Ford 2.3 turbo questions.

There was a thread here a while ago but I wasn't in need of information at the time. That particular thread got ugly and Margie threatened to expand the patio again. It went away.

Ford 2.3 turbo. What cars featured them?

Are some years better than others?

Are they all injected?

Can you put a carb on this with similar results?

Nitrous OK?

Is there another engine that will give the same giddyup for the weight?

Dan

I'm sure someone will post with more info but I will give you what I have from memory.

Early 80's Ford's such as Mustangs, Capri's, & Fairmount's got a "suck through" carbed turbo. Stay away from these! Starting in 1984 Ford came out with a FI Turbo 2.3L. Mustangs & Capris got them and also Ford came out with the SVO Mustang with an intercooled version with about 35 more HP. The 85 1/2 and later SVO's were better then the early ones. Starting in '87 Ford dropped the turbo from the Mustang lineup and droped the Capri period. They continued the turbo in the T-Bird (Which got it in '84.) and introduced the Mekur, imported from Germany. The last year for the T-Bird was '88. I'm not sure on the Mekur?

From what I've read the 85-86 turbos were T-3 's and could make more power when the engine was modified. The 87-88 versions were better street engines and were more responsive but were limited by the smaller turbo Ford installed for those years.

914Driver wrote: Ford 2.3 turbo. What cars featured them?

Starting in 1978/79 the 2.3L Turbo inline four was available on Mustangs, Capris in a blow through carbureted setup. They were horrid little animals. Starting in 1983 The Mustang and Capri got an all new EFI 2.3L Turbo with TFI ignition and a T5 transmission. The SVO, Thunderbird and Cougar were added as stablemates as well as the Merkur XR4Ti. The engine was available in different guises with or without intercoolers and with T3 or IHI turbochargers.

914Driver wrote: Are some years better than others?

I prefer 1987/1988 models but anything after 1985.5 is fine.

914Driver wrote: Are they all injected?

Only the good ones

914Driver wrote: Can you put a carb on this with similar results?

Ummm... no and yes. I have head rumors of a 12.5:1 Volvo headed 2.5L Ford with Webers making about 290hp. Circle jerkers like Esslinger have made 2.3Ls pretty powerful. Personally a hot rodded 450hp Volvo hybrid sounds more fun.

914Driver wrote: Nitrous OK?

Up to 100hp, need to control fuel better. Drop in some 45lb injectors and adjust fuel pressure to taste.

914Driver wrote: Is there another engine that will give the same giddyup for the weight?

Small block Ford.

As far as four cylinders go a 2.4L Dodge DOHC Turbo with a Dakota bellhousing and a Supra transmission will make more power with less weight.

Also 4 cylinder BMW, ECOTEC 4, and Dodge 2.2/2.5l turbo.

John Brown wrote:

914Driver wrote: Is there another engine that will give the same giddyup for the weight?

Small block Ford. As far as four cylinders go a 2.4L Dodge DOHC Turbo with a Dakota bellhousing and a Supra transmission will make more power with less weight. Also 4 cylinder BMW, ECOTEC 4, and Dodge 2.2/2.5l turbo.

Small block Ford weighs the same as a 2.3?

Close enough. The 2.3T weighs a metric farkington.

I love 2.3T's, but to me they are great to put in an application that uses a 2.3 already (Pinto, Ranger, Mustang, etc). I can't justify doing a bunch of fab work to another make of car just to make it fit. Unless it was free, then I'd think about it.

Hmmmm..... My mind is wandering again.

I'm buying a 1968 Cortina and am looking for a 2.3 for it; mostly because it would be a Ford in a Ford. Plan B is to put in the free BMW 6 cylinder I have, but tha't too much like work.

I can already hear the wail from the purists.

Anyone want to swap a 2.3 for an E-30?

Dan

How much do you want to do?

