• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Turbo time


cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
So I found a guy a few weeks ago with a 88 turbo coupe he wanted to part out. At first I didn't want to get tied up in a 2.3T swap since I am a diesel guy however the guy made me a offer I couldn't refuse. So for $350 I am the proud new owner of a 2.3 turbo complete with ECU, wiring harness, clutch, intercooler, and IHI turbo.... so it looks like now the fun will start. Any advice and info isn't welcome and I will be posting pics as I take this project on.
 


alwaysFlOoReD

Forum Staff Member
TRS Forum Moderator
TRS Banner 2012-2015
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
13,872
Reaction score
5,031
Points
113
Location
Calgary, Canada
Vehicle Year
'91, '80, '06
Make / Model
Ford, GMC,Dodge
Engine Size
4.0,4.0,5.7
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Any advice and info isn't welcome and I will be posting pics as I take this project on.
Fine.....

But pics are always welcome.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
Lol is welcome. Sorry long day
 

scotts90ranger

Well-Known Member
RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
7,936
Reaction score
4,231
Points
113
Location
Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
First let out some plans and what the donor vehicle is. I'm going to assume it's going in the '93 in your profile, and to make things much simpler I'm going to assume it's a 2.3L in it right now...

There are several ways of getting the engine in there and running with two running engines to combine if you want to add together the best of both versions of the 2.3L that you now have... Most people will swap in the turbo engine just how it is, leave the distributor, leave the flat tappet cam, maybe change some seals and just do the minimum... Me I like going a bit fancier and using the more updated parts from the distributorless engine which isn't as hard as people think it is... All there is to it is taking the front seal housing off the DIS engine, taking a template of the 3 holes needed for the crank sensor (including at least the two outer bolts for the front cover for alignment purposes) then drilling/taping 3 6mm holes in the front of the block, two for the sensor bracket and one for the alignment stud (cut the head off of a bolt that is long enough to have a straight portion and Loctite it in). From there it's just a quick modification to one of the bolt holes for the front cover and you are set. Also use the stock Ranger harness, it has all you need, you'll just have to move ~10 wires and maybe change the connector for the VAM from your MAF, and you will need to add the barometric pressure sensor.

If it wasn't so late, I'd go more but I'm tired...
 

mavereq

New Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
Joined
Jan 19, 2017
Messages
207
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Concrete, WA
Vehicle Year
1997
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
I'd personally throw turbo rods and pistons in the ranger block. I like the small journal blocks.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
Sorry I guess I should go into detail more.

Yes it's going into the 93 2WD regular cab. The truck has a fresh 5 speed and a 8.8 explorer rear with LSD. Converted to manual steering and AC box is being deleted in favor of more space. This also means the AC pump and all related parts have been removed. Also converted over to a E fan set up for more space.

The parts are from a 87-88 turbo coupe. I will have to look and see if it has #30 or #35 injectors but I think they are #35s. The Set up did not come with VAM so I will have to find one that matches my computer.

My plan was to re pin the factory ranger harness and add any additional sensors needed for the turbo. Going with the 8 spark plug roller head is somthing I have considered but still need to do a lot of research.

Goals for now are basicly stock level power and keeping boost low around the 10~12 psi range until we get the set up dialed in. If budget allows for it I might go to a front mount intercooler since we have tons of space up there now. For exhaust I will just run 2.25 exhaust from the turbo back into a 3 chamber muffler. As I said this is a mild build.
 

scotts90ranger

Well-Known Member
RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
7,936
Reaction score
4,231
Points
113
Location
Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
Reasonable plan, and good note above about small journal block...

I'm currently running a setup similar to what you are talking about and am running 12psi on a ported head which is similar to the 16psi I was running before I ported the head... and that is without an intercooler, which would help a lot in the pinging department...

