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Updated 2.0, 2.3, and 2.5 Engine family.


Kenneth S

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
527
Reaction score
7
Points
18
Location
San Antonio, Tx
Vehicle Year
1986
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.3
Transmission
Manual
This thread contains information from Jspafford, Yakk, 510ranger, pacodiablo, TBRONK, scotts90ranger, pitsrule, (myself, Kenneth S), and other sources from the internet. (I hope that Jspafford, and the others are ok with me combining all this information, and adding additional information).

Ford’s 2.0/2.3/2.5 litre "Lima" engine family

These motors are commonly referred to as either the Lima or simply the 2.3 SOHC (Single Over Head Cam) engines. They started life based on the German designed 2.0 EAO Sport motors that were first introduced to this country in the Mercury Capri’s from the early 70’s. They share nothing with the 2.3-2.5 litre HSC motors that were offered in the passenger car line from ’84-’91. Initially the 2.3 was supposed to be designed so that the 1971-73 Pinto 2.0 EAO parts would interchange, but due to different manufacturing processes it was not feasable) according to Ford. The 2.3 first debuted in the 1974 Pinto using a progressive 2Bbl Webber/Holley carb and a points distributor. In ’75 they were upgraded to a Duraspark ignition system. They remained unchanged until about ’81 when the intake ports were changed from an oval to a D shape (flat floor). The 2.0/2.3 litre versions that were offered in Rangers starting in ’83 used a different head having four evenly spaced round holes of equal size. A 2.0 litre 1-bbl carbed version was offered in Rangers from ’83-’85, and in ’87-’88 with a 2-bbl in some parts of the US, Canada and Mexico. EFI was added to the engines in ’85. In 89 Rangers (91 in Mustangs) the 2.3 was changed to a DIS (Distributorless Ignition System) ignition utilizing a new 8-plug head. This head had larger evenly spaced D-shaped intake ports and was used until the end of production of the 2.5 in ‘01. The 2.5 litre version was only offered from ‘98 To ’01, when the engine was replaced by a 2.3 litre DOHC Duratec based engine.

In ’79-‘81 a high compression drawthru carb’ed turbo version of the 2.3 was offered. In ’83-‘88 a lower compression EFI turbo version was offered in T-birds, Cougars, Mustang SVOs and Merkur XR4Ti’s (through ’89).

Some of the changes to the motor over the years were:
Rear main seal changed from a two piece to a one piece design in ’86.
Roller cams were installed from ’88 on in Rangers and ’91 on in Mustangs.
Crankshaft main journal sizes were reduced starting in ’88.
CPS (Cam Position Sensor) was added starting in ’95 (’94 in California). At this time Ford changed to a 104-pin computer (it was a 60-pin) and moved the DIS functions into the computer, previously the DIS system had a TFI module as a separate unit mounted on the front of the intake manifold.

Major engine specs are
.......................................2.0........ .2.3 Early....2.3 Late.....2.5
Bore...............................3.520........3. 780.........3.780......3.780
Stroke............................3.126........3.1 26.........3.126......3.401
Bore Spacing...................4.173........4.173...... ...4.173......4.173
Main Journal Dia..............2.3986......2.3986.......2.2055.. ....2.2055
Rod Journal Dia...............2.0468......2.0468.......2.0468. ....2.0468
Con. Rod Length..............5.2047......5.2047.......5.204 7.....5.457
Crank Center to deck.......8.368........8.368.........8.368......8 .368
Piston pin height...............1.583........1.583.........1. 583.....1.2105

Differences between major engine parts are as follows:
Blocks-
2.0 is an underbored 2.3, with the exception of the bore the blocks are identical to all 2.3’s (note the ranger 2.0 block can not be bored out to accept a 2.3 pistons).
’75-’88 2.3’s are interchangeable.
’89-’94 same as ’83-’88 2.3’s but have a smaller main journal saddle, the oil pan seal
surface was changed in ‘87 to eliminate the 4 piece seal and holes were added in the front to bolt on the DIS’s crank trigger assembly.
’95-‘01 similar to the ’89-‘95’s but a Cam Position Sensor was added behind the aux sprocket, the hole for the distributor was eliminated and the oil pump was moved in place of the aux. shaft itself.
Turbo blocks are identical to the ’83-’88 Ranger blocks but have an additional boss w/ a hole threaded in the pass. side about ½ way back that provides a place to drain the lubricating oil back into the engine from the turbo.

Cranks-
2.0 and early 2.3 Lima cranks are identical.
Late 2.3 Lima cranks have smaller main journals.
2.5 Lima cranks are identical to 2.3 Lima except they have a longer stroke.
Rods-
2.0 and 2.3 (including turbo) rods are identical up through at least ’94. In fact they still have the original D4 (’74) casting number on them.
Pistons-
The 2.0 pistons are unique and don’t interchange.
The 2.3 pistons are all the same excluding the turbo versions, which were forged. Low compression (8.0-1) in the ’83-‘88’s and high compression (9.0-1) in the ’79-‘81’s.
The 2.5 pistons are similar to the 2.3’s but have a different wrist pin height.

Heads-
All 2.0/2.3/2.5 heads will physically bolt in place of each other, they all have similar exhaust port shape and placement. All cams are interchangeable as long as they are used with the proper followers. Later model ('95 and newer) roller cam followers cannot be easily swapped onto an older head as the valve stem size was reduced in the newer heads and matching slot in the follower was reduced, the 83-88 2.0 carburated Ranger engine and 2.3 carburated Ranger engines have the same small round intake ports spaced evenly apart, they differ from each other in their valve sizes though.

There are several variations on the 2.3 heads though they break down into 4 distinct types:
1. Passenger car oval port heads-’74-’80 Mustang, Pinto, Fairmont, Bobcat, etc.
2. Passenger carD-port head-1981-’90 T-bird, Mustang, Etc.
3. Truck round port- ’83-’88 carburated Ranger
4. Dual plug D-port- 1989-’01 Ranger. The '89-'94's and '95-'01's have different combustion chambers and ports.

