2.3L ('83-'97) 92 2.3l turbo

[Mrthechicken102]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has found a complete or close to complete turbo kit that would work for my 1992 Ranger 2.3L. I plan on rebuiling it soon and would like to turbo it if possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[scotts90ranger]

There is no complete kit since the stock computer won't support a turbo, there's turbo headers on ebay and whatnot and chinese turbos that will bolt on to that then you have to get the plumbing done around that...

The stock cast pistons will only handle about 5psi boost before you get into issues, if you find a stock turbo 2.3L you can use a combo of turbo parts and your stock '92 parts and repin some wires to the computer and get into the 200hp range without a problem, I've done it, works fine... aftermarket ECM and tuning would apparently be better but I'm content with stock for now...

 

[Mrthechicken102]

There is no complete kit since the stock computer won't support a turbo, there's turbo headers on ebay and whatnot and chinese turbos that will bolt on to that then you have to get the plumbing done around that...

The stock cast pistons will only handle about 5psi boost before you get into issues, if you find a stock turbo 2.3L you can use a combo of turbo parts and your stock '92 parts and repin some wires to the computer and get into the 200hp range without a problem, I've done it, works fine... aftermarket ECM and tuning would apparently be better but I'm content with stock for now...

Do you have any diagrams or way to show what pins need to be wired? I'm a little scared to mess something up.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Going to the stock 2.3L turbo computer? If you go to the top of the page there's a "Tech Library" link, go in there and there's a turbo swap area that has a diagram for a 2.3L turbo and a '91 Ranger 2.3L I believe. There's only about 10 wires that need to move especially if you keep the DIS ignition like I did

 

[Juddys123]

Going to the stock 2.3L turbo computer? If you go to the top of the page there's a "Tech Library" link, go in there and there's a turbo swap area that has a diagram for a 2.3L turbo and a '91 Ranger 2.3L I believe. There's only about 10 wires that need to move especially if you keep the DIS ignition like I did

I thought the DIS required the stock ecu to run. How can you keep DIS with a t-Bird ecu?

 

[scotts90ranger]

The DIS system is pretty much only ran with the crank sensor and DIS module on the front of the intake manifold, that module then gives a speed signal to the stock computer to run the fuel injectors, same signal sent by the TFI module on the distributor. I simply didn't do anything but mount the DIS module on a plate sandwiched between the two intake manifold halves and grounded since I'm running a whole turbo engine, I did have to mount the crank sensor to the turbo engine though... there's some complications with that but if I were to do it all over again I'd put turbo pistons/rods (rods are the same but are already installed on pistons) and keep the dual plug head and intake so it would be more stock, running a single plug head I had to tie the extra coil wires to the other coil wires since the tach is ran off the drivers side coil pack for whatever reason...

 

[Blmpkn]

The stock cast pistons will only handle about 5psi boost before you get into issues

Good to know. Same story with a 96 I'm assuming?

 

[scotts90ranger]

Good to know. Same story with a 96 I'm assuming?

Yep, same pistons as far as I know, don't think anything major changed on the rotating assembly until the 2.5 with the powdered rods and hypereutectic pistons that I don't think are very durable if I remember right.

 

[JoshT]

Yep, same pistons as far as I know, don't think anything major changed on the rotating assembly until the 2.5 with the powdered rods and hypereutectic pistons that I don't think are very durable if I remember right.

Doesn;t really apply to the question, but which ones had the front belt driven oil pump? I'm thinking that all of the 2.3Ls were shaft driven and the switch was o the 2.5Ls, but was it all of them?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I'm pretty sure the switch happened when the crank sensor moved in '95 and was kept through the 2.5L, but with that change came smaller valve stems for less valvetrain drag though which I think is part of the horsepower increase they gained at that time...

One other thing to note is the switch to round tooth timing belt in '92, you can run a round tooth belt on square pulleys but not the other way around so if you're going to mix parts use a round belt...

 

[Mechrick]

Start with a Ranger turbo header and piece it together from that. You'll want forged, dished pistons, compression ratios in the mid 7's work best with a turbo (my last build ended up 7.4:1). Early 2.3L rods will work fine up to about the 350 HP level, at which point aftermarket rods are a good idea.

I prefer aftermarket injection to get rid of the stock vane air meter and low impedance injectors.

 

[Blmpkn]

Start with a Ranger turbo header and piece it together from that. You'll want forged, dished pistons, compression ratios in the mid 7's work best with a turbo (my last build ended up 7.4:1). Early 2.3L rods will work fine up to about the 350 HP level, at which point aftermarket rods are a good idea.

I prefer aftermarket injection to get rid of the stock vane air meter and low impedance injectors.

7s seem pretty overkill low.. id definitely rather run something with a higher static CR and less boost than something with such low compression and all the boost in the world.


That being said.. all the boost in the world does sound mighty cool when its getting made..

 

[Mechrick]

2.3's detonate at anything over 8:1 compression with pump gas. Even the 7.4:1 engine I built would ping on 93 octane on a hot NV day. I got around it by running E85 in the summer (another advantage of running aftermarket injection).

 

[Mrthechicken102]

2.3's detonate at anything over 8:1 compression with pump gas. Even the 7.4:1 engine I built would ping on 93 octane on a hot NV day. I got around it by running E85 in the summer (another advantage of running aftermarket injection).

I'm having trouble finding injectors bigger then what I have, or the forged piston you were talking about. Also I'm intrigued on how you converted to E85.

 

[Mechrick]

Cheap forged pistons are non-existent now. I paid $600 for a semi custom set of Wiseco pistons designed to use the short 2.3 rod with the Ranger 2.5 crank. Whatever you get, they must be dished.

Megasquirt firmware has a dual table mode that allows switching fuel tables with a toggle switch for different fuels.

I use Racetronix (sp?) for injectors.