head gaskets

[SuperHO]

K, my rear head gasket is dribbling some, so I figure it's time to valve stem seals and head gaskets. Now.....the guy I bought the 92 from (which is where my engine's from) claimed it was a 3.2 swap. However, the tag on the oil pump clearly says KOA, but I've talked with a couple of experts in the SHO field who've said that many people swap EVERYTHING over from the 3.0 to the 3.2, including the oil pump (which doesn't make sense to me, since the 3.2 oil pump flows better). Sooooooo....can I just pick up some 3.2 head gaskets and use em, even if it turns out to be a 3.0?

basically, I can't afford to have my car down for more than three days, so I'd want the gaskets on hand when I did it, and being on a budget, I really don't have enough to buy both sets of gaskets in hopes to sell whichever set I don't use.

Help?

 

[SHOtime2511]

no the head gaskets between the two ARE diffrent.
does your engine have 3.0L heads or 3.2L heads????

 

[kzoosho]

ok then the other question we were wondering is if they are different how can you use the 3.2 with the 3.0 heads? I would believe that they would be able to swap either way but that really is what we are asking...

 

[1995mtxsho]

The head gaskets need to match the cylinder bore, NOT the heads; the heads are the same internally.

So you have to identify the block, and the only way I know of is to pull a head.

Maybe the block has numbers cast into it somewhere?... I dont know.

 

[SHOtimer]

The front heads are different between the 3.0 and the 3.2, does the front head have the alternator mounting piece cut off from the side of it? If it does It would be a 3.2 head, if not, a 3.0.

Yes, because of the how the timing covers work, most people swap the 3.0 pump.

Doug

 

[SuperHO]

dammit.....now I gotta buy both sets of head gaskets.....anyone know if RCM takes returns on unused parts?