The following parts and information I gleaned from the Federal Mogul’s website while I was searching for other parts. The part numbers are theirs and are Sealed Power numbers except those in parenthesis are: FP = Fel-Pro, FM = Federal Mogul

Cylinder head

Part....................................Years covered..............PN

Head Bolts.................................83-01...................ES72137 (FP)
(stretch to yield)

Exhaust Valve............................83-94...................V3943
1.500” head, .3414” stem dia, 4.792” OAL

Intake Valve..............................83-94...................V2170
1.735” head, .3419” stem dia, 4.787” OAL

Exhaust Valve............................95-01...................V4553
1.500” head, .2740” stem dia, 4.8070” OAL

Intake Valve..............................95-01...................V4488
1.735” head, .2750” stem dia, 4.787” OAL

Valve Guide...............................83-94...................VG1372
.3440 ID, 2.1880” OAL-spiral reamed & flg

Valve Guide...............................95-97...................VG1389T
Threaded, .2765” ID, 1.9300” OAL

Valve Spring...............................83-94..................VS1459
1.9800” free height w/ damper

Valve Spring...............................95-01..................VS1647
2.0197” free height

Valve Keeper/Lock......................83-94...................VK205

Valve Keeper/Lock......................83-94...................VK205R
Hard

Valve Keeper/Lock......................95-01...................VK287

Valve Spring Insert (shims)..........83-94...................259-102A or B or C
A=.060” B=.030” C=.015”


Engine

Part......................................Years covered................PN

Connecting Rods.........................74-97.......................R25BJ (FM)
Forging #D42E-AA

Pistons......(2.3).........................77-91........................H435P
2-2.00mm/1-4.76mm rings, Comp Dist:1.578”. Pin Dia: .9122”
8.7:1 Comp Ratio, Flat Head- w/2 Valve Reliefs

Pistons......(2.3).........................83-94.........................H537P
2-1.5mm/1-4.00mm rings, Comp Dist: 1.575”, Pin Dia: .9122”
Flat Head- w/2 Valve Reliefs

Pistons......(2.3)..........................82-89........................495P
2-1.5mm/1-4.00mm rings, Comp Dist: 1.578”, Pin Dia: .9122”
8.7:1 Comp Ratio, Flat Head- w/2 Valve Reliefs

Pistons.(2.3??)............................95-97........................H676P
2-1.5mm/1-3.00mm rings, Comp Dist: 1.335”, Pin Dia: .9122”
Flat Head- w/2 Valve Reliefs

Oil Pump (4/8/85 and older).........80-85........................224-41160
Not For Use w/ Cast Aluminium Oil Pan

Oil Pump High Volume.................80-85........................224-41160V
Not For Use w/ Cast Aluminium Oil Pan

Oil Pump (4/9/85 and newer).......86-94........................224-41127

Oil Pump Shaft...........................80-94.........................224-61160

Oil pump screen.........................77-85.........................224-12160

Oil pump screen.........................86-94.........................224-13160


Misc. bits of info and part numbers...

O2 sensor threads are 18x1.5 m/m

Head bolt holes are threaded 12x1.75m/m

Shank diameter for older head bolts is .465"
Shank diameter on the newer torque to yield head bolts is .425"
(In case anybody was wondering)

Core (freeze) plugs
Cyl head and the block pass. side are 1.500" (NAPA pn 219-3133)
Cyl block rear is 2.060"


180* thermostat is Stant PN 13828.

'89-'94 Ranger Roller cam .215" lift at lobe. Lobe is .675 wide
Follower's roller diameter is .900"

'95-'01 Ranger Roller cam .215" lift at lobe. Lobe is .510 wide
Follower's roller diameter is .900"

Turbo stuff

head gaskets
Medium duty (0-17psi)- FMS #M-6051-A231 (disconitnued )
Severe duty (0-27psi)- Fel-pro #1035
Ridiculous duty(0-35psi)- ? (temporarily lost the part number)


Recommended Valve Seals (Good for N/A too)
Intake- E7ZZ-6571-A
Exhaust- E7ZZ-6571-B

Small VAM's openings measure 2.75" OD
Large VAM's openings measure 3.15" OD


Engine and component weights, all are +/- a pound or so. (bathroom scale)

Bare 2.3 large journal crank-----33#

Bare 2.5 crank---------------------40#

Bare 2.3 turbo block (w/ caps)--105#

Set of 4 2.5 pistons and rods-----10#

Cam and roller followers----------5#

Manual tranny flywheel-----------18#

Auto tranny flexplate---------------3#

Short block (w/ pan, flywheel, water pump + dist)-212#

Head (w/ manifolds but no cam and followers)-85#

Bare head---------------------------54#

Steel rocker cover-----------------2.7#

Turbo (Garrett T03)----------------25#

2.5 piston w/ rings, wristpin and small rod end-1.56#

2.5 large rod end w/o bearing shells--------------.9375#

2.3 N/A piston w/ wristpin and small rod end---1.9375#

2.3 large rod end w/ bearing shells---------------1.1688#

2.3 N/A standard bore piston------------------------1.15#

2.3 N/A wrist pin--------------------------------------.32#

2.3 N/A rod-------------------------------------------1.40#

2.3 large journal bearing shells----------------------.09#/pr


Advertised horsepower and torque ratings.

Passenger car (Pinto, Mustang, etc.)

Year..........Hp.............torque
'74........102@5200....122@3200
'75........83@4800......109@2800
'76-'77...92@5000......121@3000
'78-'80...88@4800......118@2800
'80-'89...88@4200......122@2600
'84-'86..145@3800.....180@3600...EFI turbo
'86-'89..175@5000.....200@3000...EFI turbo (Merkur)
'90-'91...88@4000......132@2600
'91-'94..105@4600.....135@2600

Posted by Yakk:
Here's what the Chilton Ranger BII book (1983-1990) says in regards to RBV

Engine/Year
2.0L ...............HP..............TQ(LB-FT)......CR..
'83-'86........73@ 4000........107@ 2400.....9.0:1
'87-'88........80@ 4200........106@ 2600.....9.0:1

2.3L ...............HP..............TQ(LB-FT)......CR..
'83-'85........79@ 3800........124@ 2200.....9.0:1 Manual Trans
'83-'85........82@ 4200........126@ 2200.....9.0:1 Auto Trans
'86-'88........90@ 4000........134@ 2000.....9.0:1
'89-'90.......100@ 4600........133@ 2600.....9.2:1

Posted by 510ranger:
lets see...-looks in chiltons guide for 91-99 rangers / explorers / mountaineers-

2.3L.......HP................Torque

1991......100 @ 4600.....133 @ 2600
1992......100 @ 4600.....133 @ 2600
1993......100 @ 4600.....133 @ 2600
1994......100 @ 4600.....133 @ 2600
1995......100 @ 4600.....133 @ 2600
1996......112 @ 4800.....135 @ 2400
1997......112 @ 4800.....135 @ 2400

2.5L
1998......117 @ 4500.....149 @ 2500
1999......117 @ 4500.....149 @ 2500

so yes, it changed in 1996, they upped the CR from 9.2 to 9.4:1
In '96 they also changed to a redesigned head with lighter (smaller stem) valves, valve springs and retainers. And reduced the size of the combustion chamber.


