BDA Cosworth 1600 / 1800 – Ford Escort RS1600 & RS1800 Head Gasket Keychain
BDA Cosworth — from the RS1600 to the RS1800
The Cosworth BDA became one of the defining engines of Ford's Escort competition era.
Developed from Ford's proven Kent/Crossflow architecture, it combined a Ford-derived bottom end with a lightweight Cosworth aluminium cylinder head, twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Its toothed-belt camshaft drive gave the engine its familiar BDA — Belt Drive, A-type designation.
The original road-going version appeared in the Escort Mk1 RS1600, displacing 1,601 cc and producing around 115 hp DIN. The RS1600 became the foundation for Ford's increasingly successful works Escort rally programme.
Development did not stop at 1.6 litres.
During the early 1970s, Brian Hart and other competition-engine specialists enlarged the BD architecture. Burton Power records that an 87 mm-bore alloy-block version of approximately 1,840 cc was eventually adopted by Ford for the Escort Mk2 RS1800.
The production RS1800 is generally quoted at 1,834 cc, and Ford RS Owners Club records identify the model as BDA-powered from 1975 to 1977.
Together, the RS1600 and RS1800 represent two consecutive generations of Escort powered by Cosworth's remarkable BD architecture—first as the 1.6-litre homologation engine and then as its enlarged 1.8-litre development.
This GasketKeys piece recreates that Cosworth head-gasket architecture as a compact stainless-steel tribute to two of Ford's most important RS Escorts.
Engineering & Craftsmanship
- Industrial Grade Build: Precision laser-cut from premium 304 stainless steel with a durable brushed finish.
- Protective Frame: Presented inside a 3.3 mm CNC-machined PLY frame.
- Technical Precision: Cylinder bores, coolant passages and major gasket details are digitally mapped from original gasket geometry.
- Letterbox Friendly: Slim under-5 mm packaging keeps UK delivery straightforward.
These construction details follow the supplied GasketKeys framework.
A subtle Cosworth memento
The BDA is one of the rare engines whose designation is almost as important as the cars it powered.
BDA, RS1600, RS1800, AVO and Cosworth all sit within the same chapter of Ford's competition history.
Instead of reproducing another RS or Cosworth badge, the gasket profile represents the engineering itself.
For owners, restorers and historic-rally enthusiasts, it works as a mechanical memento connecting the Mk1 RS1600 directly to the Mk2 RS1800.
7. Technical Specifications
BDA 1600 — Escort Mk1 RS1600
| Specification | Detail |
| Engine designation | BDA |
| Engine family | Cosworth BD |
| Displacement | 1,601 cc |
| Configuration | Inline-four |
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Valves | 16 |
| Camshafts | DOHC |
| Cam drive | Toothed belt |
| Block | Cast iron, Kent/Crossflow-derived |
| Cylinder head | Aluminium |
| Bore | 80.98 mm |
| Stroke | 77.72 mm |
| Compression ratio | 10.0:1 |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated |
| Road output | 115 hp DIN @ 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 110 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm |
| Vehicle | Escort Mk1 RS1600 |
| Production | 1970–1974 |
The RS Owners Club confirms the 1,601 cc capacity, bore/stroke, 10:1 compression and 115 hp DIN specification.
BDA / BD 1800 — Escort Mk2 RS1800
| Specification | Detail |
| Engine family | Enlarged Cosworth BDA / BD |
| Production displacement | 1,834 cc |
| Common development figure | ~1,840 cc |
| Big-bore development | 87 mm |
| Configuration | Inline-four |
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Valves | 16 |
| Camshafts | DOHC |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated |
| Vehicle | Escort Mk2 RS1800 |
| Production | 1975–1977 |
| Quoted road output | ~115 bhp |
Ford RS Owners Club identifies the production RS1800 as 1,834 cc / 115 bhp. Burton describes the engine-development basis as an 87 mm big-bore, approximately 1,840 cc alloy-block BDA derivative adopted for the later RS1800.