ok so i here that the 2.3 head will bolt right on the newer 2.5 ranger block anyone know if this is true? mini stock/trophy truck you just have to use a crank sensor ing.
I am using a 1988 2.3 litre from a Mustang in my '23 T Project. the ole Pinto Engine is a pretty popular little machine. Wp
The 2.3 head will bolt on a 2.5 (the only difference is the 2.5 has a longer stroke crank, and a piston with a shorter compression height, the bore dia is the same) but since the 2.5's don't have a hole for a distributor you would have to use a crank trigger, with a distributorles ignition module that you can adjust the timing advance curve with (MSD makes them) then you need 2 coil packs to fire the spark plugs, or you can find a 1988 or later block (they made the main journals smaller in dia in 1988) that still has a hole for a distributor (they did away with the distributor hole in the block in 1995), the 2.5 was made from 1998-2000, the 2001 to current 4cyl ranger engine is totaly different, it's a Mazda derived 2.3 dohc, so nothing will interchange with the 2.3-2.5 "Lima" engine.
You can get 175 hp on 93 octane "easily" and 225 on race fuel on the 2.0, and more than 20% more hp with the 2.3. Lots of fun at half the price.
Hot Rod Mag just finished its Drag Week, 1000 miles and 4 drag strips, carry all your spare parts. Huber beat all the power adder V8s with his Ford four cyl., 9.20's at 150 mph.
As has been mentioned before, Cosworth (a performance company in the UK) made a 16 valve twin cam cylinder head for the 2liter pinto engine, which fits right on. These engines were initially "normally aspirated", but when they were put into production, they had the addition of a turbo charger. These same basic engine designs, today, are making in excess of 1000hp...... http://www.jemsracing.co.uk/cs_dragescort.html Recently we updated our pinto powered roadster with a Cosworth cylinder head, an Eaton supercharger and a custom prototype inlet system. This is the basic Cosworth cylinder head used..................... And mocked up on the block in the car......................... Now finally all assembled, running and being used as much as we can !!
Esslinger heads are the best bang for your buck, they have done their homework. I don't know about streetablilty, though. If it is a solid lifter head, you will, or better get very familiar with running the valves. Watch out for claims of huge HP numbers, as there is a wide variety of cam grinds. Some of the high hp cams are at rpm ranges you will most likely never see, but torque, ah, that you will see. Look for cams with some grunt off of the bottom, you'll be more impressed than with a cam with hp numbers. My current engine is 2.3 with small mains decked to -.006, lightened crank, Wiseco pistons, Manley 5.7" race pro rods, Total seal rings, Esslinger head milled to the intake bolts (solid follower, rollers are illegal), home built intake based off of the base of the ranger fuel injection, Holly 500 massaged by Willy's, MSD pro billet distributor, MSD 6aln ignition box, MSD blaster high vibration coil, and is juiced by a 16volt battery. I have a 8500 chip in the MSD box, which I hit every lap. I think this motor would do 9000, but keeping the solid followers on at that RPM is iffy. In a pinch we've made back up motors out of bone stock junk yard bottom ends. We just stretch the spring in a new oil pump to boost oil pressure a bit, race oil pan, and bolt all of the good stuff on top. I've won races with these "grenade" motors, turning lap times faster than the super late models and their $30,000 aluminum V8's. From my experience the stock bottom end will run 8500 rpm for a large chunk of a racing season. Now if your running 2nd in the feature on a 3/8ths mile track and you reach up and pull the 8500 rpm chip out of the MSD box because you want the motor to pull three more car lengths into the corner, you'll only get about three laps out of it at 8700 rpm, just sayin.
My 2.3 project is going together right now and I will posting up a thread when it's done. I had a lot of help from Boport racing heads, he knows these motors better then anyone else. If you are looking to have a turbo motor check out turboford.net for tons of info. Huber is a regular there and that car is amazing, check out Youtube for some wild videos of him at the track.