Added by pacodiablo:

2000 - 2001 2.5L
119 HP at 5000 RPM, and 146 ft. lbs. TQ at 3000 RPM.


Wiring pin-outs for:
(thanks to TBRONK for sending these)

87-88 THUNDERBIRD TURBO COUPE PINOUT

# COLOR FUNCTION
01 Y (KAPWR) KEEP ALIVE POWER
02 LG (BOO) BRAKE ON / OFF
03 DG/W VSS DIF (+)
04 DG/Y (IDM) IGNITION DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR
05 - NOT USED
06 O/Y (VSS-DIF) CRUISE CONTROL (-)
07 LG/Y (ECT) ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
08 - NOT USED
09 - NOT USED
10 BK/Y (ACC) A/C CLUTCH
11 - NOT USED
12 - NOT USED
13 - NOT USED
14 - NOT USED
15 - NOT USED
16 BK/LG (IGN GND) IGNITION GROUND TFI IGNITION MODULE, DISTRIBUTOR
17 Y/BK (STO/MIL) SELF TEST OUTPUT
18 - NOT USED
19 - NOT USED
20 BK/LG (CSE GND) CASE GROUND
21 O/BK (ISC) IDLE SPEED CONTROL
22 T/LG (FP) FUEL PUMP CONTROL
23 Y/R (KS) KNOCK SENSOR
24 R/Y (OCT ADJ) OCTANE SWITCH
25 P/BK (ACT) AIR CHARGE TEMP
26 O/W (VREF) VOLTAGE REFERENCE
27 W/BK (VAF) VANE AIR FLOW
28 - NOT USED
29 DG/P (HEGO) EXHAUST GAS OXYGEN SENSOR
30 BR/W (NDS/NI) NEUTRAL DRIVE SWITCH (AUTO) / NEUTRAL INPUT (MANUAL)
31 BK/PK (BOOST) BOOST CONTROL
32 - NOT USED
33 Y (EGR S/O) EGR SHUTOFF
34 LB/P (DOL) DATA OUTPUT LINK, USED FOR TRIP/MPG
35 O/W (ACL) PROGRAMMED RIDE CONTROL
36 Y/LG (SPOUT) SPARK OUTPUT TFI IGNITION MODULE, DISTRIBUTOR
37 R (V PWR) VEHICLE POWER
38 - NOT USED
39 - NOT USED
40 BL/LG (CASE GND) BATTERY GROUND
41 - NOT USED
42 Y/LB (KDS) KICK DOWN SOLENOID
43 LG/P (VAT) VANE AIR TEMPERATURE
44 - NOT USED
45 LB/BK (BP) BAROMETRIC PRESSURE
46 BK/W (SIG RET) SIGNAL RETURN
47 DG/LG (TP) THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR
48 W/R (STI) SELF TEST INPUT
49 O (HEGO GND) HEGO GROUND
50 - NOT USED
51 - NOT USED
52 PK (HEDF) HIGH-ELECTRO DRIVE FAN
53 DB/Y (LUS) LOCKING UPSHIFT SOLENOID
54 R (WAC) WOT A/C CUTOFF
55 T/O (EDF) ELECTRO DRIVE FAN
56 DB (PIP) TFI IGNITION MODULE, DISTRIBUTOR
57 R (VPWR) VEHICLE POWER
58 T (INJ A) INJECTOR BANK 1
59 BN/Y (INJ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) INJECTOR BANK 2
60 BK/LG (PWR GND) BATTERY GROUND


92-94 FORD RANGER 2.3 PINOUT

# COLOR FUNCTION
01 Y (B+) KEEP ALIVE POWER INPUT
02 LG (BOO) BRAKE ON/OFF INPUT
03 GY/BK (VSS) VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR INPUT
04 T/Y IGNITION MONITOR
05 GY (CKP) CRANK POSITION SENSOR SIGNAL INPUT
06 PK/O (VSS) VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR GROUND
07 LG/R (ECT) ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR
08 DG/Y FUEL PUMP MONITOR
09 PK/LB DATA (-)
10 DG/O A/C CYCLE PRESSURE SWITCH INPUT
11 - NOT USED
12 - NOT USED
13 - NOT USED
14 LB/R (MAF) MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR
15 T/LB (MAF) MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR RETURN
16 O/R IGNITION GROUND
17 PK/LG (MIL) DATA LINK OUTPUT / MALFUNCTION IDICATOR LAMP
18 - NOT USED
19 - NOT USED
20 BK/LG GROUND
21 W/LB (IAC) IDLE AIR CONTROL OUTPUT
22 LB/O FUEL PUMP ENABLE OUTPUT
23 - NOT USED
24 Y/LG (PSP) POWER STEERING SWITCH INPUT
25 GY (IAT) INTAKE AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR INPUT
26 BR/W REFERENCE VOLTAGE OUTPUT
27 BR/LG (EVP) EGR VALVE POSITION SENSOR INPUT (MANUAL ONLY)
28 T/O DATA (+)
29 GY/LB HEATED OXYGEN SENSOR INPUT
30 LB/Y PARK / NEUTRAL POSITION SWITCH INPUT
31 - NOT USED
32 DB/Y (DPI) DUAL PLUG INIBIT OUTPUT
33 BR/PK (EVR) EGR VACUUM REGULATOR OUTPUT
34 - NOT USED
35 - NOT USED
36 PK (SPOUT) SPARK OUT OUTPUT
37 R POWER INPUT
38 - NOT USED
39 - NOT USED
40 BK/W GROUND
41 - NOT USED
42 - NOT USED
43 P A/C SELECTOR INPUT
44 DG OCTANE ADJUST SIGNAL
45 - NOT USED
46 GY/R SENSOR SIGNAL RETURN
47 GY/W (TP) THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR INPUT
48 W/P DATA LINK INPUT
49 GY/R SENSOR SIGNAL RETURN
50 - NOT USED
51 - NOT USED
52 O/Y A4LD TRANSMISSION SOLENOID
53 P/Y (TCC) TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID
54 PK/Y WOT CUTOUT RELAY
55 - NOT USED
56 GY/O IGNITION MODULE RPM INPUT
57 R POWER INPUT
58 T INJECTOR 1,4 OUTPUT
59 W INJECTOR 2,3 OUTPUT
60 BK/W GROUND


