Anyway to beef up my 2.3?

[Beanmachine7000]

I have a 2.3 cyl that was super slow. so i put a K & N intake on it that gave me more power, i put some duel flowmasters, a surge performance chip on the air intake sensor wire,and a O2 sensor power performance behind the converter. I got a super fast 0 to 60mph time, and the top end is awsome. The total was about $ 550.00 but i did it over a 6 month time frame. There are other options that i am working on as we speak, but for a cheap fix that's the way that i went.

Sad to say that was $550 wasted...

 

[Frank The Tank]

I dunno really...... no vehicle ever produced was the same.

See it on trucks all the time, same mod different effects.

but honestly fastpakr..... as a MOD, could you please try to be a bit more constructive in your criticism? a blunt personality is only appraised when you are a sheep such as we, mere members.

Frank

 

[thad4411]

my 96 ford ranger

Mr Bean, the question was,how could he beef up his 4cyl and give it a little more power. there are several other options, but I just gave my opinion on what i did. If you think that it was money waisted,that's your opinion.I got the results that I wanted. Now if you know of some other ways, please shed some light and answer his question and tell us all what you think,please sir!

 

[Frank The Tank]

Mr Bean, the question was,how could he beef up his 4cyl and give it a little more power. there are several other options, but I just gave my opinion on what i did. If you think that it was money waisted,that's your opinion.I got the results that I wanted. Now if you know of some other ways, please shed some light and answer his question and tell us all what you think,please sir!

I was thinking the same, as well.

thank you for your honest opinion.

Frank

 

[5speedin2.3]

Taller gears, Intake muffler removal and a "free flowing" exhaust. My muffler is off a newer Mustang with 2.5" pipe from the cat back.
A guy with a brandnew Mustang came in to my dads work and wanted Flowmasters installed. Score! I had a Flowmaster on my truck and it was too loud for me, I couldn't handle the highway drone.

My truck is faster then my dads 3.0 automatic with 4.56 gears.

Oh and drop in a 2.5L out of a 99. This only works on the 95-97(obd2) Rangers.

Also clean the Mass air sensor, replace the o2 sensors, new plugs/wires.
I used Autolite Iridium plugs, they are by far the best plug you can buy.

I've been looking in to "performance" coil packs but they're a little out of my price range right now.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

Mr Bean, the question was,how could he beef up his 4cyl and give it a little more power. there are several other options, but I just gave my opinion on what i did. If you think that it was money waisted,that's your opinion.I got the results that I wanted. Now if you know of some other ways, please shed some light and answer his question and tell us all what you think,please sir!

You got what results? Lol... When I do something on my Camaro, I make sure I see results... I don't spend any money on something unless it is exactly what I want, and will do what I asked... I spent the same amount of money you did on your truck and got 100% more improvement... The things you did to your truck did absolutely nothing... You want my opinion? Here it is...

Drive the truck the way Ford made it because you will not want to spend the amount of money it takes to actually make horsepower... Now, if you want to make more horsepower with the 2.3L you will have to open it up... Stroke it to 2.5L, throw in a different cam, port out the head... Beter yet, open it up put in forged pistons, new headgasket... Add turbo and make horsepower... Intake is perfect the way it came from Ford... You can add exhaust for sound, but it doesn't really make any performance difference on the 2.3L... O2 sensor need only be replaced if it's bad, it has nothing to do with performance... That's why your $550 was a waste...

*Rant on*

You have a 4 cylinder in a 3500lb truck... It's going to be a slug... You know what? It gets much better mileage than my 4.0L though... That's what it's for... Trying to make a 4 cylinder truck fast is like those people that add all that crap to their Honda... It's a Honda, it's made for going between point A and B efficiently, not quickly... It's a 4 banger truck, it's made to get you efficiently from A to B while being able to throw the garbage or a couch in the back... If you want something fast go buy a sports car... That's what I did... I don't expect my truck to be fast, nor try to make it fast...

*Rant off*

 

[5speedin2.3]

^ Oxygen sensors DO get lazy. Mine was barely reading and my truck wasn't throwing ANY codes. I replaced it and gained a little power/better mpg.
Look it up, replacing oxygen sensors is normal maintenance just like a fuel filter, spark plugs etc etc.

 

[fastpakr]

^ Oxygen sensors DO get lazy. Mine was barely reading and my truck wasn't throwing ANY codes. I replaced it and gained a little power/better mpg.
Look it up, replacing oxygen sensors is normal maintenance just like a fuel filter, spark plugs etc etc.

I think you and Bean are basically on the same page. Sounded to me like he was saying that there's no such thing as a performance O2 sensor, therefore no need to change them except for maintenance/repair.

 

[5speedin2.3]

I think you and Bean are basically on the same page. Sounded to me like he was saying that there's no such thing as a performance O2 sensor, therefore no need to change them except for maintenance/repair.

Ah ok.
The only "performance" o2 sensor would be a wideband sensor. But umm, those are a little pricey.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

I think you and Bean are basically on the same page. Sounded to me like he was saying that there's no such thing as a performance O2 sensor, therefore no need to change them except for maintenance/repair.

Exactly...

Ah ok.
The only "performance" o2 sensor would be a wideband sensor. But umm, those are a little pricey.

Just installing a wideband won't do anything for you though... If the stock one works fine you can't do anything better...

 

[5speedin2.3]

Just installing a wideband won't do anything for you though... If the stock one works fine you can't do anything better...

Yeah. I was just saying, that would be the only "performance" sensor.

 

[rurouni20xx]

Yeah. I was just saying, that would be the only "performance" sensor.

wide bands are more of a tool than an upgrade, when on the dyno or going down the road they are a good way of chking the a/f ratio yourself, if its rich or lean while driving you can spot potential probs, hence the reason ill be installing one as soon as i can afford it to accompany my handy dandy vacuum gage.

 

[5speedin2.3]

wide bands are more of a tool than an upgrade, when on the dyno or going down the road they are a good way of chking the a/f ratio yourself, if its rich or lean while driving you can spot potential probs, hence the reason ill be installing one as soon as i can afford it to accompany my handy dandy vacuum gage.

I know.

 

[Rifleman]

Three pages of rants and raves on whether or not to polish a turd...

 

[5speedin2.3]

Three pages of rants and raves on whether or not to polish a turd...

When you can pull off ~30mpg with 32's and a solid axle you can all you want.