86 mustang lx 4 cyl
 

I am wondering if there is any quick fixes for some temporary horsepower from it until next tax return, when i can install a ford V8 crate motor and a 4 speed toploader. Or if someone know where i might find a 2.3 turbo to replace my stock 2.3

If you want some cheap power rip off the exhaust starting with the catalytic converter back and take out the air filter and box (only if you don't care about the engine or lots of noise). More practical things to do are 180* thermostat, If you have a die grinder get some stones or carbide burrs and port the intake manifold, and then blend it with sandpaper rolls. Port match the exhaust and intake manifolds, taking off the exhaust after the cat will reduce noise a little and give you a bit of power also. Not much you can do to noticably increase 2.3L power. Advance timing from 10* (i believe is stock) to about 14 or 16 degrees depending on how far you can go before it pings or detonates on acceleration.)another thing you can do is take the bottom of the air box and cut away everything just below the air filter so it's exposed and breathes easier. Another idea is to take the air inlet tube (from the Mass Airflow sensor to the throttle body) and cut out the inside restriction (inside the tube you'll see it decreases in diameter from about 2" to about 1 1/2" and i believe in pre-'91 2.3L mustangs you can cut out this part of the air intake muffler -the big oval shape thing in the middle of the tube-). You should be able to get 5-10hp alone from the thermostat, de-restricting the intake tube and exposing the air filter to air (the stock airbox is pretty restrictive) maybe even more hp....i couldn't tell you because i don't have a 2.3 anymore or a chassis dyno. Good luck and have fun!

Actually some of this may not apply since i don't know if your car is carbureted or not...
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'84 Mustang 5.0 T5, FMS aluminum radiator & 180* t-stat, 1 5/8 shortys/2.5" duals, '88 GT tail lights and wheels, Holley 4160 4 BBL, FMS smog pump idler

[This message has been edited by 84stangLX (edited 04-24-2001).]

This is in addition if your car is carbureted: Take the stock air cleaner housing and cut out most of the air cleaner housing surrounding the element so it breathes like an open element air cleaner. buy another air filter for your car and stack it on top of yours so there's 2 filters stacked, increasing potential air volume...you'll probably have to buy another carburetor stud...depending on hood clearance (i don't know how tall the 2.3L is) you may not be able to do that... well i've run out of hairbrained hick schemes for now

here's the skinney on the 84-86 2.3L's... you are a 1bbl carbed car, with a enclosed round aircleaner.

as of now, don't open up the aircleaner, if you still have the flex pipe install between the housing and the aircleaner, thats acts as a factory cold air setup and works "ok" for now (doesn't hurt to insulate that flex tubing). opening the element only increases hot air intake, which hurts performance. if you want add some round flex tubing from the pick up in the pass fender well to a scoop under the car for and even better effect.

best bang for buck IMO? header. get a longtube style header for the car. Racer walsh a nice race header for us, and JC Whitney also sells a Pacesetter header for 74-81 2.3L (they will fit your car too). you will have to remove the cat and make a custom pipe for these to fit. if you retain the factroy carb, you need to weld in a bung for the 02 sensor.

you can also swap to the older duraspark ign or an MSD ign using the factroy duraspark dist that came in 75-82 2.3L mustangs. requires a non feedback modle carb and the older ign module and that small section of harness.


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