Cylinder Head Flow Numbers provided by Bo at Boport Racing Heads,
D=d-port / T-D= turbo d-port / L-dual= 97-01 dual plug /
E-dual= 88-96 dual plug / Ess-D= Esslinger ported d-port/
inches D T-D Oval Round L-dual E-dual Ess-D ARCA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
.050"---27.55--27.8---28.6---31.0---30.0---27.3---28.1-----33.7
.100"---48.9---54.5---55.9---59.0---58.0---54.9---51.4-----61.3
.150"---61.8---75.4---78.9---77.7---86.7---78.3---76.7-----91.6
.200"---75.2--100.6--100.3--101.6--110.7---96.1--105.5----122.0
.250"---88.0--120.7--122.3--122.0--130.3--109.4--132.3----149.8
.300"--101.6--132.3--136.8--135.5--143.3--120.4--156.3----175.8
.350"--116.5--140.1--146.6--142.7--153.1--128.4--177.7----198.5
.400"--131.0--144.0--150.5--145.3--158.9--132.3--190.7----218.6
.450"--144.0--149.2--153.1--145.9--164.1--134.9--199.8----236.1
.500"--151.8--154.4--156.9--149.2--166.8--136.8--205.6----252.3
.550"--158.2--159.5--156.3--150.5--168.8--138.8--210.1----265.9
.600"--163.4--160.8--156.3--151.8--170.2--140.1--214.7----275.0
.650"----------------------------------------------206.9----283.1
.700"----------------------------------------------207.6----290.2


Turbo EFI 2.3 info by: PaceRacer50
I read through a lot of the information here on the 2.3 as I use to race a 1986 Mustang SVO. I can give you guys some info on the factory turbo EFI engines that will help out because some of the info here is not right. (Note: the 97 and 88 Thunderbird turbocoupe is very different and the computer & vein meter will not interchange without some re-wiring. These years of Turbocoupes are not included in the information below except in their own section at the end.)

Introduced in 1983 as 145HP in the Mustang, Capri, Thunderbird and Cougar. Same engine was used in the Mekur XR4TI. This engine combination was used through early 1985 with minor changes but the major components remained the same.
Intake was Inline 4 port style.
Turbo was T3 Super 60 series non-water cooled. Two bolt flanged discharge flange.
This turbo is capable of 350hp when properly tuned engine. Excellent turbo other than non-water cooled. Exhaust side was .63AR ratio for all engines. Boost was limited by the waste gate without computer control at 10psi.
Small outlet exhaust manifold was used which frequently crack. Can be ported for extra power on top end to match the manifold to turbo gasket but its a bitch to do and get down inside good.
Fuel Injection was designed by and components provided by Bosch for Ford. Injectors are not interchangeable with the 5.0 GT Mustang engine but are with the CFI throttle body 5.0 engines for higher HP.
Vein Meter is small diameter but the same for all 1983 to early 1985 vehicles including SVO's. Mekur's used the small vein meter through end of production.

1984 saw the introduction of the SVO with 175HP in the "Premium Fuel" mode, 145HP in "Regular Fuel" mode. (a switch was provided on the console to allow the driver to choose which mode he wanted to use).
SVO had the regular discharge flange round hose type outlet on the turbocharger. Also was not watercooled. Still the same T3 super 60 series turbo. Exhaust was still the .63AR ratio. Boost was computer controlled to 12psi in premium fuel mode and 10psi in regular fuel mode. (these are actual readings I took on my 84 SVO)
Intercooler was fitted along with the needed exhaust manifold "U" bracket and two "V" shaped brackets to support it.
Computer has more aggressive programming for the "Premium Fuel" mode for the 175HP rating. (great upgrade for other 2.3 turbo engines.)
Remainder of engine was EXACTLY the same as the other models. Camshafts, cylinder heads, blocks, cranks ARE the SAME! No special SVO only camshafts or cylinder heads.

1985-1/2 saw major updates across the board for all Turbo equipped Fords.
The intake manifold was changed from the inline 4 port style (more restrictive) to the square 4 port style.
The turbocharger was now water cooled but still the same T3 Super 60 series. This is an excellent turbo for street-strip performance up 350HP. The exhaust side was still the .63AR ratio for 5-speed vehicles and .48AR ratio for automatic equipped vehicles to improve boost response. Note: it has always been written that the 85-1/2 SVO was equipped with the .48AR ratio exhaust but on every one I have owned (7 of them) and all I have worked on (over 100) they all had the .63AR ratio exhaust. The .48AR ratio exhaust limits the top end horsepower by at least 25-30hp. It will choke the exhaust as the RPM gets above 5200rpm. Boost was limited to 12psi in premium fuel mode and 10psi in regular fuel mode.
More aggressive 1984 SVO style computer and programming was used in all vehicles except the SVO. The 1985-1/2 engines are rated at 175HP (boost was 12psi) with the SVO coming in at 205HP (boost was 14psi). The SVO computer to have is coded "PE". This is the best computer to use for performance applications. (the 86 SVO used the same computer but was rated at 200HP with 14psi boost. Believed this drop was due to climate changes during the dyno testing).
The Vein meter in all vehicles except the SVO's was the same. SVO's recieved the larger 3" diameter vein meters. Excellent upgrade for max HP for all vehicles.
The exhaust manifold was changed to a larger port outlet. Referred to as the E6 manifold this is the best to use short of installing a stainless steel header.
All major engine components, camshafts, blocks, cylinder heads, pistons, rods, crankshafts are all the same for all 1983 to 1986 engines.

1986 saw no changed to the TurboCoupe, Mekur or SVO components. Engines were rated at 175HP for all but the SVO which was 200HP.

1987-88 Thunderbird Turbocoupe had major design differences. This engine was rated at 190HP with 5-speed and 175HP with automatic. This was the final evolution of the 2.3 turbo engine from Ford with changes made to offer the best driveability and all around performance with minimal compromises. Excellent engine and 5-speed to use in street rods and engine swaps as a complete system.
The turbocharger was a water cooled IHI small diameter turbo with a reduced exhaust AR ratio. Used for quicker boost response and driveability improvements.
A Intercooler was added with twin scoops in the hood feeding it. This intercooler is larger than the SVO intercooler and a mild upgrade for SVO's. Horsepower add is minimal however.
Computer and Vein meter are different from all previous turbo engines and will not directly interchange without re-wiring the connectors to match. Vein meter is larger diameter for better airflow across the RPM range.
Intake manifold is still the square 4 port design but the upper section is lower in height for a lower profile hood. The valve cover is clearanced for the intake to fit. This intake offers the best upper rpm performance and HP without modifications.
The exhaust manifold is different to match up to the IHI turbocharger.
The other major engine components are the same as previous years.


Cylinder head id.

