turbocharging a 2.3L

ncsdaonex · Dec 10, 2008

i have 1990 2.3l ranger. i am thinking about turbo charging it. i will make the exhaust manifold. i would like to know what a good but cheap turbo would be. i know i need an innercooler and the pipes and hoses but what else will i need. any info will be helpful.

travisl1345 · Dec 10, 2008

first off you don't need an intercooler. you ill need bigger injectors, a bigger maf, wide range o2 sensor and an air fuel ratio guage and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. you will also need some sort of programmer and forged pistons for anything over like 10 psi... if you want to make big power i would say right off the bat go with a turbo coupe engine or mustang svo or merkur, that way you already have all the forged stuff and the bigger injectors and then you can take the computer... and then to really beef it up you can get arp head studs and a stronger headgasket from felpro.... the engine swap probably sounds like more work right now but you will thank yourself for doing it now instead of blowing the first motor and then doing it later lol

mikepotts · Dec 11, 2008

travis has good advice for you... we (on this forum) get this quesion at least twice a week, and this advice is ALWAYS best, get a turbo coupe motor, there are all sorts of details you can get past easier by swaping a TC motor in... such as, instead of "making" a manifold and having to find a turbo, it is done, and the aftermarket has ALOT of support... headers, T3/T4 hybrid turbos ect. also, turbos have pressure fed oiling which has to drain back to the motor, on the TC motors this is all covered even having an oil drainback provision cast into the block which the N/A motors dont have, you would have to punch and tap the oil pan (PITA). bottom line... travis is right, you will save time, money and your hair by swaping to a TC motor. :icon_cheers:

birdmanslopy · Dec 12, 2008

Doing that turbo on a 2.3 na block isnt really worth it, the best bet and i know from experience is the turbo block swapped in with a 5 speed unless you want an auto.
there will be a few thing you will run into but in the long run its worth it.
like travis said
vam,injectors blah blah
why get all that for a small increase when you can get the motor outta donor car and have everything there allready for the price to pay.
ive seen those motors run on just a cometic headgasket and a front mount 25psi just hitting fuel cut with a rewired fuel pump.
2.3t blocks have lots of potiental and if your into a big deal motor do what im doing and get the volvo head and swap that on there.
but i wouldnt worry about hopping it up.
just get that motor/wireharness vam and computer and get yourself a weekend, case of beer and get to work
best of luck

ncsdaonex · Dec 12, 2008

turbocharging a 2.3

travisl1345 said:
first off you don't need an intercooler. you ill need bigger injectors, a bigger maf, wide range o2 sensor and an air fuel ratio guage and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. you will also need some sort of programmer and forged pistons for anything over like 10 psi... if you want to make big power i would say right off the bat go with a turbo coupe engine or mustang svo or merkur, that way you already have all the forged stuff and the bigger injectors and then you can take the computer... and then to really beef it up you can get arp head studs and a stronger headgasket from felpro.... the engine swap probably sounds like more work right now but you will thank yourself for doing it now instead of blowing the first motor and then doing it later lol

okay, i might be able to get a turbo out of a turbo coupe, now say i would get performance pistons and connecting rods, now for the oil cooled part of the turbo, what if i got an oil pump and a trans fluid radiator and used that to cool the turbo, and if i changed injectors and the other stuff would that work. Would the stock motor take it and would that idea i said previously cool the turbo.

mikepotts · Dec 13, 2008

okay, if you are determined to use the stock block... yes you will need the lower compression pistons, the TC exhaust manifold and turbo, injectors (if using EFI), you MAY be able to, add an MSD ignition using a boost reterd, and an aftermarket FMU (fuel management unit) instead of changing the engine harness. this is an idea ihad been kicking around.

or you can carb (blowthru)usingeither the TC manifold and turbo, or you can look into getting a first gen. turbo intake (79-80) which was a draw thru turbo setup.

any way you do it, you need the forged low comp pistons FOR SURE.

oh and if you do use the stock block, oiling the turbo inst a HUGE problem, you can add a T in line at the oilpressure sender to get the oil for the turbo, and punch and tap the oil pan for oil drainback. most of these are tricks used when adding a turbo or supercharger to a 5.0 but can be applicable on 2.3's also.

mikepotts · Dec 13, 2008

this is what i am talking about, and a good deal also!...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/msd-msd-6-btm-retard-mustang-supercharger-turbo-6462_W0QQitemZ380088248370QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item380088248370&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72:727|65:12|39:1|240:1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aeromotive-digital-fmu-turbo-supercharger_W0QQitemZ180313283225QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item180313283225&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318

ncsdaonex · Dec 13, 2008

turbocharging a 2.3

mikepotts said:
okay, if you are determined to use the stock block... yes you will need the lower compression pistons, the TC exhaust manifold and turbo, injectors (if using EFI), you MAY be able to, add an MSD ignition using a boost reterd, and an aftermarket FMU (fuel management unit) instead of changing the engine harness. this is an idea ihad been kicking around.

or you can carb (blowthru)usingeither the TC manifold and turbo, or you can look into getting a first gen. turbo intake (79-80) which was a draw thru turbo setup.

any way you do it, you need the forged low comp pistons FOR SURE.

oh and if you do use the stock block, oiling the turbo inst a HUGE problem, you can add a T in line at the oilpressure sender to get the oil for the turbo, and punch and tap the oil pan for oil drainback. most of these are tricks used when adding a turbo or supercharger to a 5.0 but can be applicable on 2.3's also.

thank you, i just wanted to use the stock block, now can i keep the stock rods or not, also if i get the tc turbo can i make a manifold for it instead of buying one, okay i know the stock block can handle a little over 200 hp so is there anyway to get the stock tranny to take it, i got a stock tranny for 40 bucks so i'd like to make it work, also why do i want low compression as opposed to high compression pistons, one more thing i was planning on buying an intake manifold that i could bolt a holley carb on so would that give me more power than fuel injection?

