which engine turbo 2.3 or 5.0
 

I can't decide which to swap in a turbocharger 2.3 liter or a 5.0 liter. Which do you guys think would be better/cheaper. I'm worried about swaping in the eletronics from the 2.3 turbo(I HATE running wires). Much of the wiring hassel could be elinated if I went with a carbed 5.0 liter. But some one told me that swaping in a 2.3 turbo would be cheaper. Also I've heard that the front syspention is different on a 4 banger than on a V-8(bigger brakes and fatter sway bars). Is this true?

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THE SLO PONY
1992 Ford Mustand LX. 2.3 liter four-banger, auto. Future mods: V-8 swap.

If it ain't broke, you ain't tryin hard enough

The Turbo 2.3L is good for 175hp in 1987-1988 Thunderbird TC's and the Merkur XR4Ti. The Mustang SVO version got 205hp.

Modifications to the turbo setup are possible, but to get more than about 240hp, you'll need to do some turbo upgrading, or go to nitrous. I don't know as I'd want to run the stock T-5 4banger beyond that, and the rear end starts to become a little iffy as well. Don't expect to get away without making cooling system mods for the turbo engine either. They kick out a ton of heat, and the intercoolers in there add to the need for cooling.

The 5.0L everybody knows about. Expect to make a couple more changes with the 5.0L, but not many.

Before anybody babbles about reliability, the turbo 2.3L is built to take serious abuse. Forged crank, rods, pistons.

does anyone know of a company that sells a kit for a V-8 conversion.

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THE SLO PONY
1992 Ford Mustand LX. 2.3 liter four-banger, auto. Future mods: V-8 swap.

If it ain't broke, you ain't tryin hard enough

You can build a 225horse 2.3 without nitrous. Call esslinger Ph. 888-444-4919. Buddy Ingersoll use to run low 10's in the 1/4 mile in the 70's with a carbuereted 2.0 turbo pinto.

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Kaufmann Products makes a good 4 cyl. to V8 swap kit.

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1984 1/2 GT350 (#842 Hatchback w/ T-tops), 302HO, Comp cams Xtreme Energy cam, Carter 625cfm carb, Weiand Stealth intake, MSD distributor, MSD coil, FMS 9mm wires, 1 5/8" MAC unequal shorties, 2 1/2" MAC Prochamber H-pipe, Flowmaster 2 chambers, KYBs, 16"x8" 4 lug Cobra Rs, Falken 245/45ZR16s

So I pushed it up to 110,
That flathead motor was about to give in,
I crossed my fingers and prayed to the lord,
Don't let me down you fuct up ford!"

"5-Oh Ford" by The Reverend Horton Heat

You don't need help to get a 2.3L intercooled turbo to 225hp. All you need is a chip to up the boost level a little and good exhaust. Maybe a couple SVO parts.

There's a guy a few years ago running 10's/11's in the quarter with a 2.3L Turbo Pinto He got the engine out of a Turbo Coupe, had upgraded turbo's in it, the car was stripped, ran full out drag slicks, and a big *** shot of NOS. The race weight on that car was probably about 1000lbs less than what tireburner's would be.

I said 225hp 2.3 without nos and also without a turbo.

Just read your entire post, nothing about without a turbo? Are you saying it will do it N/A??? LOL.

Getting 225hp out of a turboed 2.3L is easy. Once again, you don't need somebody else's help to do it. Buy a chip (which will raise the psi), get a good exhaust, and a good induction. Maybe an SVO intake, 225 is pretty easy to come by. The SVO made 200 stock.

Unit-
I've seen it done.

BTW, I just was reading the latest SEMA mag, and there's a guy in there who used to run Hondas, but now has a FWD Focus with a DOHC 2.0L engine that is N/A, non-NOS, putting out over 600hp. He says it's all in the heads. Before this latest head, he was turning low 10's @ 124 mph (400 hp with the "old" head).

**** like that just plain scares me.

Take care
~Chris

P.S. The old 2000cc Pinto engines can take much higher rpms than the 2.3L, and were the top choice of Pony Stock racers until the supply dried up.

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Retired Moderator
MustangNet

My site: JimPorterRacing

RACECAR spelled backwards is RACECAR

HEY !!! Are you ASE Certified ??? If you are, ask me about iATN. The best tool you'll ever have, and it's free !!!

I didn't say it's impossible to get 225hp N/A with a 2.3L, but you'd be very hard pressed to do so.

Bottom line is crank, rods, pistons, head, cam, exhuast, and intake. If you want to get 225hp N/A from a 2.3L it would cost 10x what a Turbo Coupe engine would.

The aftermarket hasn't typically catered to the 2.3L N/A engine that I've ever seen. In stock form the 2.3L is a huge turd. The most powerful 2.3L N/A engine from Ford that I know of made 105hp.

I don't see any realism in comparing the first Domestic mass produced SOHC engine ever (2.3L) to a much newer and superior 2.0L DOHC engine. That's on a par with comparing a 5.0 to a 4.6 DOHC. It's not hard to see which one has more potential. Even though the 5.0 is a damn good engine, and it's proved it clear up to a high rpm racing level, the 4.6L DOHC will outrev, and out hp the 5.0.

Getting 600hp N/A out of a 2.0L? What's he spin it to? 20,000rpms? He'd need over 150lb/ft of torque, even there. I'm sorry, but I have to call BS on that. No way. Not even a 2 stroke pulls that kind of number. You're talking literally over 300hp/liter, N/A. I don't care where his car was dyno'd. That equates to an N/A 1500hp+ 5.0, or 1400hp 4.6L N/A.

Well call Esslinger and find out if interested. I don't think they are that expensive as they are fairly common on dunebuggies in California and other places.

I owned an 88 t'bird t-coupe. It pulled har-
der than a stock 5.0. Everything was stock
except the exaust and a minor modification
to Fords terrible boost management:
take a trip to the hardware store and buy a
t-valve with pressure fittings and some hose.
Bypass the boost control solenoid with the
valve and voila, 18 pounds of boost from
2600rpm on up until fuel starvation from the
stock pump and injectors. This will yield up
to 265 hp, to go crazier, buy the motorsport
rollercam setup, 3.5 inch turbo exhaust out-
let and downpipe, oilcooler, bigger injectors, get rid of the stock airbox and
install k+n cone filter at maf-box. last but
not least a reprogrammed ECU, superchips is
very good with Bosch based engine management
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I also had a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with a 5spd. It was quick for what it was, but it's limiting quickly surfaced around 80mph. The gearing no longer was able to cover up from a lack of hp vs my 87 and 88GT. The T-Bird TC made 175hp stock with a 3600-3700lb curb weight. That's 50hp short, and 500lbs heavy. The TC was not a match for the Fox 5.0HO's. Not even close. Even with 250hp they would be outclassed by a good driver in a 5.0.

Re: which engine turbo 2.3 or 5.0
 

I own a 2.3 turbo and a 5.8w the 2.3 makes 300hp esslinger pistons and ported intake thats it.