From top to bottom:
1974-1980 Oval port head
1983-1987 Ranger round port head
1981- 1990 D-port head


Combustion chambers.
Oval port.


Ranger round port (note smaller valves for the Ranger 2.0 engine).


D-port (single plug).



Intake manifolds.
1981-1990 Mustang D-port intake (E1ZE-9425-BA) (note you may have clearance issues with the throttle linkage, and the power brake booster if your truck is equiped with a power brake booster)



The 2.3 OMC D-port boat intake (the carb bolt pattern is for a Rochester 2GC 2 bbl, the intake manifold is cast iron but it works good).


The 2.3 OMC D-port intake in my 88 Ranger with a Holley 350 2 bbl.


A Ranger round port 2 bbl intake (I found this one on a 1987 Ranger 2.0).



Holley 2bbl carburator mods (these mods were made to a Holley 500 cfm 2bbl).

The first modification is to the power valve circuit (this mod really needs to be used on 4 cyl street applications), it is sized for a V8 engine and will everwhelm the 4cyl. The first pic is drilling & tapping the power valve supply hole to a 4-40 thread. Then screw in a brass restrictor drilled to .028" (on a 350 cfm 2bbl .017"). I limit the depth and kinda bugger the threads - you don't want to tap all the way into the main wells (behind the restrictor) and you don't want the thing to fall out either. The 2nd and 3rd pics show the restrictor being threaded in place. The 4th pic show stock power valve circuit and the 4cyl circuit.
Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4


The second modification (more for a racing applications) is to the main wells, most of these carbs are for circle track and when they are at WOT and come up on a corner the driver is on and off the throttle like crazy - he'll do all manner of crazy shit with the throttle and deny every bit of it - so you've got all this fuel flowing like crazy in the main well, the throttle blade slaps shut and the fuel needs to go someplace or it will 'water hammer' in the main well. I drill about a .022 hole at the top of the emulsion channel, the 1st pic shows where I drill it and the 2nd pic is the drilled hole. Note that there is generally a hole in this location and what you want is to enlarge it, this metering block had the hole to the upper left higher up.
Picture 1

Picture 2


The third modification. Now this hole is definately illegal (in certain race classes), but nobody has ever caught it. It is an atmosperic equalizing hole I drill into the accelerator pump circuit, it is on the back side of the antisiphon slug and is vented into the fuel bowl. These little 4cyl at high rpm will create such a pressure differential that the antisphon slug becomes ineffective and you will have a high rpm miss.
The 1st pic is where to drill the hole and the angle shown will bring you out inside the mouth of the accelerator pump circuit; the 2nd & 3rd pic show the drill all the way thru and - don't know if you can see it but the bit is protruding into the pump shot circuit; the 4th pic is what the hole looks like outside, you can just see it but it if you are looking for it and it will be under the vent whistle looking like a little flaw in the casting. Now, that hole is .020, I have made them smaller but the bit just barely makes it thru as it is shorter. the 5th pic is some of my bits, need to have a number of them and have a bit holder for each - you don't want to be handling those bits very much as they disappear!
Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5


The fourth modification (more for racing applications, especially good for off-road racing where there's lots of bumps, and jumps). Now the 4cyl rattles around quite a bit and the antisiphon slug needs a little more attention. I drill the squirter screw and add a spring to keep it seated. The first 3 pics are the fixture I use to drill the squirter screw and the drilling itself, I like to drill about .150 deep to give the spring lots of movement. The spring is about .090 if I recall. I deform the end and shove it up in the (4th pic) and then trim it. the gap between the antisiphon lug and screw is a little over .100 - not much, so i leave the spring long and then when assembling the carb. I add fuel to the fuel pump and cycle it and trim the spring to length, each one is different. The 5th pic is the spring "roughed in".
Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5


The fifth modification (more for racing applications). The boosters need some attention as well, the next pic show a stock unmolested booster along side a more competitive booster. The pics show front and back side of the boosters, note the larger inside diameter of the one booster and the extra step cut into the backside, and if you look really really close you well see holley casting numbers and the proper Holley finish. What I do is knock the old boosters out, and the 3rd pic shows the new booster being installed in the throttle body.
And there you have it. that is one badassed carb, about 600cfm and it'll pull strong thru 8700rpm, after that the engine blocks torque twist so much that it affects the oiling.
Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3



Duraspark conversion.
For using the "Blue" duraspark module.


For using a GM module (don't forget that the GM module needs to bolted to a good heatsink).



Manual transmissions.
The Toyo Kogyo 5 speed (the weakest 5 speed)


The M5OD (the better 5 speed) came in 1988, and later Rangers.


The ever popular T5 5 speed.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Volvo B234F Head Conversion for 2.3L OHC Ford

Introduction:

The cylinder head off a ‘89 - ‘90 Volvo 740GLE B234F engine can be used on the Ford 2.3L OHC short block, commonly seen in a turbo configuration in the 1980’s Turbo Mustangs, SVO Mustangs, Merkur XR4Ti’s, and Thunderbird Turbo Coupes. This is an effort to provide one solution, out of many possible, to clearly guide one through the conversion process. The B234F Volvo engine may have also been available in a '91 940GLE sedan or wagon. Early B234F engines had a mechanical cam belt tensioner. Later ones had a hydraulic tensioner. A head off of either engine will work as described below for this conversion.

In addition to the cylinder head modifications detailed below, intake and exhaust manifolds will have to be constructed as the stock Ford 2.3lt. manifolds will not fit. There was a turbocharged Volvo engine but the manifold is not suitable to this conversion as it places the turbo in the same location as the Ford starter. The head to manifold flanges and the parts of the individual runners containing the injector mounting bosses can be used from the Volvo intake but the runners will have to be angled up to clear the left hand drive brake hardware.

Overview and General Considerations:

Familiarity with every component is the key to success, so direct your attention to the Ford block, Ford and Volvo heads and head gaskets, the engine coolant systems, oil supply systems, fasteners, factory recommended maintenance (especially with regard to the Volvo cam tower sealants), valve train systems and components (including cam gears, belts, tensioners, their relative alignment with each other and the block, and piston-to-valve interference points).

Volvo Engine Overview:

740 Engine four cylinders gasoline engines: N/A 8v - 114 HP, Turbo 8v - 160 HP, N/A 16 valve: 153 HP

Volvo 16v flow (with the stock .430 cam and port matching): 240 cfm [unverified claim]

Esslinger Engineering aluminum head flow (with a .585 cam at 6500 rpm): 260 cfm

Stock Combustion chamber volume = 53cc

Volvo head maintenance: Breakdown of the gasket sealer (used in place of gaskets) on the Volvo 16V cause oil leaks onto the cam tower faces; solution - reapply sealer every 40K-50K mi.

