2.3 turbo engine swap, need help!!

85DANGERanger · Jan 1, 2009

hey guys, well recently i realized i needed to get more power from my 85' ranger. it has the 2.3 N/A in it right now and on a windy day in 5th gear it actually looses speed! so i just purchased a 2.3 turbo motor that came out of a 79' mustang pace car. im a big diesel and v-8 buff and dont know squat about 4 bangers. this is a carbed motor and im looking to do other mods before i rebuild and put in. what are my options for mods???

shadetree · Jan 1, 2009

Throw it away and get an EFI engine. The carbed engines with turbo's were nothing but headaches, and when they are running good(which was seldom), they are dogs. Spend your money on something else.

shady

85DANGERanger · Jan 1, 2009

thats the same answer im getting from everyone, i wish i would of did my research before i bought this motor. so is it possible to just use the block and make it fuel injected. and how hard would it be to run the wiring harness on my truck. my trucks a carbed truck. and selling and getting another truck is not an option. just wanna now if its possible.

feellnfroggy · Jan 2, 2009

85DANGERanger said:
thats the same answer im getting from everyone, i wish i would of did my research before i bought this motor. so is it possible to just use the block and make it fuel injected. and how hard would it be to run the wiring harness on my truck. my trucks a carbed truck. and selling and getting another truck is not an option. just wanna now if its possible.

I have a mechanic here that races these 2.3l engines. His kid in highschool outran a couple of the v-8 guys with a pinto. Lookaround. Even if the engine is a pig, Im sure you can find someone who will help you mak the best of a bad investment. Otherwise---craigslist. Sell it.

shadetree · Jan 2, 2009

85DANGERanger said:
so is it possible to just use the block and make it fuel injected..

It is possible, but not feasable. 2.3 blocks are a dime a dozen complete. You would have to change the wiring harness. EFI uses a different computer and harness, so that would have to be changed. Harnesses can be fairly easy, or a bitch depenging on how much you have to change. I have never done this particular exchange, but it looks fairly difficult. Might be wrong tho, it may be easy.

If you are still talking about using a turbo, the 79 block does not have forged pistons. It also doesn't have an oil drainback for the turbo. The turbo is on the pass side and yours is on the drivers side.

shady

feellnfroggy · Jan 2, 2009

shadetree said:
It is possible, but not feasable. 2.3 blocks are a dime a dozen complete. You would have to change the wiring harness. EFI uses a different computer and harness, so that would have to be changed. Harnesses can be fairly easy, or a bitch depenging on how much you have to change. I have never done this particular exchange, but it looks fairly difficult. Might be wrong tho, it may be easy.

If you are still talking about using a turbo, the 79 block does not have forged pistons. It also doesn't have an oil drainback for the turbo. The turbo is on the pass side and yours is on the drivers side.shady

If you check on 3.8mustang.com or v6power.net. One of those two sites have a vendor listed that does the premade conversion harnesses. BUt its not cheap.

85DANGERanger · Jan 2, 2009

so ill have to tap the pass. side for the turbo oil drainback, utherwise it can be converted. i just cant seem to find a 83-88 turbo engine for sale anywhere.

feellnfroggy · Jan 2, 2009

85DANGERanger said:
so ill have to tap the pass. side for the turbo oil drainback, utherwise it can be converted. i just cant seem to find a 83-88 turbo engine for sale anywhere.

What are you searching for? look up the Turbo charged thunderbird, I think maybe 83-86 were possible years. They came with the the turbo 2.3 also the SVO mustangs had 2.3l turbos and yes they will be hard to find. PATIENCE, itll come to you.

85DANGERanger · Jan 2, 2009

ive search every inch of the net looking for parts or even a donor car, havent found a thing, least i got lucky enough to by a 2.3 turbo block. might cost some to convert it, and take a long while to get ahold of parts, but ill wait.

shadetree · Jan 2, 2009

Check:

www.turboford.net

shady

ejholmgren · Jan 2, 2009

Werd ... get an EFI 2.3T for $200 and save yourself some work.

85DANGERanger · Jan 3, 2009

if it was easy enough to find a EFI 2.3 turbo id do it.

Bill G · Jan 3, 2009

Seriously, you are not even trying. I answered you in the thread below.

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34938

85DANGERanger · Jan 3, 2009

i found a couple parts at a local junkyard off a 88' turbocoupe.

2.3 turbo engine swap, need help!!

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