Hey guys- I have access to a 2.3L 4cyl from a 90s Ranger. I understand the 2.0 Pinto was at one time a popular swap for touring Model As. I think the 2.3L in this Ranger is in the same family, and I have this '31 AA with a blown engine that I'd like to get back on the road. I can't find any of the transmission adapters for sale anywhere... but if I had one it would be trivial to add motor mounts etc at this stage because I have the whole front end of the truck apart. Just looking for pointers... can't seem to find that much info about the 2.3L specifically.
This probably should have been put in the off topic section not that I'm complaining but it's not exactly traditional hamb type stuff. To answer Your question The Ford 2.0 pinto engine made from I think 71 through 74 here in the States is not the same engine as the 2.3 / 2.5 "Lima" that the 1975 to 1980 pinto had. The 2.0 pinto engine was a Ford of Europe engine I believe they were all made in Germany but don't quote me on that, All I know is they are a completely different engine family and although really good, I wouldn't say they were on the same level as the the lima four banger at least not here in the States. I'm pretty sure the Europeans would argue differently because again it was a good engine also, That engine came in everything made by Ford in Europe in the 1960s and '70s... The Lima engine came in 1977 and newer Ford couriers pretty much every small Ranger ever made (I believe in the early '80s they had a 2.0 version of that engine but it is not the same engine as the early '70s pinto engine) It also came in the mercur XR4TI, the Ford Thunderbird and pretty much every other rear wheel drive Ford that had a four-cylinder in the 1980s, Even the Ford Fairmont for a couple of years got the 2.3 engine as the base engine. The Ford 2.3 Lima engine is probably one of the best four cylinders ever made It's a non-interference meaning if you don't change the timing belt you're not going to hurt anything, Ford back in the mid-1980s actually sold a turbocharged version that was a rocket ship and I mean a rocket ship when we are talking 1980s cars just look up the SVO Mustang for a turbocharged version It was actually slightly faster than the 5.0 GT and it was a lot lighter so it was a better balanced better driving car... Eventually the 2.3 got an eight spark plug cylinder head which supposedly helped with cleaner emissions. I don't know if it's necessarily a better cylinder head or not but pretty much every Ranger has eight spark plugs from sometime around 1987 or so on. They also got rid of the distributor it became coil packs I want to say that was in 1986 it may have been 1987 Don't quote me on the date. All I can tell you is I have one in my 1995 Ford Ranger dropped mini and it is an excellent engine although in modern terms it's not exactly the most powerful in stock form there is a ton of performance for them by the way some of the roundy round cars use them I think some of the Sprint cars use them not to mention there is a ton of crazy boosted drag race cars running these engines. When it comes to transmissions from the factory the Ford pinto was a four-speed (a pretty good extremely light transmission that's probably good for a hundred to 150 horsepower)... I believe the Ford Fairmont and Mercury monarch also had that same transmission but again I'm not an expert on late '70s emissions cars. The Mustang, Thunderbird and Merkur cars you could get a Borg Warner t5 It were not the world-cl*** transmissions (I don't believe) but I am pretty sure they were still rated for 285 horsepower. In the Ford Ranger I think in 1989 you could get a Mazda OD transmission that was pretty robust I think it's called an "m50d" those transmissions have been known to take the power and torque of a high output 302 V8 that came in the explorers in the late '90s early's 2000s (This is a common ranger swap engine because they are the same truck underneath the skin) I believe that transmission came out in 1988 or 1989... It is pretty big dimensionally with a lot of structural ribbing... The first time I did a clutch on a Ford Ranger I could not believe how big around that transmission was but it is a absolutely excellent transmission and it's clutch setup is pretty awesome once you learn how to bleed it as the throw out bearing is also the slave cylinder and it's all internal with quick release hose fittings. Now in a Ford Model A I don't know if you are familiar with them or not but there was a company called Shay back in the early 1980s or late 1970s that actually made reproduction Ford warrantied Ford Model A Roadsters And they used a 2.3 I believe with an automatic The 2.3 fits in the car like a glove there has also been about a million track Ts and Model A Roadsters/pickups where people have installed the 2.3 It's a great engine and it's pretty simple to work on once you get all that emissions garbage off it. I believe there is even a kit so you can bolt it into a stock model A transmission Now that being said I don't know why anybody would want to do that. Convert your truck into an open drive shaft and then put a 5 speed with an overdrive and that little 2.3 under the hood and just keep the closed and it will be as cool as a cu***ber.... On a side note I've mentioned it a few times on this website over the last couple of years hopefully in the relatively near future I am going to replace my little Ranger with a 35 to 41 Ford pickup (They weigh about the same) And I am going to put a 2.3 and a five speed under the hood and I'm going to use it as my economy pickup just the same way you would use a mini truck. It's not really a hamb friendly idea but realistically it would make an excellent driving truck that is easy to get parts for and you would be able to drive it in modern highways.
Thanks... I dropped it in this section because this is less about hot rodding and more about getting my old truck moving. Lots of good info there. Ideally, I'd adapt the AA transmission to this engine. I'm not sure, but converting this truck to open drive looks like a large undertaking compared to a regular A, and this truck is taking pretty short trips, mostly in dense traffic. The only time I would really have the opportunity to get it into overdrive would be on the way to the junkyard when we are dropping off s**** metal generated at work, and realistically that would require me to go through the brakes and tires, which right now are good enough for 30 mph. Of course I need to do that eventually but right now I am juggling two other projects.
Check on the Model A site. They used to have Pinto to Model A transmission Adaptors. Some of the local Mode A clubs did this conversion.
I just came across this It might be worth the 20 pages worth of reading https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fords-2-0-2-3-2-5-litre-engine-family-guide.317117/
Two things, check over on the Ford Barn for info as some over there have been converted. It is more for stock but I know some run pinto motors. One guy had his converted but ran into continual problems with it. That is all I know and I cannot vouch for the owner's mechanical abilities. On the flip side a 2.3 will put out more power and may run cooler. You may even get a lot more torque not sure as I don't have the numbers in front of me. Mike
There is A Sedan running around near home . It has the turbo 2.3 installed with 5 speed . Seems to be top shelf on the fun factor . Old Biker Bud , had a 2.3 Pinto . He drove it until nothing remained . Took it to his sisters farm . We ride the bikes to the farm one day kids had it fired up , jumping dirt mounds with it . That was it , he says “ I’m starting it up and putting a cement block on the go pedal , and blow it up . These kids are going to get killed in the damn thing !” So he does as he says . It is sitting in the field screamin away . We get on the bikes go for a ride to get a samich . On the return the damn thing is still screamin WOT , and not missed a lick . This was always my answer when ask is a 2.3 any good . He shut it down and pulled the oil drain plug and started it no oil , about 1 1/2 minutes , done locked up tight . He had a s****per come get it . Cost him 30 bucks to have it towed away .
I think I would have given it a governor's reprieve lol It's survived being daily driven until it fell apart, then it survived teenagers jumping it then it survived being free revved for who knows how long at WOT... It's almost a tragedy to hear that it had all its juice drained and then rereved at WOT to kill it.
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