Cougar Engine Swap

The head gasket had blown on my 90' cougar. After taking it apart there would be too much time and cost to put it back together. Would an engine outta a Thunderbird of the same year work for that? A friend has one he's willing to give to me and says it'll work. Any thoughts?

it'll take you more time to pull the current engine and put in the new one than it will to just finish changing the headgaskets on your current engine.

if you're all ready this far along in the process and you're doing the work yourself, you might as well just finish it up.

Yeah but i had pulled it all apart like 2 years ago. I really don't have time to put it back. Plus the heads don't look the greatest on it. This thunderbird engine looks fine I'm just wondering if i don't put it back together if the T-bird engine will work.

I know this!!!! You can put a 3.8 from a Cougar or Thundbird in it, they are interchangeable, but ONLY 1989 and 1990!!! 1991 and after will not work w/o modification.

Hey thanks guys, that should help me out a lot.

they are interchangeable, but ONLY 1989 and 1990!!! 1991 and after will not work w/o modification.

enlighten me.

Hey actually it turned out to be a 91 cougar. Same with the Thunderbird. It actually did work fine. No modifications or anything. The 3.8 fit in perfect and works great.