1997 2.3 auto towing ability?

[TugBeemer]

For reference, looking for a small sized pickup, mainly to get me to work that won’t break the bank on gas, but that can also be able to haul my 16’ aluminum fishing boat and trailer comfortably on the weekends. I also have a little 500cc ATV I’d like to tow. I’ve found this 2.3 auto from 97’ with over 240,000 kms. It has 4:10 gearing if that helps.

1) Will the 2.3 struggle with the towing on long highway trips/ normal city driving?

2) I’m not looking for a 4.0 currently as they’re overpriced in my area and I heard they’re poor on gas, but would a 3.0 be a better option?

3) I was also looking at Chevy s10/ Sonoma if those are a better option.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I dont think youll have an issue towing that stuff.

The 2.3 is weak but if youre paitent itll be ok.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’ve never run a 2.3, but 4.10 gears will help. If it lacks the power you want, you could always consider doing a 2.3 turbo, back years ago it was common to raid the junkyard for parts to do it, there were some 2.3 turbo cars like the Thunderbird.

The 3.0 will do the work, but…

The 3.0 likes higher RPMs. I towed a few Bronco IIs and a Jeep behind mine with the manual transmission. Getting moving was a little finicky but I’d get it up in the powerband and keep it there. The automatic ones have earned notoriety of being real dogs, but part of the problem is the transmission, which arguably is part of the problem with all the automatics to a degree.

If you get an automatic, I highly recommend doing an auxiliary transmission cooler, fluid and filter change, adjust the bands, and most importantly at least a shift kit in the valve body. Cleaning up the shifts will help immensely no matter the engine. This should also help the 2.3 and the 3.0 put better power to the ground.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Rating is 2300 (lbs, I'm not sure if you're on kg) with stock gears, so quick mafs says maybe it "should" be 2450 with the 4.10s?

I towed a sailboat ~1000lbs with a 2.3 manual for a few years; it did not gaf. Fishing boat a few hundred heavier should be fine.

Whether the atv will be overweight depends on what it's sitting on, but I can't imagine it would be dangerous. Just slow.

I get almost the same mileage 4.0 vs 2.3, but I think I'm in the minority on that. It did take literal years to find a 4.0 at a price someone wasn't impossibly proud of.