Head fastener info:
head bolts 14mm.
manifold nuts 13mm
support bracket for intake 12mm
timing cover bolts are 10mm and 12mm
water pump pulley 10mm nuts
valve cover 10mm
the best tool for the intake nuts is a ¼" drive ratchet, extension, and 13mm swivel socket

Valves: The 16v is a N/A head and if turbocharged, the valves, especially the exhaust, should be changed. There is room to install larger valves, the stock sizes are 34.5mm intake and 31.5mm exhaust. Oversize valves up to 36mm on the intake and 34.5mm on the exhaust can be used. New cam buckets aren’t needed for the conversion, but can be obtained.

Head Comparison: The Porsche-designed Volvo head, is noticeably shorter than the Ford. Ford’s combustion chambers (and cylinders) are evenly spaced, the Volvo’s are not. The head bolt locations, two of the three oil return holes, and some of the water passages holes match exactly and the others can be matched.

Oil: The Ford head receives oil from the rear, the Volvo from the front. Run a line from the pressure side of the pump, from the back of the block, where there’s already a tapped line, to the side (preferably the front) of the Volvo cam tower assembly. The actual cylinder head itself does not require any pressurized oil supply. All of the requirements for pressurized oil supply is confined to the cam tower assembly. The resulting drain back takes place through the lower main cylinder head. The Volvo bucket tappets are hydraulic with no lash adjustment shims. Higher performance cams are available but they may require changing to solid tappet buckets with adjustment shims.

Water passages: Water can be run externally, but many of the water passages already match and are all very close. The water passages in the Volvo head, quite possibly, can just be enlarged to be able to supply the needed water, however cooling at the back of the piston on #4 is less important than matching water passages to the gasket. The downward opening passage in the front of the Volvo head is the water pump bypass; it uses an o-ring between the passage and the pump. Seal the opening and install a connection to the heater core line.

Parts Required:
Off the shelf:
Oil feed line: taps, fittings and a -3 pressure line to feed oil to the head from the block feed point. (Custom length)
Cam Sprockets: Volvo, round tooth from 16v made adjustable (vernier)
Timing Belt Tensioner: stock Ford mounted on a plate
Tensioner (2nd pulley) for Timing Belt: Volvo, from 8v motor
Crank Gear: new (round tooth) Ford Ranger crankshaft gear, spaced 5/16" (or 8mm) from block.
Distributor Gear: new (round tooth) Ford Ranger distributor (auxiliary shaft) gear
Water Pump Sprocket (from new Ranger motor)?
Timing Belt: 3.0 Mitsubishi - 25mm wide x 55 7/8 long, pitch - 9.5mm or 3/8"
Gasket, Head: Fel-Pro 1035 (Performance Line) for the Ford 2300
Gaskets, Intake: Fel-Pro MS95263 for the Volvo B234F
Gasket, Exhaust: custom or none
Valves: Racing Engine Valves (REV)

Fabricated:
Tensioner mounting plate
Head block

Machining Required:

Block Modifications:
Tap and thread the rear oil return passage of the block and install a pipe plug. Rear jackets don’t need to be blocked. Install pistons with custom valve reliefs or cut reliefs into stock pistons.

Head Modifications:
The front water outlet must be sealed at the bottom and fitted with an outlet opening towards the passenger side. Fill and cc the middle combustion chambers to better match the head gasket (.060). Match the necessary water passages with the Ford gasket. Tap the head to accept an external oil feed. Prepare and machine the block of aluminum, then tig weld to the back of the Volvo head. Appropriately surface and true the head. Install the external oil supply line from the added block to the forward tapped point.

Details of aluminum block attachment:
Dimensions – width of Volvo head x height of Volvo head x (length of ford head - length of Volvo head, sort of)

Details of tensioner mounting plate:
Shape, drill points, mounts points etc.

Assembly:
Install head
Install valve gear: Mount the Ford tensioner on a plate, mount the plate on the front of the Volvo head, fit the belt to the tensioner, and confirm all rotating belt parts are on same vertical plane. Belt Routing: A plate goes across the top, front bolt holes on the Volvo head, which has a locator pin hole drilled into it for the 8 valve Volvo tensioner. Tensioner bolt comes off of the left passenger side bolt hole in the head. Verify the intermediate and crank sprockets are spaced appropriately from the block for the belt to run true. Time the motor.
Install intake
Install exhaust
Install accessories, radiator, intercooler, a/c etc.

Cylinder head considerations:
1. Oil feed to the head: run hose from block or remote oil filter directly to the upper head section and plug the Ford block to the head in the left rear corner with an allen plug.
2. Instead of placing a small block of aluminum across the back of the head we will be placing a full length, top to bottom piece of aluminum across the back of the head to guarantee that we do not have any oil/water leaks. An additional oil drain hole will be drilled into the back of the head since one of the three factory oil drain holes will be plugged. We were going to also drill an oil supply hole and supply the factory oil feed hole with the oil supply, but we have decided against it and we will be running an external line from the outside, through the side of the upper head section, where no water lives, and supply the oil to the internal feeders at a better location in order to supply both sides of the head simultaneously.

Suppliers and Alternative Components
Engine Management:
There are a lot of fuel management possibilities out there:
FELPRO/SPEEDPRO SEFI8LO is probably the best for the money,
EEC-Tuner is good on a variety of Ford ECMs (A3M1 is best but the wiring has to be swapped). The wiring kit complete from computer to sensor plugs is readily available at Painless Performance.

Cam discussion:
Richard Prince is the contact. The modified cam specs are: Advertised duration 268 degrees, duration at 0.050", cam lift 228 degrees. Lift 0.438" Cam lift at TDC 0.070" Intake centerline 109degrees ATDC. Lobe separation angle 112degrees
Stock cams and gears: A$100
Modify cams to specs: A$886
10% tax on $886: A$89
Modify cam gears to vernier: A$300
Subtotal A$1,375 plus shipping, customs, my service fee 10% A$135 import duty to your account
Total A$1,510


This configuration requires no change to cam buckets
Valves:
REV can provide larger valves. Also consider using alloy valves and before the swap, also the valve faces could be coated, as well as the outside of the head for a little better heat retention, and the tops of pistons as well. Larger replacement valves: 36 and 34.5; they will require new exhaust seats, the intake will cut out far enough. One possibility: Porsche 928 S4(?), 7mm dia., hyd. Adj., intakes 37mm, exhausts 33mm

Timing Belt:
3.0 Mitsubishi 25mm w x 55 7/8” l, pitch - 9.5mm or 3/8", Hyundai 29mm wide, Ford 19mm. Use Volvo 8v cam sprockets if a square-tooth belt (like the stock Ford) is desired.

