2.3L ('83-'97) Simple performance upgrades

[RangerinVA]

Good evening. Working on an '88 XLT 4x4 with a 2.3L. Truck's been sitting for almost 10 years. Going through all the usual refresh routines (fuel system complete replace, new exhaust, some electrical updates, of course new fluids, etc.). I'd like to take the opportunity to do some mild upgrades to kick 15 to 20 HP into this setup. I'm opening up the exhaust (no longer has to be emissions compliant), so hoping that will gain some power. Will likely setup a cold intake box with a K&N filter. Any other suggestions? I'm a fairly competent amateur hobby mechanic with access to a very well equipped shop. Thanks in advance. Great site!

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'll be the first to welcome you to TRS...

The cold air intake seems to be a touchy subject here and I don't have a dog in this fight... so I will stay out of it.

For the others that do... lets keep this subject civil.

 

[RangerinVA]

Not sure why "touchy", it's a common modification for all kinds of vehicles... I'm not easily offended, so let fly...
Thanks for the welcome!
Honestly, just was hoping for some simple ideas from folks who "btdt", you know? I've tons of experience with SBF's and BBF's, but very little with the Limas...

 

[RangerinVA]

I was just excited to acquire this rig because it seems the 4x4 and 4 cyl combo is not all that common in Rangers, from what I've seen... never really understood that, because it was very popular for our friends from Nippon...

 

[sgtsandman]

It's more of an opinion debate as to how good they really are or not.

If you open things up from intake to exhaust tip, you will gain some horsepower. I can't say how much with your engine. You may need to do some head work realize the most gain but I'm not an expert on this.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The air filter housing is basically the same from the 2.3L through 4.0L, definitely the same between 2.3L and 2.9L since I'm running a 2.9L filter box lid on my 2.3L turbo... the air intake system isn't really known to be restrictive on the 2.3L's, the only one that has been said to be restrictive is the air muffler on the mid 90's (which reminds me, I should take the baffle out of my '97...).

The real bottle neck is the intake ports and transition between intake manifold and head. With the gaskets that are out there for that head/intake port setup I don't think you can do a "gasket match" job, but it wouldn't hurt anything to spend some time there.

Unfortunately there's not much in the way of easy horsepower on these things... the exhaust manifold already flows as good as a header, air filter is already fed by a cold source with a big enough filter, the main restrictive things are the intake ports in the head. Aside from bigger injectors, a tune (which isn't common anymore unless you go megasquirt or something) and a cam or a turbo but that adds more complications...

 

[Dirtman]

Engines is goes vroom.

 

[scotts90ranger]

sometimes even vroom vroom boom . My best running 2.3L turbo died at around 5000rpm WOT crossing an intersection, the current one just isn't the same... Once I get my shop up and going I'll put together another one, already have a spare ~'88 block, this time I'll actually buy parts not just put together the best of what I have on hand... that is unless I blow this one up...

 

[Grumpaw]

Let's be nice with this thread and not scare the lad off. Remember what happened with the last thread about cold air intakes.....
name calling, threats of erratic pooping, and general mayhem.
Lets play nice...
Grumpaw

 

[19Walt93]

Horsepower is like good work- it isn't cheap. If you decide on a K&N filter it will need to be cleaned and re-oiled periodically, if it gets dried out it loses its filtering ability and stuff gets through. If you oil it too heavily it will kill the MAF sensor- if an 88 is mass air, I don't remember. You should replace the timing belt after it sat for so long. If you want to tear the engine down you can gain some power by planing the head to boost compression but it's a good idea to check valve clearance to get an idea how much you can get away with. The 2.3 was not an interference engine- meaning the valves won't hit the pistons if the timing belt breaks- it may become one after the head is planed. Lower gears( higher numerical) will help a lot but that also isn't cheap, taller tires will hurt power. A Turbo Coupe engine is a straight forward swap, also not cheap.

 

[RangerinVA]

Yep, already have all belts set to replace.
Getting rid of the A/C, so that will decrease some drag. Also looking at electric fan with thermostatic control.
Good advice on the K&N filter, been using them for years.
In my experience with V8's, a lot of little detail work can add up to helpful gains.
Not planning on digging into the head or block (yet). I've got another 2.3L in the shop out of a '92 Ranger, and one sitting in an '83 Mustang, so if I decide to play I'll likely pick on those... would love to find a turbo setup to fool with, keeping my eyes open.
Just so you know who your talking to, was running Cobra Jet Torino in the mid 80's...
Don't worry, I'm an old dog, don't scare easy...

 

[scotts90ranger]

If you do get brave and want to play the turbo game, the blocks aren't anything special no matter what you read (ok, some of them might be, but not a big deal for the average joe), the only difference is the tapped hole in the passenger side for the oil drain back from the turbo which really only matters if you use the stock turbo manifold and drainback tube... The only special internal parts are the pistons that are forged 8:1 compression pieces instead of cast 9.2:1 I believe. Pistons are expensive, the cheapest set a few years ago when I was looking into it for forged was around $500...

The dual plug head is said to flow a little better but it has a different intake manifold pattern (I think the Lima's had 3 or 4 all together, exhaust never changed) that won't let you run a distributor, I'm not a distributor guy myself, I like the DIS setup, it can be added to older fuel injection systems like yours, I'm running DIS with only passenger side plugs on a '85 turbocoupe ECM...

In I think it was '88 the main journals in the block got smaller which is said to reduce friction some.

 

[RangerinVA]

I'd like to hear more about how you accomplished that setup, sounds interesting.

 

[19Walt93]

If you're interested and if it happens as scheduled, there's a guy who calls himself Turbo Andy selling turbo coupe parts at the Carlisle Ford Nationals every year in the swap meet. He's an encyclopedia when it comes to those cars.

 

[RangerinVA]

I think I remember seeing that guy. I usually make it to Carlisle at least once every two years or better. If they have it, likely won't make it this year.