Go to an English site Loads of dress up parts avalible in the UK 2 liter pinto "I CAN COUNT TO POTATO"
Had a 29 glass roadster years ago. Put a 2.0 pinto in it. The A restorers were using them in their highway cars then. I used a 32 bellhousing and transmisson with syncronized later gears. Was a nice driver and ran the 29 rear. Had an A flywheel on it by using a shop made adapter.
Granted, this is in my '89 Mustang right now but will soon be removed and planted in my '27 RPU. Normally, the 2.3 oil filter sticks straight out the side of the block. However, that is remedied by bolting on the factory oil filter adapter from an '85-'89 Merkur XR4ti which places the filter at a 90* angle giving much more room to fit inside an A frame.
i need help with a motor im picking up . i believe its a 87 2.3 wanted to know if a 89 t.5 from A 5.0 will work with this motor also how to convert to carb what steps to take so i dont have to use the efi ...
From what i understand, no. The t5 behind the 2.3 has a smaller input shaft than the t5s behind v8s. Not a bad thing though, because I bet you could pick up a 2.3 t5 for a bit cheaper than the v8 t5 because they are "useless" to everyone else. I was fortunate enough to buy a t5 with the bellhousing (which is unique to the 4 cyl as well) and some engine parts from a turbo bird guy.
ok so i need to find like a ford ranger 5 speed than i mean the motor im picking up has a auto matic but id rather a 5 speed
lotsa good t5 info here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169265 you may have to scour the internet beyond the hamb to find other 5 speed options.
got my 2.3 today ....lil fucker is cool looking its a 87 with distributor ...looks simple to make a 2 or 4 barrel carb fit ....all i gotta do is make motor and trans mounts and cut drive shaft in the a chassis shouldnt take long to hook this thing up ...any info on a carb adapter or any other vintage looking parts..i know they make newer speed stuff but i want to keep it vintage looking ....
I just did a slice and weld on Ranger mounts so they were horizontal and added Speedway biscuit mounts.
We unbolt the air horn portion off of the efi intake and weld on an aluminum 2" four barrel spacer. You also have to weld up all of the holes for sensors ect. We do quite a bit more than just weld it up to make it really breathe, but we're not on the street. One note, don't assume everything is welded up right. One small air leak will burn a piston and quickly. On the carb, I've never messed with a 390 four barrel, but for the street two barrel wise, I'd go with a 350 cfm holley. Willy's carbs had to work their magic on the 500 to keep it from dumping all over it's self when coming off the bottom.
I ran a 2.3 in my old 74 Mustang in the late 80s, early 90s. I highly suggest rethinking the stick shift. I was brutal with mine, so YMMV, but I would lose the first gear synchros after about the second or third time I would side step the clutch at 8 grand. I could still drive it, but it wouldn't stay in first after that. I got to the point where I could swap out a tranny in 2 hours but a better option wasn't available for me at the time. Maybe they made the trans beefier, I dunno. FYI, I was running a Crane Fireball 3/4 race cam, headers, .030 overbore and I pulled the 2 barrel carb off of an old FE 390 pickup and screwed it onto the intake where the adapter plate went. Open plenum airflow. I was too lazy to change the jets so it would foul up in traffic but it ran like a meth addict when I could open it up.
lorodz, it is possible you have the 2.0 engine, in 87 the 2.3's were mostly fuel injected, does it have a round or D-port head . You can get a bolt on adapter kit from Racer Walsh, or Esslinger Engineering. I put one on my O/T 88 Ford ranger, it ran like crap until 3000 rpm because of the long runners, and was very cold natured. For a street drivin vehicle do yourself a favor and find a 1981 or later 2.3powered mustang, the intake looks just like the old oval port intake except it has the D-port runners to match the D-port head, and you can still bolt a holley or motorcraft 2 barrel carburator on top of it.
Yeah I got one in My VW Roadster Pickup. Its mostly stock with a single barrel off a '70 300 six and a header off a '96 Ranger...
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