al02gt

I went to my local mustang shop today to buy a passenger side Romeo head for my 02 4.6. My head has 11 valve cover bolts and the girdles to hold the cam.

When I got there, he only had a Windsor passenger side PI head. It has 13 bolt holes and doesn't use girdles to hold the cam down.

I bought the complete head, valv cover and other misc stiff for $200.

He told me all the dimensions are exatly the same as my head, with the exception of the valve cover bolts.

Is this the case? Can I run the new windsor head on the passenger side and my stock romeo head on the driver side? I haven't looked yet to see if the timing cover bolt holes line up, and if the cam gear height is the same.

I'm trying to fix a problem with the car, and don't want to go back half-a$$.
So the more I think about it, I don't see how this will fit exactly like the ROmeo head and not make any difference in how the car performs. Seems like they would have changed more than the valve cover bolt positions if they changed castings.

Sxynerd

Do it right or don't do it at all.

pcs

it should work but its up to you. the heads are 'suppose' to be the same performance wise but i would just stick with both romeo or both windsor heads. if you bolt them up will the car run, i should.

99BlackPonyGT

i really dont see the problem?

mustangman281

It will fit just fine and all bolt holes will match up but you will need to buy different size bolts for those holes in the timing cover to the windsor head.

al02gt

Yeah, after what I read the heads are "supposed" to be the same. Only difference is the valve covers bolts and the pressed on cam gear. Well, and the fact it doesn't have girdles.

I will probably call the guy back and make sure he doesn't have a romeo PI head. I understand the windsor heads are more prone to plug failure, and thats what got me into this in the first place.

I don't like the idea of having mismatched heads on the car.

al02gt

There were 3 guys at the shop that build a lot of 4.6's and that's exactly what they told me. The heads were made at different plants but everything should match up. Just more valve cover bolts.

It's a daily driver so dependibility is a must, more so than performance at this point.

But I'm buying new head bolts and gaskets so I want to do it right the first time. But I'm also on a budget with this car, so I want to make it work if there aren't any mecahnical reasons it won't work.

Sxynerd

Would you do it on your car?

al02gt

I just took the windor head's cam out, and replaced it with the Romeo cam and girdles. From what I can tell everything bolts right up.

I have some plastigauge so I'll torque them and check the clearances. But from a test fit it seems interchangable.

Before I torque anything I'll get the mic out and measure both cam sizes at the bearings to check size. But I think it would work.

Id feel better if I had matching factory cams, and the proper timing gear. So if it works, only the valve cover bolts will be different.

99BlackPonyGT

if i was positive that everything was the same, then yes