2.3L upgrades

[jonnyk]

My friend is going to be buying a '91 or '92 Coupe LX, 2.3L. He was wondering if there were any upgrades that were available for the 2.3L's? It's a non-turbo. I am aware of the obvious rearend gears, air filter, muffler upgrades. Is there anything I'm missing? It's a 5 speed car also.
Thanks!

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1984 Mustang LX

[PKRWUD]

You will probably find better answers on the small ponies page.
Take care,
-Chris

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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 !!!
'64 Falcon/Ranchero: 302+.040, 10.5:1, .475", 282 Dur., Perf. RPM, Holley 750 Dbl Pumper, MSD, 4-Spd., 8.8 w/3.73 posi. = 12.888 @109 MPH

[Snakeman]

the best upgrade for a 3.8L is a 351W swap!

[fastlx306]

tell your buddy that many 2.3 owners have had great success at making boat anchors out of the little power plant.ditch the 4-banger and drop in a mean 351w.

[Skyman]

Forget about it, exctracting another 3-8hp from that motor just isnt worth the hassle.
It will still be very very slow.

Sky

[cobra9450]

Just to let you know how slow they are. My friend took his '90 4 cyl and ran a 20.50 @ 70mph. With some nitrous, gears, and slicks you make be able to get into the low 16's. Good luck.
Cobra9450

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http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Show/9763/

'94 Cobra - Bullet MAF, 70mm TB, pulleys, MAC headers, h-pipe, Borla catback, E-303, NOS 5115- 11.93 @ 114.17

[84_GT350]

The most important question is (along with everyone else who's answered): even if you could upgrade....who'd want to? When I bought my Mustang I looked for one that had exactly what I wanted. It's much more practical plus instead of throwing money away trying to get any kind of performance what-so-ever out of a 2.3L you could just spend a little bit morw and get a 5.0L. Just a thought

[jonnyk]

I think PKRWUD said it best when I would find the best answers on the small ponies page. It just slipped my mind when I posted.
As for the responses, there's a logcial and feasible reason an 18 year old high school student buys a 4 cylinder. It's economically sound and nothing more. He'd be buying a 5.0 if he could afford the insurance, gas, and repairs when stuff breaks. I should have mentioned that a 5.0 transplant was out of the question. I was only curious if you can actually do stuff to a 2.3L itself. As for the boat anchor comments and the such, he wouldn't be buying a 2.3L for PERFORMANCE....in case you couldn't figure that out on your own. Sorry for the confusion, but thanks anyways.

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1984 Mustang LX

Then what is the point of upgrading "my little pony" if he doesn't want performance in the first place. Just leave it in good condition and sell it to the first dumbass, I mean, person that wants to buy it.

Later,

Jason

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1993GT -- Black, 5spd, 3.73, BBK 1 5/8 headers and 2 1/2 h-pipe, Flowmasters, BBK 1.5" lowering springs, MAC strut tower and G-load brace, MACH 1 hood, Moroso Cold-Air Induction, ASP pullies, FMS Wires, PS-91 coil, Pro-5.0 shifter, and a Centerforce Clutch.

[PKRWUD]

Come on Jason, not everybody fits into the V8 format, and often not by choice. I have owned three Pintos over the years (I don't talk about it much). The first two were both '78 w/2.3's in them. The first one was bone stock and very fast (as 2.3's go, anyway). I twice raced and beat a stock 302 Fairmont. My second 2.3 Pinto received a beefed up head with a decent cam. I used it for delivering pizzas and raced and beat MANY 5.0 Mustangs (keep in mind that this was back in the mid '80's). My last Pinto was a '72 with a 2000 in it. It had a header, a ported race head with all the bells and whistles, a killer Crane cam, a ported intake, a Holley carb, an MSD 6A box and an MSD timing advance control box, as well as a few other little goodies. I only paid $15 for the car, and the parts I put into it I either had or traded for. It was a very low cost car. It had a best quarter mile time of 13.525 @103 mph. It also got better than 25 mpg. Alas, it was still a Pinto. I ended up selling it for $2500.
Take care,
-Chris

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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 !!!
'64 Falcon/Ranchero: 302+.040, 10.5:1, .475", 282 Dur., Perf. RPM, Holley 750 Dbl Pumper, MSD, 4-Spd., 8.8 w/3.73 posi. = 12.888 @109 MPH

Sorry for my comments. I am not trying to offend anyone or start a flame contest. But, I still say, save your money that you were going to use for mods on the 2.3 and when you are ready, sell it and get a 5.0. I've seen a 5.0 LX in my area for $2,000 that was in really good condition and decent miles.