Cooling System:
It is possible to use the Davies-Craig electric water pump and not even use a bypass, and use another electric pump for the heater core loop, like Mercedes and BMW are both doing.

It's easier to get the aluminum 2.3 head from Esslinger Engineering. (it will out perform the Volvo head).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Question:
I have a question about these. I am using a newer 2.3 (95) in an older vehicle with a 94 harness. The 95 has 2 wires for the crank sensor and the 94 has 4 wires. The 94 sensor bolted to the block, the 95 bolts in a different location. The question being is there any fix to make the 94 sensor bolt to the 95 block? I know I can drill and tap the holes, but I didn't know if there was a wiring fix or possibly and aftermarket sensor that eliminates this problem. The 95 has a gear with a notch missing and the 94 has a ring that has 2 large slots cut out of it that passes between the sensor and disrupts the field. Any help would be appreciated. If any one knows this, you would. Thanks.

The answer: By scotts90ranger
Here's the fix for that.
It's pretty self explanitory once you get the front covers off of both engines, there are 3 holes that mount the crank sensor mount to the block on the early DIS engine, two threaded and one dowel pin, they are 6mm threads and a 6mm dowel pin, you probably won't find one though. Take a 6mm bolt with a long shank and cut it off so the shank was about the length of the dowel in the original engine and just threaded the hole and red loctite it in place.

To make your template, get a piece of thin cardboard, cut it out in a relative shape to fit in the area needed, you want to use the outer bolt holes for the cover for reference points so make it big enough to get to those. Start with the hole for the pin, cut it out in the cardboard first, then take a STRONG pin or something and stab it into the holes you want to use for reference one at a time, after you stab the hole in the cardboard cut out the excess so that the correct bolt will fit through then put it back on the engine with the bolt threaded in the hole, this will help in accuracy. Start this process with the outer most cover bolt holes, do 3 of the cover holes for good measure, you don't have to do all of them, and then do the other two holes that need to be drilled and tapped. when you get to the new engine, take a scribe or something to scratch the metal or a sharpie and mark the holes that need to be drilled and tapped, take a center punch and mark the center as close as you can, then drill a small pilot hole like 1/16" then drill the correct size hole for the 6mm tap, at least one of the holes goes all the way through to the crank case so you will want to be careful, with the front cover off you can catch all of the chips without a problem just use some loctite or thread sealant on the bolts when you put it on. That should cover that part.

You have to use the crank balancer/pulley from a '94 or earlier engine, it'll swap right over. Once you get the sensor mounted and the balancer in place check the crank sensor alignment, take the pulley off (4 bolts with 10mm heads) and rotate the engine, there are some points where you can see both vanes entering the sensor, just make sure they are close to centered, you shouldn't have to align the sensor after the swap, but it doesn't hurt to check.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By pitsrule:
I have a 1992 ford ranger 2WD that has a 2.3L engine. A couple of years ago it took a crap on me because the engines are a little dirty and the oil pump pick up screen got clogged and did some engine damage before I could catch it. During my first rebuild I discovered my head was cracked. I ordered one off of Ebay, which I do not recommend, and 10,000 miles after the rebuild, the truck started burning coolant. I took the head hoping for a bad head gasket and low and behold another cracked head. So with my frustration and damage done to the cylinder wall from water and rust and all that good stuff I looked for another engine all together.

I found a good deal on a 1996 2.3L engine and tranny with 110K on it. I got it all for 200 bucks with all accessories, radiator, all ac parts and some more extras.

As you know my truck is an OB1 truck and the 1996 engine is OBD2. I did not have a computer or wiring harness from the 96 truck either.

The swap is now complete and the truck runs awesome. Here are some things that I did to make this swap work.

Crank Position Sensor / Timing
The first and most scary part of the swap was the crank position sensor. The OBD1 truck only uses one cranks position sensor mounted on the block down by the crank shaft to tell the DIS module what to do. The 1996 engine uses a completely different system. I was lucky enough to have both engines on the engine stands side by side. I removed all the seniors off of the 96 engine with plans to use the 1992 CPS. I took as many measurements from several reference pints as I could from the both engines and I actually drilled and tapped the 96 block for the 92 CPS mounting bracket. You want to do this with the oil pan removed so any metal shavings will drop out on the floor. Make sure you clean up inside the block as much as possible, there is nothing in the are where the CPS goes to interfere with this process.

To make the addition of the OBD1 CPS work I used the timing pulley from the 96 engine because it has a round tooth profile and the 92 has a square profile. Reason for using the 96 timing pulley is I was using the 96 cam pulley and oil pump pulley. I used the thin spacer that helps keep the timing belt on the timing pulley from the 92 engine and I used the 92 crank pulley as it has the proper timing fins inside it for the CPS to read. All of this provided me with the correct alignment for the accessory belts. You will need to use all the 96 accessories and mounting brackets or the pulleys will not line up.

I had to modify the rear timing cover to clear the CPS that is now mounted to the block.

Intake Manifold
I had to use the 1996 intake as the head ports are much smaller that the ports in my 92 intake. I took the harness off of the 92 intake and mounted it up to the 96 intake. It actually mounts up perfect and fits all the injectors as if it were made for that intake. I eliminated the EGR valve, ill get to that in a minute. I also used the 1992 throttle body on the 96 intake, it bolted up correctly and the ports matched almost perfectly. The reason for this is the TPS plugs were different. I figured it would be best to use what my truck was familiar with. The fuel lines worked just fine from the 96 fuel rail. The only thing left to do is purchase a y splitter for some of the vacuums line that lead into the climate control in the cab. The 96 intake has less vacuums port than the 92 intake. I also had to shorten the brake booster vacuums line as well. No big deal though.

The throttle cable will be about 1" too long when using the 92 cable on the 96 intake with the 92 throttle body. I simply made a relocation bracket which moved the throttle cable mount back 1". Its made out of 1/4" thick aluminum so there would be no chance of flex or failure.

Exhaust Manifold
The exhaust manifold for the 96 is tubular and the one for the 92 is cast and of course mine is cracked so I really wanted to use the tubular manifold. The 96 manifold does not have the 02 sensor bung like the 92 manifold did. Since the 02 sensor goes in the collector and I got rid of the EGR valve, I cut the EGR valve bung off about half way in the middle, I oversized the hole with a drill bit and tapped the hole for the 02 sensor. Seems to be working just fine.