One thing you could do is look at a 2000 Ranger 2.3L DOHC (Mazda) engine. They are pretty neat, cheap and make decent power plus a late MX5 transmission will bolt up.

And I think cosworth makes some tasty bits for them too.

The Cosworth is a different engine and nothing is shared.

Cosworth makes aftermarket parts for the ranger motor.

I did not know that... good to know

Tbird Turbo Coupe got the EFI version it's whole life, 83-86 was non-intercooled and T3 turbo; 87-88 was Air-to-air IC'd and had a smaller, more responsive IHI turbo. Conventional wisdom in that crowd is that the IHI is crap, but Jon Moller (he's on here, check out the gold TC in Reader's Rides) did 13.3's on the stock IHI.

Cougar XR-7 from 84-86 got the non-IC'd, EFI, T3 version as well. That same setup ended up in the GT Turbo Mustang for quite a few years. SVO got the IC'd and T3'd version.

Short story nowadays is that they are getting really long in the tooth and weigh a lot (fully dressed stock 2.3T weighs near-as-makes-no-difference to 5.0 EFI with aluminum bits or a carb'd 302). Parts are getting scarce (read: crack-free heads) and they are tons of motors that are more modern, powerful, and faster for cheaper.

Still, they were a unique drivetrain and the cars they came in were pretty awesome in an 80's worldview. I'd like a stone-stock one eventually, but they get fragile at any real power. Lots of people have made right up to 300BHP pretty darn reliably though.

Do the Mazda engine if you want a swap. It's still technically a Ford and is way cooler. I saw one swapped into a SBC with ITB's and it sounded spectacular.

my fake SVO was the simplest turbocharged car I've ever worked on or even looked at. everything was accessible and straightforward. I know they're not light, or even lightER, but like someone said, if your car already came with a lima of some kind it would be the first thing I'd do.

deveous9 wrote: I am not sure but I think that the VVT is run partially by the intake manifold and its runners. Switching to a carburetor setup would eliminate the VVT completely. I truthfully do not care for the VVT if I were to run the dual Weber carbs. I researched this online and found that the Ford's Zetec engine is capable of running a carb with little modifications but I was unable to figure out if it is possible on the Ecotec 2.4.

deveous9 wrote: The top picture is a Gm Ecotec 2.4 engine with independent throttle bodies but I didn't find any captions anywhere so I am not sure what kind of setup it is running. The bottom picture is a Ford Zetec engine and the caption said: "Here's a T5 connected to a Zetec engine using a Quad 4 Rods bellhousing. Note also the twin carburetors. If you don't fancy the idea of injection and all that computer malarkey, Quad 4 Rods can hook you up with a manifold to bolt a pair of sidedraft Webers to your Zetec, for that good old-fashioned induction roar!"

The ford duratec doesnt have the vvt but the mazda does (is this still right?). You can find intake manifolds for webers for the duratec too.

Think there's enough room in the front of a Cortina for a straight six BMW?

Dan

I know you have a tape measure... Do YOU think there is enough room in the middle of a VW van for a small block chevrolet?

Hmmmm.....a Cortina in Gulf colors....

Have you thought of a KA D or DE engine from a 240 sx?

JFX001 wrote: Hmmmm.....a Cortina in Gulf colors.... Have you thought of a KA D or DE engine from a 240 sx?

Not yet, still researching the obvious.

914Driver wrote:

JFX001 wrote: Hmmmm.....a Cortina in Gulf colors.... Have you thought of a KA D or DE engine from a 240 sx?

Not yet, still researching the obvious.

Sorry, KA24 E or KA24 DE engines. Should be easy to find.

I did come across a cheapish LS1 engine yesterday though.....

Where would one find a KA24 or KA25DE engine, they growing on trees?

Late 80's and 90s RWD Nissan 240SX. Even the tractor engine KA would scoot in a Corty.

Got one? Need an E-30?

Stan Dorsey might know where to find one. I know he parted one down for his Challenge car.