Just got a turbo, now what do I do?

[Funnyman141]

Hello all, I just picked up a complete intercooled 2.3 Turbo with a complete wiring harness (headlight to taillight) and a PK1 computer for $250, the sad thing is I went up there to get a head for my 2.3L, lol. Anyway I was wondering if their is anything special to check on the motor or wiring harness. I was also wondering what model of MCU am I running, all I know from phone google is that its from a mustang SVO, it also said the MCU is for an automatic trans. Now for the big question, is it easier to modify the existing ranger harness or to rip it out and put in the mustang/merkur/T-bird harness?

thanks for looking and possibly replying!

P.S. What would you have to do to get it to play nice with a TK-5 trans? since the clutches are different?

 

[scotts90ranger]

it's easiest to add the parts from the turbo harness to the ranger harness, it turns out cleaner too.

the ranger clutch bolts to the flywheel on the turbo engine, the TK isn't the strongest of the ranger trannies but if treated decently it'll live fine.

that's a way better deal on the engine than I got since you got the good exhaust manifold, big VAM and such for a little under 1/2 of what I paid...

 

[Insanejughead]

Yeah dude, WHAT A DEAL!


You're going to have a hell of a fun time getting all that together. I'm jealous, but I've done it twice already.

Pics of progress and be sure to ask questions!

 

[Funnyman141]

Here are some pics of the turbo motor

left side

rear

right side

a crappy pic of the turbo

which power steering pump is this?

Throttle Body

is this the VAM?

a broken sensor

the PK1

the intercooler

I thought the intercooler was air to air?

Wiring harness

Ok I noticed that the turbo has oil and water lines hooked to it I was wondering where to look to identify the turbo. Also could my 2.3L flywheel be used on the turbo motor?
Where would I look to find the vin on the block or head?

 

[scotts90ranger]

all 2.3 flywheels are the same, so yes, yours will work. That's a standard ford power steering pump, just has a different reservoir than normal, that broken fitting on the side is the only thing holding the reservoir on, swap your line on and mount the reservoir somewhere or swap your reservoir on the pump there...

being an '87 or '88 it's an IHI turbo, a little smaller than the Garrett T3/T4 used on the '85/86 engines but works just fine assuming it's in good shape.

 

[Funnyman141]

Ok, awesome , then what about the two nipples on the intercooler? Darn I thought I would get away with no power steering whine lol. Where would the casting numbers be on the head/block, and finally where can I get an egr block off plate? the egr on my n/a 2.3 has given me enough problems I just unplugged it.

and thanks for answering my never ending questions.

 

[Insanejughead]

The nipples on the intercooler can either be run to a gauge, or you can just plug them and not worry about them. One of them originally went to the boost control solenoid.

The block will not have a VIN stamped anywhere on it.

That broken sensor is the knock sensor. You can do without it, if you choose not to get a new one.

Oh, and that weird shaped piece is the VAM. You don't need the charcoal canister either, so plug the hole from the rubber elbow going from the air cleaner to the VAM and you'll be fine.



It's good that you're asking questions. Otherwise you don't learn.

 

[Funnyman141]

Ok could I go without the boost control solenoid? One if the nipples on the intercooler would be where the boost gauge plugs into, right?

 

[Insanejughead]

Yep. You can drop the boost control solenoid.


Most people will ditch that and go with an adjustable boost control valve... I suggest reading up on the dynamics of boost power. You'll soon learn ALOT more than you might've thought.

 

[Funnyman141]

I've been reading up over at turboford.org and here and I'm itching to tear into the motor to check everything out.
Can't wait till I get a cherry picker, and how would you measure shaft play in the turbo?

 

[scotts90ranger]

just push the shaft front to back, you don't want to force it or anything, if it just barely moves (say .005" to .010") it's fine, if there's much more play you might want to look into things...

 

[Insanejughead]

I'm super glad to hear that you're very interested to learn this stuff.

 

[Funnyman141]

Well do to having a couple friends over the motor now sits in the garage and I've started tearing into it.

the egr is off
HOLY CARBON BUILD UP BATMAN!

yea not far, but its coming apart!

 

[Funnyman141]

Well I finally got the head off of the turbo motor and I found out that the 3rd cylinder piston is melted
but with pics

melted spot

close up

1st two cylinders

marks in the piston and head along with a small crack and the melted part of the piston

cylinder wall is kinda marked up

so far from the looks of it the injector cap fell off and got chewed up in the cylinder.

so far I got to hone the cylinders get the correct over sized pistons and rings for the bore then check the crank bearings. Also the person who had it before bored it out but put normal pistons back in I mean you can see the rings just by looking down the cylinder!


Anybody know where to get decent turbo pistons?

 

[Insanejughead]

Umm..... Don't JB weld that. It won't work.


Hahaha, I had the same thing to my piston #1, except I didn't have anything fall into the cylinder like you did. Mine was melted because coolant got into the cylinder and superheated the combustion chamber. I still have the piston too.