Ignition.
It looks like the 96 coil packs would work but the number 2 and 3 plug location were switched. I was not sure if that was an internal switch or if the 96 truck fed a different signal thank the 92 truck feeds. I went ahead and used my 92 could packs on the 96 mounting brackets just to be safe.

The 96 intake does not have the flat surface on the side for the DIS module to mount too. Little did I know that this module must be grounded in order for it to operate. When I first tried to start the truck I had no fire at all. I did some research and learned that the DIS module has to be grounded and it does this through the 3 mounting bolts. I grounded mine and the truck started immediately. Since my AC stopped working a long time ago, I had already removed my AC compressor. I made a mounting plate that bolts to the four bolt holes where the AC compressor mounted and then bolted the DIS module to that plate. I also ran another ground strap to that plate to make sure I had good ground. The wiring harness reaches just fine. On the bottom of the DIS module is a white pasty substance. It is Heat Sink Grease, it helps transfer heat from the bottom of the module to the intake manifold. To help keep mine cool I used small aluminum spacers at the four mounting points and raised the module up off the plate some. The plate also has a few holes drilled in the bottom so it can breathe better.

Other notes to be made
The 92 water pump won't fit a 96 block. The 96 block has a smaller hole for the impeller and a slightly different bolt pattern. Even if you could use the 92 pump on the 96 engine, the belt alignment would be off and you have to get a 96 pump anyways. I had to modify my heater core hoses to mount to the lower water pump inlet tube, and I had to use the 96 lower radiator hose.

Since I used 96 accessories to ensure the belt alignment would be correct I had to get a belt for a 1996 truck w/o AC. I already had a belt for a 1992 truck without A/C but it was about 1" too long.

Im not sure if you can use the 92 power steering pump. Since I had the 96 pump and bracket and the belts lined up correctly, I just used it. The threaded line fitting was the same, the only difference is the line that uses a hose clamp on the bottom of the pump is a little different. The 92 pump has a fitting that comes straight down out of the bottom of the pump and the 96 pump comes straight out towards the cab. The hose was enough and enough slack in it to just bend it and slide it on. It did not kink on me.

I can't comment much on the trannys. I ran the label codes on my original tranny and the one that came with the 96 engine and turns out the one from the 96 was a late 80's trranny. The guy i got it from said that he put a tranny in the truck. I decided to use my 92 tranny since it was newer and I knew the history of it.

From my last rebuild on the 92 engine, I had a new flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. It all bolted up to the 96 engine no problem. The input shaft was the same diameter and the throwout bearing is working just fine, no clutch issues at all.

The 96 motor mounts on the engine lined up correctly on my 92 mount in the truck.

The alternator and starter wiring is the same between both vehicles.

As with any swap or rebuild, I did all the normal changes like valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, check the oil pick up screen, rear main seal, front main seal, water pump, thermostat, thermostat housing gasket, plugs, wires and all that good stuff.
 
Last edited:


Mark_88

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Welcome back Kenneth! I was telling someone on here to find your posts for the pics showing your intake and carb setup because they wanted the OMC intake but when I found the posts all the image links were off (meaning the links were not working)...

Glad you posted in the other thread because we were discussing putting together a collection of head and intake information...this post covered most of what I had in mind, but there are other options that I wanted to find. Like the 86 FI intake with an adapter and the Holley 350 carb mounted on it. But those are getting harder to find in junkyards.

And glad you posted the pic of the Mustang intake...that's the one I have now and according to your information a Holley 350 will bolt right onto it with the right adapter. The carb I have is the Motorcraft 5200 and it has an adapter that I might be able to modify if needed.

I remember one of your last posts a few years ago you were saying you experienced some difficulty with the OMC intake that you were using and were going to change it. I guess you swapped in the Mustang intake with the 350 as that seems to be what your image indicates...is that correct or are you still using the OMC?
 

Kenneth S

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Mark, I first had problems with the FI intake with the carb adaptor. I had to mount the carb backwards (float bowl towards the rear), if I tried to mount it forward the throttle linkage on the carb was trying to share the same space as the power brake booster. Another problem with the FI intake with the carb adaptor was the fact due to the FI intake had no hot water running through it it was a real bear to keep it running when the engine was cold. Even when the engine was hot it still didn't want to run good off idle untill the engine got above 3000-3500 rpm's (it's just like putting a tunnel ram on a stock V8) because of the FI's long intake runners. I still have the OMC intake on my truck, and it still runs really good, and has really great throttle response from off idle through out the entire rpm range making it so much nicer to drive than it was with the FI intake/ carb setup. I sold the FI intake with the carb adaptor to a circle track racer in which it really worked good for him (he went from an also ran to race winner) because his rpm's were kept well above 3500 rpm's.
 

DrewNukesEm

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:yahoo: Awesome information, thank you for posting it here on TRS. I have found and bookmarked that from another site (jalopy journal), but it was missing pictures.

Very cool. :icon_thumby:
 

Kenneth S

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Added more pictures, and information on cylinder head combustion chambers, Duraspark conversions, and Manual transmission id.
 

Mark_88

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Mark, I first had problems with the FI intake with the carb adaptor. I had to mount the carb backwards (float bowl towards the rear), if I tried to mount it forward the throttle linkage on the carb was trying to share the same space as the power brake booster. Another problem with the FI intake with the carb adaptor was the fact due to the FI intake had no hot water running through it it was a real bear to keep it running when the engine was cold. Even when the engine was hot it still didn't want to run good off idle untill the engine got above 3000-3500 rpm's (it's just like putting a tunnel ram on a stock V8) because of the FI's long intake runners. I still have the OMC intake on my truck, and it still runs really good, and has really great throttle response from off idle through out the entire rpm range making it so much nicer to drive than it was with the FI intake/ carb setup. I sold the FI intake with the carb adaptor to a circle track racer in which it really worked good for him (he went from an also ran to race winner) because his rpm's were kept well above 3500 rpm's.
Ah, so it was the 86 FI intake that was giving you fits...good to know that they work well in one particular application...

But it was my thinking to put a bunch of specific information about carbed engines into one post and offer it up as a Tech Submission to see if they would make it a sticky...the last couple of months has been very active in that regards and I've just been too busy to be able to even begin collecting information...not to mention where to look for it...but I did find out quite a bit more about my intake from a few sites...but you've already covered that...:icon_thumby:
 

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I slowly putting my old pictures back up (I'm putting them on the Ranger station in my user cp so they hopefully don't dissapear).
 

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Now I have posted carburator mods with pictures in post #1.
 

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