NEED HELP! LOST HEAD

PROJECTCOUPE

New Member

Mar 22, 2006

3

0

0

San Antonio, TX

Mar 22, 2006

#1

• Mar 22, 2006

• #1

I need some help, I was changing the head gasket on my 89' mustang 2.3, I was gonna take the head to machine shop today but come to find out my brother lost it yesterday. Now i need to go to the junkyard to find one. problem is there are no 2.3 mustangs, what other cars have the head&cam i need? I've also heard of people putting ranger roller cams in their cars but dont know the years. is it just the cam that gets swapped or the head also? please help!

 

Red_LX

I’m not much help unless you’re looking for ****!

Founding Member

Nov 29, 1999

5,896

73

129

Morgantown, WV...where couches meet their doom

Mar 22, 2006

#2

• Mar 22, 2006

• #2

How in the hell did your brother LOSE your cylinder head?

Well, really the only heads you can use would be one from a pre-'89 Ranger as long as it had the 2.3L in it, or you could use the head from a turbo 2.3 if you can find one. They were in '83-88 Thunderbird Turbo coupes & Merkur Xr4ti's which you would have the most luck of finding. SVO's also had them but I doubt you'll find one of those in a junkyard.

 

16vstang

New Member

Oct 8, 2004

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Way up in Maine

Mar 22, 2006

#3

• Mar 22, 2006

• #3

How the heck did you lose a head?? But anyways if you mill the heads on turbo coupes and merkurs you can use thouse. But seriously how did he lose a head? Would realy like to hear the story on that one! And if wrose came to worse I have a head that needs to be rebuilt that ill give ya if you wont to ship it, or mabe somone on the board may have a good one laying around. Anyways good luck, Nick

 

351wcoupe

New Member

Feb 13, 2003

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Manhattan, Kansas

Mar 22, 2006

#4

• Mar 22, 2006

• #4

Projectcoupe listing your location would help in blunders like this.
I would say its time to lose or misplace your brother.
I also didn't hear you say whether or not this will be a turbo car. Turbo heads work on N/A but not vise versus. If you intend to use an N/A head on a turbo car (As I do) you have to grind the heart shaped combustion chamber into a more oval shape to lower the compression.

 

PROJECTCOUPE

New Member

Mar 22, 2006

3

0

0

San Antonio, TX

Mar 23, 2006

#5

• Mar 23, 2006

• #5

well thats a kinda funny story, i had put the head in the back of my dads truck so he could take it to the machine shop first thing in the morning, next day he's kinda busy so he doesnt get around to it, during this time my brother decides to borrow my dads truck and cruise around with the tailgate open. well sharp turn and plastic bedliner= byebye for my head. I was PO but got over it. So if anyones seen a 2.3 head laying around the streets of San Antonio,hit me up.

 

PROJECTCOUPE

New Member

Mar 22, 2006

3

0

0

San Antonio, TX

Mar 23, 2006

#6

• Mar 23, 2006

• #6

so what head would be best to look for? I plan on staying n/a for now but would like to pick up some power.

 

65ShelbyClone

Founding Member

Sep 9, 2000

4,675

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119

Antelope Valley, SoCal

Mar 23, 2006

#7

• Mar 23, 2006

• #7

You need a D-port head from a N/A Ranger or Mustang; I think early-ish '80s to early '90s when they switched to dual plugs. I don't know what year Rangers have the roller cam, but great if you find one. The turbo heads have a larger combustion chamber and it will lower your compression. Its also pot luck to find one that isn't cracked, so I wouldn't use one on a n/a engine unless I had to. You could probably pawn it on ebay, though.

Who drives with the tailgate down, anyway? It actually makes the drag over the cab worse.