring special attention to our HEAD GASKETS and REAR MAIN SEALS.
ABOUT THEIR HEAD GASKETS
The head gasket is the most critical of all engine gaskets, and therefore demands much of our attention.
They make two styles of premium-quality head gaskets:
1) Copper (suffix of "C”) – consists of two outer sheets of a generously thick .010" copper and a low-density graphite “filler” sheet. This high-quality graphite sheet is superior to asbestos, which was used in the old days, and far superior to the non-asbestos materials found in other maufacturers' modern copper head gaskets. Excellent torque retention is achieved by using superior materials.Our copper gaskets are definitely “old-school,” but with a modern flair for better performance. They are such works of art, we almost hate to sell them!
2) GraphTite™ (suffix of “G”) – consists of Kevlar reinforced graphite facing material mechanically bonded to both sides of a perforated steel core. This modern engineered, high-performance material is rated to a temperature of 1400 degrees-F. Steel fire rings are installed in the combustion chamber areas of the gasket.
GraphTite™ head gaskets have superb sealing characteristics, excellent torque retention, and hold up to the punishment dished out by high-performance engines – high quality all the way. This gasket might be overkill for cruiser engines, but so what . . extra performance never hurts!
Install GraphTite™ head gaskets using whatever sealant methods have proven to work well for you over the years. Some engine builders use a spray-on sealant like Copper Coat. Others prefer no spray-on sealant, but use a thin bead of silicone sealant around each water and oil hole.
Note: For lower volume applications where tooling costs are prohibitive, BESTgasket may also use head gaskets from other manufacturers or NOS head gaskets for the really old engines.
ABOUT THEIR REAR MAIN SEALS
Ever since the big gasket manufacturers discontinued using asbestos in the 1990s, rope rear main seals have been a huge problem to the vintage car enthusiast. The non-asbestos rope seals available from the big boys are next to impossible to trim and do a poor job of sealing. BESTgasket has two solutions to this problem.
Rubber replacements of rope seals
GraphTite™ rope seals
BESTgasket has developed rubber replacement seals for the following engines where only rope seals have previously been available:
Buick st-8 40-50 series, 1934-53Buick V8 364-401-425, 1957-66 *Cadillac V8 331-365, 1949-58EChevrolet V8 265-283, 1955-58Chrysler V8 392, 1957-58 *Ford V8 312, 1956-57 Oldsmobile V8 301-324, 1949-56Oldsmobile V8 371-394, 1957-58 *Oldsmobile V8 394, 1959-64 *
* included in their Engine Rebuilding Sets, others are only sold separately
GraphTite™ rope seals are miles ahead of any other rope seal out there.This marvelous material is easy to trim. . . and it seals!! To ensure exact trimming, each kit includes installation instructions, a special knife, and a few other trimming aids.Our customers have reported great success with GraphTite™ rope seals, finally solving those aggravating rear main seal leaks. No hype here. . . just results.