Well, for all those that care, I've finally bought an engine. It is being delivered to my friend's shop today. It is out of a '95 Legend GS. Yes that's right a Legend. Basically I'm doing the same thing as Ken did, except instead of just swapping the heads, I'm changing the whole engine, actually better for me as I think my block is screwed (common problem with Lengend/1st gen 3.2 TL). SO .... picking up new Timing Belt, water pump and head gasket's for new motor, as well as new RAD and hoses next week. Should have the whole thing done by the end of the month. I've just gotta find a 93-95 Legend GS ECU to take advantage of that extra HP. Having a hard time with that. I'll be taking some pics along the way and posting them up for everyone to see the progress. Will have them put on the springs while the car is in the shop too, so it'll be coming out with 230 HP (so long as I can find the ECU in time, if not I'll just cruise with the original ECU and wait to change to a MANUAL TYPE II ECU when I do my tranny conversion next year. (I HOPE!!!), AND dumped an inch an a half (almost). Anyways, tat's the current project. The computer has taken a backseat to this as I need to get the car running, and It's just too damned cold out to work on the car outside anyways!!! Can't wait to get the 18's back on in the spring and see how it looks and runs!!!

 

nice job i hope it works out great for you. but i never heard of "the block getting screwed a common problem" why is that? what exactly is "screwing" the block? *knocks-on-wood* i have not had anything go wrong with my car so far and talking to several people (before i found this website) i heard the TL's were great cars in 1996. one of the best values in luxury automobiles is what i heard more than once. when shifting from 1st to 2nd is a little harder than i am used to but driving several other TL's with both higher and lower mileage proved its a common occurance.
i know about the older legends and head gaskets being a little fragile, but by 1995 that problem was erased. and even after that if you were to replace the head gasket the fucker would still run for 250k easy. i had one come in to were i used to work, it was a 1992 and it had 314k on the odometer. that number sticks in my head. the only thing i drove with more miles was a 1982 mercedes deisel station wagon with over 600k on the odo. i have never seen a 3.2TL in the junkyard for anthing other than a total loss accident.

just wondering beings i plan on keeping this car for a while and would like to know what to look for.

 

how are you suppose to drive the car without 2 arms and 2 legs?

 

The problem is the same as the Legend's, the head gasket is a RESULT of that, not the cause. If you get any kind of air pocket in the cooling system, it CAN block coolant from getting to either of the rearmost cylinders/ This can cause them to overheat and cause the steel cylinder wall to separate from the aluminum block slightly, meaning now the cylinder moves within it's water jacket. This can eat up head gasket's, I have read TONNES of articles on the net refering to this problem in the legend. I've never heard of it yet in a TL, but our motors are virtually identical. SO, instead of pissing away hundreds to find the coolant problem, having to do timing belt/water pump and head gaskets ANYWAYS at a cost of close to $2000 (parts and labour), I am putting in a Type II with HALF the mileage of mine, and getting an extra 30 HP for about $1000 more. If once my motor is out of the car and I find that it's NOT the head gasket, then I'll put new head gasket's in and either sell it off or keep it as a spare. Either way, I'm pretty sure I'll be in good shape. If my motor is no good, I keep it for parts (i.e. coil packs, etc.) if it IS good, I'll sell it and that will pay for part of the 5 spd conversion I plan on doing next year.

 

Haha...it helps to have a friend as a Service Advisor at the local Acura dealer (although he's leaving to go to a BMW dealership next week...) so I'm getting the parts greatly reduced. I also have MANY friends in the mechanic's business so labour is cheaper. One who owns a mechanic's shop and is really a VERY good mechanic and performance guy, also one who owns a tranny shop so when I'm ready to do the conversion he wants to do it. Most expensive part was the motor which I got for $1080 CDN from a '95 Legend GS w/ 98000 KMS. I think I'll be aight!! Might only lose a few fingers... lol

 

The one difference I can find between the C32A's in the Legend and the 1st gen 3.2 TL's is improved head gasket designs.

Not saying its forever fixed but there have been minor improvements from '91 - '98.

 

Ken, what head gasket did you use? I ordered the head gaskets for a 95 Legend GS, but if you think the TL gaskets are better and they will work on a type II motor....maybe I'll get those...?

 

I used one meant for a Type II motor.

 

I used the headgasket that came along with the heads. I'm not sure if there is any difference between the Type I and Type II gaskets.

 

Cool. I'm getting the HG's for a '95 Legend GS, just from the way you were talking you made it sound like the TL's head gaskets had a better desing, thought maybe they would work, but don't want to take any chances on this motor, can't afford to go through this again.

I'm so excited and I haven't even seen the motor yet!! I'm gonna be so pissed if I get there and they've delivered a Type I motor, cause with my luck, that is entirely possible....

But I told him '95 Legend GS ...sooooo.....

 

Finally went and saw my engine last night.... WOW...Ken, you weren't kidding, that thing is MASSIVE, even WITHOUT the tranny attached! It was at my friend's shop sitting beside an '01 Mustang Cobra motor...and it's almost the SAME FREAKING SIZE!!!! Scary....But thinking now....hmm...wonder if that Cobra motor would fit in my TL... HEHEHE Just Kidding!!! Pics will be taken tonight hoefully as I didn't have my digi cam with me yesterday!

 

sounds like a tight deal dude. pics pics pics!!!

 

we need pics...

 

It looks something like this though

 

but he doesnt have a huge tranny attached and his motor has a head on it....

 

True

Just wanted to show you what a beast the C32 engine is

 

OH YEAH...It' HUGE. Put it this way, it's sitting beside an '02 Mustang Cobra motor at my buddies shop. With the heads and everything extra on the top of the c32a it occupies pretty much the same space as the Cobra motor!!! I have to go grab a few more gaskets this week and then that's it we are ready to start ripping it apart!! I SOO wanted to get metal head gaskets...but I can't find any.