mikepotts · Dec 13, 2008

okay, the rods are the same. as for "making" a manifold... how are you gonna make a manifold? have you got a foundry or something? dude, i know where you are coming from, you want what you want, and you dont want to have a war pension in it. "making" a manifold or header might sound easy but, there i alot to take into consideration, which could take up a whole nother thread! as for low compression... man, i gotta speak freely, if you dont understand you NEED low compression for a poweradder application... i dont mean any disrespect but, you need to do some research on the dynamics of timing, compression, volumetric effeciency, cylinder pressure, and detonation most importantly of all! if you dont use FORGED low compression pistons, when the cylinder pressure rises under boost you can either blow a hole in the top of the piston, melt the ring lands out, or a whole host of other problems. seriously, read, read, read!

check this out...http://www.turbomustangs.com/turbotech/main.htm

Mutant Pony · Dec 13, 2008

My turbo coupe engine has flattop pistons. You don't need low compression pistons until you start making big boost numbers. If you have access to a tubing bender, torch or plasma cutter, and a welder you can make an exhaust manifold easy enough. The block is no different between a turbo coupe and an N.A. motor. The cast piston will even work until you start turning up the boost.
My biggest concern is: If you think that you are going to go to a junkyard and pick up a used turbo and it will last any length of time, you are wrong. They spin at HIGH rpms and fail frequently. They are expensive to rebuild or buy new.
The oil to the turbo is easy, the oil return to the engine is a little more difficult. The oil supply line is just "teed" off the oil pressure sender port. The return requires a fitting in the side of the oil pan.
One last thing, There is a forum here just for turbos and superchargers, "forced induction".

mikepotts · Dec 13, 2008

have you ever had nitrous on a motor? let say you had a cheater kit on a carb'd 5.0, you set it up with the 75 HP jets, drive it for a while, like it, but the thought kept nagging in the back of your mind... this kit has upto a 250 HP jets... are you gonna leave the 75 HP jets in it???? chances are no.

with that said, no, low compression is not REQUIRED, for that matter forged pistons are not REQUIRED. IF you are not going to boost the motor more than... maybe 5 lbs. of boost... if that is all the boost you want, why bother? its alot of work for 5 lbs. of boost.

so to qualify my previous statements... if you are to make the most of the work you are wanting to attempt. use lower compression forged pistons. even a set of used TC pistons would be better than stock cast pistons.

there are alot of opinions on the whole turbo thing... the previous are mine.

have fun... :icon_cheers:

Mutant Pony · Dec 13, 2008

mikepotts said:
have you ever had nitrous on a motor? let say you had a cheater kit on a carb'd 5.0, you set it up with the 75 HP jets, drive it for a while, like it, but the thought kept nagging in the back of your mind... this kit has upto a 250 HP jets... are you gonna leave the 75 HP jets in it???? chances are no.

with that said, no, low compression is not REQUIRED, for that matter forged pistons are not REQUIRED. IF you are not going to boost the motor more than... maybe 5 lbs. of boost... if that is all the boost you want, why bother? its alot of work for 5 lbs. of boost.

so to qualify my previous statements... if you are to make the most of the work you are wanting to attempt. use lower compression forged pistons. even a set of used TC pistons would be better than stock cast pistons.

there are alot of opinions on the whole turbo thing... the previous are mine.

have fun...

I agree with you for the most part. I would probably have the motor blown up in the first week. I can't leave anything alone.
On the other hand, He already has a running motor in the vehicle. If he gets everything to make it run with a turbo, he can always replace the bottom end later. If he gets everything working right with a lot of boost he will be replacing bottom ends anyway.
If he goes to low compression pistons first, and decides against the turbo, The motor won't run good.

mikepotts · Dec 13, 2008

okay i see your point. in this case, i would definately go with an early draw thru carb. set up. there are some who will want to strangle me for suggesting removing EFI for a carb'd turbo, but i think it would be alot more cost effective for him.

there is no way I could limit myself to low boost! i like the skinny pedal too much!

ncsdaonex · Dec 13, 2008

turbocharging a 2.3

mikepotts said:
okay, the rods are the same. as for "making" a manifold... how are you gonna make a manifold? have you got a foundry or something? dude, i know where you are coming from, you want what you want, and you dont want to have a war pension in it. "making" a manifold or header might sound easy but, there i alot to take into consideration, which could take up a whole nother thread! as for low compression... man, i gotta speak freely, if you dont understand you NEED low compression for a poweradder application... i dont mean any disrespect but, you need to do some research on the dynamics of timing, compression, volumetric effeciency, cylinder pressure, and detonation most importantly of all! if you dont use FORGED low compression pistons, when the cylinder pressure rises under boost you can either blow a hole in the top of the piston, melt the ring lands out, or a whole host of other problems. seriously, read, read, read!

check this out...http://www.turbomustangs.com/turbotech/main.htm

okay, i understand the basics and volumectric efficiency, my question however is if i turbo it wont it have more compression, so why are they called low compression pistons, one more question, what else can i do to get more hp out of the engine that is cheap to do, plus a previous question what is better carburator or fuel injection

Mutant Pony · Dec 13, 2008

Carburated, you can make more hp/dollar. There is no fuel injection system out there that can compete with a carburator system, in hp that is.
Fuel injection is more stable. If I were building a prerunner, I wouldn't even think about using a carb. If I were building a street truck, It WOULD have a carb.
The Turbo putting out boost raises the compression of an engine, because it is packing more Cubic inches of air into the engine then the engine is capable of alone. If you put in lower compression (Dished pistons) You are less likely to blow head gaskets and break pistons.

turbocharging a 2.3L

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