Hi. I am new to this forum so I hope that I am not asking a question that was answered elsewhere. I have an 88 LX with a seemingly stock 302. I am happy with the performance but the car is overheating. I suspect a head gasket because there are no obvious problems with the coolant system. I will perform a pressure test to confirm.
Assuming that the engine needs a new head gasket, I have 3 options to get the stang running again.
Option 1: I found someone who would put a different 302 (he claims that it was rebuilt to stock specs) in the car and keep my engine for $600. The different 302 is from an '84 stang, so I would probably lose some power... but keeping the headers and intake off of the '88 will seemingly help.
Option 2: for a bit cheaper (assuming minimal machine work), I can pay someone to replace the head gasket in the original engine. Note that this is not a full rebuild. I will only get a new head gasket.
Option 3: I can try to replace the head gasket myself. I am slightly mechanically skilled but I have never tried anything like this before. Money is a bit tight but I could afford to buy an Edelbrock intake manifold to put on the car if I went with option 3.
What would you do? I can afford all three options. Obviously, the viability of option 3 depends on my skills, which you would have a hard time assessing. I might try option 3 first and, in the event of failure, revert to options 1 or 2. But I can't decide between options 1 and 2.
Assuming that the engine needs a new head gasket, I have 3 options to get the stang running again.
Option 1: I found someone who would put a different 302 (he claims that it was rebuilt to stock specs) in the car and keep my engine for $600. The different 302 is from an '84 stang, so I would probably lose some power... but keeping the headers and intake off of the '88 will seemingly help.
Option 2: for a bit cheaper (assuming minimal machine work), I can pay someone to replace the head gasket in the original engine. Note that this is not a full rebuild. I will only get a new head gasket.
Option 3: I can try to replace the head gasket myself. I am slightly mechanically skilled but I have never tried anything like this before. Money is a bit tight but I could afford to buy an Edelbrock intake manifold to put on the car if I went with option 3.
What would you do? I can afford all three options. Obviously, the viability of option 3 depends on my skills, which you would have a hard time assessing. I might try option 3 first and, in the event of failure, revert to options 1 or 2. But I can't decide between options 1 and 2.