anyone know if this can be done ? put an early ford 3 spd trans (49-53) to a '89 2.3 ford engine. I read a fellow hamb'r put one behind a 2.0 pinto engine but he's not sure if the 2.0 and 2.3 share the same bellhousing size and pattern. any input would be appreciated!
I think the bolt pattern is the same. the dowel pins are different size, but in the same location. good luck
Ford had a bellhousing that you could use with all 3 of the pinto engines.1600,2000,and the 2.3 .I had one back about 76 as far as I know the 2000 and 2300 share the same bolt pattern.several years ago there were a few magazine articles about installing "Pinto" 2000 cc motors in model As and Jeeps
You have to watch out on the 2.0s, the early ones that came in the 71-74 pinto's, and the 2.0s that came in the ford ranger trucks in the 80s are different. The early German 2.0s have a different bell housing bolt pattern than the 2.3s. The ranger 2.0s are a DE-bored 2.3s (you cant bore out the late 2.0 to a 2.3, the bores in the block are cast different). The ranger 2.0 and all the 2.3s have the same bell housing bolt pattern. If someone tells you that they have a 2.0 the easiest way to tell the difference is the early 2.0s were made in Germany on the German Ford 2.0s the distributor is closer to the front of the engine (plus it will have the "small" Bosch distributor). All the 2.3s and the ranger 2.0s the distributor is more to wards the middle of the block. Ford of America tried to keep the dimensions the same as the German 2.0s when they were designing the 2.3 but they claim that because of different casting techniques they couldn't keep them the same. If someone tells you that they have a 2.0 cylinder head the easiest way to tell the difference is the German 2.0 has big round intake ports, and 3 cam towers. The late 2.0 has smaller round intake ports but have 4 cam towers, the early 2.3 had round intake ports (each at a different angle), the late 2.3 has a D-port shaped intake port, if your running a 2.3 the D-port head is the head to have (same flow as the early 2.3 but the D-port has higher velocity). All the 2.3 have 4 cam towers, also stay away from the later 8 plug head. In 1997 (I believe that's the year) Ford stroked out the 2.3 to a 2.5 (longer stroke crank, same length rods as a 2.3, and a piston with a shorter compression height). The late 2.5 crank won't work in the early 2.3 block (the crank journals are bigger in the early 2.3 blocks) so look for a mid-late 80's 2.3 block, the 2.5 crank will drop right in. But beware not all 97 and up engines were not all 2.5s.
kenneth; The bell housing I'm talking about came out in limited #s in I think 73. The Pinto origionaly came with the English 1600cc cam in block engine.Early 72 the German 2000cc overhead cam was offered as an option so many bought the optional engine that Ford discontinued the 1600 cc later in that year.In 74 Ford introduced their U.S.built 2300cc engine (with bad connecting rod oiling) in the Pinto.I bought a 2 year old one owner Pinto with the 1600 later swapping in one of the optional 2000cc engines the bellhousing on this engine bolted right to the origional trans in my Pinto and later bolted directly to the rebuilt 2.3 I put in the car.This bell housing had bolt patterns that matched both over head cam motors.I was later told by a Ford tech rep that I had lucked into a rare bell housing that Ford produced for only a short time I did a lot of messing around with Pintos from 73 to around 85 I know nothing of the later engines beyond the 77 2.3
I have only seen a couple of those rare bellhousings myself, I used to mess with the pinto/mustangII stuff alot, since I now have a 88 ford ranger (my beater) I've been learning about the later 2.3s since my ranger is getting close to needing a engine rebuild.
Ken if you get the book on building a mini stock stock car from Steve Smith auto sports theres a bunch of good info in it .Its on building a Pinto Stock car The power train info is very good.I am only now getting back into performance cars and have collected a few later Ford 4s to play with one is from an 88 ?I think, SVO mustang.It is a fuel injected turbo2.3 the turbo is missing and I plan to use my paxton blower in its place.This will all go into my 27 T RPU
I've got a few good extra turbo's for a super coupes, svo mustangs, etc, I grab every one I can find that's in good usable shape. When you get that Paxton on there post a pic, I havent seen anyone do that to a 2.3, it should be awsome. I have seen a 2.3 with a eaton supercharger from a 3.8 V-6 with an intercooler in a ranger.
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