I need a junkyeard shopping list...

[McCormack090305]

I finally got my exhaust fabbed up. I went with 2.25" tubing from the manifold back, deleting the cat, and running a Magnaflow muffler. Sounds really good now, but it's still a turd.

My next project will be getting into the cylinder head. I had originally planned on porting the one that's on there, but I've read about being able to use the head and cam from a 91 2.3l Mustang, and that got me thinking, "Why don't you just get a mustang head and port it, that way you get your upgrade with practically no downtime?"

I can't really find much good info on the actual parts list and what exactly is involved in the swap. Has anyone done it, or does anyone have a link to some more info or something? I'd like to just get a definitive list to take with me to the junkyard and just buy everything right then and there if I could. I'm hoping it will just be as easy as going there and buying a complete head/camshaft assembly and being done with it.

 

[McCormack090305]

I should probably add that it's going on a 95 2.3l Ranger XLT

 

[Gotta_gofast]

I ported a 2.3L turbo coupe head for a friend's turbo ranger and I ended up investing 50 hours into it. There is a lot of shit casting that needs to be worked out before you can blend the bowl and shape the short turn radius. There was WAY too much material around the valve guide and the intake runners were shaped like crap from factory. All in all he dynoed 65 more horsepower at the same boost level when done. This included a slight oversized intake valve and stock size exhaust valve (because this is a turbo motor not an NA or supercharged motor) with a 5 angle valve job. I really wanted to test flow numbers but T&B was backed up and my friend was itching to get his motor running.

In short, there is a lot of material that can be worked (strategically) to make considerable difference on a turbo motor. While the intake ports can be laid out similarly, the exhaust port would have been shaped differently seeing we want to scavenge the exhaust out instead of creating high pressure/velocity to spool the turbo. So in theory, it should make for a stout flowing head on an NA motor. The issue I see is will your engine USE that flow? If it cannot draw enough air in (or push out) you will not get the velocity needed to compress or scavenge the gases. You might be better off cleaning up the casting flaws and running a header and mid-range camshaft. Or, invest in a turbo motor!

 

[scotts90ranger]

all dual plug heads are very similar, mustang 2.3's have the same cam and such as Ranger 2.3's...

 

[4b316]

Mustangs only had the roller cam after,I believe,91 and I i,m pretty sure 93 was the last year for the 2.3 in a third generation mustang.Your 95 takes the new style 2.3 head with the smaller valves and springs,narrower cam lobes.The accessory holes on the -95 heads were all different than your 95+ head.You need to use a 95+ head for all your stuff to be a bolt on deal.You can relocate your coil pack bracket or just use the bolts that are on your block to support and drill new holes in the bracket for the head mounting bolts.Maybe I missed something and this is a bolt on deal but I don't think so,Scott?

 

[scotts90ranger]

You've been more 2.3's than me... I trust what you think . I was thinking he had the different cam and head but don't know much about that generation of parts

 

[McCormack090305]

I was looking around last night and found this page...

http://www.hotrodhigh.ca/2300Cams.html

If I'm reading right, by using my 95 rocker arms with an 89-94 Ranger cam, I'm upping my lift from .402" to .443".

This is all theoretical, and I'm basing everything on sh*t I find on the internet, so I could be way off here. I'm thinking I should just get a 95 head and an 89-94 cam.

When I port the head, I was only going to basically remove casting imperfections and open it up a little bit, I'm just going for a mild street port, nothing outrageous. I'll probably polish the exhaust ports and combustion chambers just for good measure, but I'm not going to get too caught up with flow numbers and all that, I just want it to breath a little better. I was considering maybe decking the head a few thousandths if I have enough piston to valve clearance to get away with it.

 

[scotts90ranger]

hmm, that's interesting! I'll have to go to the junk yard and grab a set of rocker arms in the spring when the yard is open longer...

 

[4b316]

I have a head off the 2.5 upstairs in the garage and a 94 cam somewheres,I'll check that also.I checked Hotrod high,he said that he has never tried it,just on paper.It should be a bolt in deal if it works,but to go the other way,you would have to open up the slot for the valve

 

[Rose2300]

i might add that it was around 93-95 when the 2.3l's came stock with tube headers and a roller cam.

 

[scotts90ranger]

roller cam started in '89 with the DIS, but you're right about the header

 

[Rose2300]