Swapping a 4.0 to a 2.3 carbed

[holyford86]

not to mention it's going to be a dog with the 2.3 in there. Chances are that 4.0 powered truck came with 3.27 or 3.55 gears. ALL 2.3 4x4 trucks had 4.10 gears, you're going to need a wiring harness, and trans as well. You would be further ahead just swapping in a good 4.0 for a few hundred.

 

[merace19]

I know what the 2.3 can do and all I really wanted to know was if the bolt pattern on the trans is the same for 2.3 to 4.0.

 

[heptofite]

no, the 2.3 and 2.0 are the only two engines that share that bell pattern.

and you may know the 2.3 like the back of your hand, but no matter how much you "build" it, it's not going to hold a candle to the 4.0, what you're doing is an exercise in mechanical masturbation.

 

[merace19]

I kinda figured that trans would not work. It would be too easy then.. And it had nothing to do with just trying to be different. Just trying to do with what I had lying around.



Well the motor has about 3000 bucks worth of goodies on it( elsinger aluminum head, 5.7 Manley rods, 2.5 crank knife edged, race pulleys, header, race oil pan, ARP studs, race prepped Holley 4412. The class I was racing closed up here so I got no place to run unless I drag it 120 miles.

 

[heptofite]

that's an asinine amount of money to put into an engine based on 40 year old designs.

you could have a wickedly built 4.0 for that kind of money.

 

[merace19]

Well The class I ran in would not allow any other engine. That is cheap, compared to my last engine. Lets just say it will haul ass though and turn 9k rpm and never stumble. What would it cost to build a 4.0 to do that and Never break down for a whole season?

 

[Will]

If the 2.3 isn't turbocharged then the 4.0 is going to give it a beating below 5,000rpm.

Here is a 2.4 VVT Ecotec which s a serious piece of 4-banger hardware without a turbo--these are SAE installed ratings--if your 2-valve, pushrod motor is carved out and cammed to run 9,000rpm it would have a hard time sucking a ladybug into the intake at anywhere a pushrod 4.0 can spin at--there's too much port area for the air with that small of displacement and low rpms.

This is the simple and unsophisticated pushrod 4.0--it's just so big that it can't help making torque--there's 200ft# right off of idle. Not much power there, but these are great for doing things a field truck needs to do. It's the exact opposite of your race 2.3--small valves and ports, lots of displacement, lots of low-rpm airspeed. It's a truck motor and was never put in anything but a truck.

 

[merace19]

Yeah the 2.3 will not idle lower than 2500rpm.. So very little torque.

I was just trying to be cheap, but with out a way to reuse the trans that is already in there I would be just spinning my wheels with the 2.3 cause I got the price for the trans today(they was closed yesterday) 650 bucks for a 128k mile trans and transfer case.

My mantra of keep it light and spin it tight will have to be put on hold for now..