You don't have to keep the whole DIS head for DIS or the roller cam, the roller cam will swap into the turbo head, and you can run the DIS system on just the driver side coil which is what I'm doing now. To get the stock tach to work with this setup you need to splice the two coil outputs together, I don't remember what I did but I'll try to look later, it was easy.

Being the year range you are talking you will need a "big vam", I have yet to set mine up for that yet even though I have a computer to go with it I as well don't have a big vam to use... On the VAM thought, if photobucket worked I would post a picture of how I was able to keep the stock airbox on my setup, much better than an open element filter in that oven of a corner of the engine bay...
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
That was my plan as well. I am not a fan of the open air filter set ups for so many reasons. The stock box seems to be set up well and I like how it draws air from the front of the truck.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
Tomorrow I am going to get out the bore scope and start checking her out. This is still a unknown motor so hopefully the internals are good. I might hook my spare transmission to it to do a compression test at some point. If every thing checks out I will just replace the normal gaskets and drop the motor in as is with the dizzy.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
Picked up a big VAM along with every thing else today.

The bore looks decent but two cylinders have some surface rust in them from the valves being open. I need to circulate the oil in her and turn the motor over by hand a few times to make sure every thing is good and oiled.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
Would it be better to just keep every thing thunderbird. Just keep the dizzy and run re TB air box?
 

scotts90ranger

Well-Known Member
RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
7,936
Reaction score
4,231
Points
113
Location
Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
I haven't really compared apples to apples, I tried to go as modern of parts as I could, you get better spark with the DIS system even with one side... and I think the DIS is a bit more reliable...

For the air box, I went to the junkyard and found a airbox lid without a MAF or the stupid air muffler that mine came with that was huge which happened to be a late '80's 2.9L Ranger and took the intake hose, cut it so it fit the airbox and so a part fit the inlet of the VAM. I used the stock accordion hose from VAM to turbo and found where I could get it contorted to still kinda mate to the air box with my hose concoction. I was able to cut the hose between the box and the VAM in a way that it was over itself in the middle, made a sleeve out of PVC then put a hose clamp over the two pieces and it's held up for years... There's a single bolt hole on the battery tray and I made a bracket to bolt the VAM to that hole and support it.

It might be easier to switch to a distributor as you don't have to find a place to mount the DIS module which needs to be grounded and on a heat sink of some form... I made an aluminum plate sandwiched between the upper and lower intake that bends up and the module mounts to that with an extra ground wire (it REALLY needs to be grounded, it will run without a good ground but can be spotty, that's what lead to my Ranger rolling...)

I really wish I had taken more time to retain more stock Ranger parts to make a cleaner install but hindsight is 20/20, I've grown a bit mechanic wise in the last 8 years...
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
I guess I need to find a way to post some pictures.

When I get home tonight I am going to add a few caps of oil to each cylinder and then spin the motor over by hand a few times to make sure the cylinder walls are good and oil coated. I might try to spin the oil pump with the impact to build a little oil pressure for the top end and turbo as well.
 

mavereq

New Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
Joined
Jan 19, 2017
Messages
207
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Concrete, WA
Vehicle Year
1997
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
There are some write ups on the stinger performance site for swapping that year group ranger over to a factory turbo computer. They also sell a pimpx computer that is a megasquirt 3 built into a Ford eec-iv case. It plugs right into the harness. It's a bit spendy, but it gets rid of the VAM and you tune with a laptop.
 

cbr600rx7

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
North East USA
Vehicle Year
93,73,12
Make / Model
Ford and Ford
Engine Size
2.3, 360ci, 5.0
Transmission
Manual
The dark side of me wants to just swap the turbo related parts onto the NA Lima and drop the boost down to 5-6 psi and just see how long it would last. Yes I know it's a little evil but the only thing I would need to fabricate is the oil return. Every thing else can be borrowed from the turbo motor. It's a idea I am kicking around so that I can work on the exhaust down pipe and things of that nature while I maybe overhaul the 2.3T. Just something I am kicking around.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Latest posts

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top