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1993GT -- Black, 5spd, 3.73, BBK 1 5/8 headers and 2 1/2 h-pipe, Flowmasters, BBK 1.5" lowering springs, MAC strut tower and G-load brace, MACH 1 hood, Moroso Cold-Air Induction, ASP pullies, FMS Wires, PS-91 coil, Pro-5.0 shifter, and a Centerforce Clutch.

[Unit 5302]

If your friend was interested in the least expensive way to get some performance out of the 2.3 beastie, it'd be to yank it, and slap a good 2.3 Turbo w/intercooler in there out of a late model Turbo Coupe, Merkur XR4Ti, or an SVO. With some slight mods, they can be pretty damn quick. He will also be able to keep the drivetrain, due to the lighter torque load of the 4cyl, vs the V-8.



[This message has been edited by Unit 5302 (edited 10-20-1999).]

[PKRWUD]

He would also need the donor cars computer.

------------------
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 !!!
'64 Falcon/Ranchero: 302+.040, 10.5:1, .475", 282 Dur., Perf. RPM, Holley 750 Dbl Pumper, MSD, 4-Spd., 8.8 w/3.73 posi. = 12.888 @109 MPH

[Mr 5 0]

Moved to Small Ponies forum.

[Trevor]

Turboize it!!!

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1990 Lx Turbo convertible

[Undertaker]

First of all forget the fuel injection and go to a weber.Put full length hedman header on other side with mandrel bent exhaust.Inbetween put heavy crane cam(can't remember specs but the idle sounded like it was going to stall),Bore 30over 11.5 to 1 pistons oversized valves,forged crank from turbo,accel super coil,3:45 gears.There's not a stock 5.0 that will touch it.I just took out that 4cyl and put in stock 82gt 302 and was really disappointed-same milage but the 302 had alot less power.Now switching to 351 with a few mods and I will finally get more power then that "lil boat anchor" 2.3.The 4 cyl is about to go in a friends Capri with a milder cam.The shift on that engine was 7500rpm and had it in car for nine years.You should see the look on the faces of some 302 and 305 drivers when I picked up the hood when they caught me.Just trying to say Don't give up on the 2.3.
THANXX
-joe-

[Mark McDaniel]

First you must look at the intended use of the car. I wouldn't trade the 2.3 in my 87 coupe for anything. I use the car not to blister tires at stop lights, but to cruise the interstates of Montana 600 miles or more a week. It pushes the car at 80 mph with ease while getting 30+mpg. Not a lot of 351's or 5.0's can prove that.
For big jumps you might consider a 2.3 turbo swap. This will keep the mpg of the four cylinder and when set up right will blow the doors off of many a 5.0/351 cars. Fairly expensive though.
I have done a few things to my 2.3 and although no monster gains in HP have been realized, I can now maintain 80 mph going up the steepest hills around. MSD coil, wires, 6A control box and adaptor were first, then came the flowpro muffler and exaust. 2" pipe before the muffler with 2.5 after muffler creates a vacuume effect that made a most notable HP improvement. Flowpro mufflers outflow flowmasters and are much quieter. (If you add a new converter it must be the three way type to keep it legal). Then the K&N air filter and a 110 lph fuel pump. Soon will be a compitition cams performance cam kit again keeping highway driving in mind.
A lot of lesser thinking people, without thinking of the intended useage of the car will tell you to toss the 2.3 right off the bat. Keep the intended useage of the car in mind before, during and after you do any mods. You'll get much more out of any project this way.
Have fun.

[MEDIK418]

First, understand I know not much about the 2.3 and have had little experience with one but I recently took one out of an 85 LX that will receive a 351. I drove it prior to removing the engine and was amazed at how little power it had. Then I noticed the carb on the thing. The venturi was about the size of a quarter! My point is, the thing would almost have to run better if it had some more room to breathe. I haven't seen the fuel injected engine but I would hope it had more air flow than the 85 had.

[Motorhead302]

Hey, listen. The 2.3 has a straight-through port design, meaning that the valves are mounted across the head, not along it. This means that it is capable of flowing copious amounts of air, and is much more responsive to porting, and also a lot more forgiving than a normal v8 head. If you can find a machine shop or performance shop in your area that's cheap, go get a junk yard head and tell them to hog the little sucker out. In MM&FF sometime last year, they built a turbo 2.3 (Tiny Avenger) with 350 or so hp. I figure that you should be able to get around 200 naturally aspirated with a good cam and some decent head porting, and if you get the intake ported. Considering how light the car is, it should be able to run in the 16s or so without spending a whole ton of money. I can't remember how much the total for the Tiny Avenger project was, but it wasn't a ton.
And I have to say, if I got spanked off a light by a 4 cyl. Mustang, nat. asp. or turbo, I'd laugh my ass off, and then clap the guy that built it on the backand congratulate him.

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95 Gt
Pulleys, headers, off road, 3.55's, Tremec 3550, Centerforce 2
2.0 60 foots
14.4's @ 96mph
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