95 3.8 to 2.3 turbo swap

myboyhasa66

New Member
Jun 30, 2004
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i have a '95 3.8 that i bought to work on. i think a 2.3 turbo would be a cool addition to it and i was wondering if anyone knew what would be necessary for the swap. the main question i have is that i want to keep the t-5 and i dont know if they will fit up. i was told that the bellhousing would need to be changed or an adapter plate would need to be added but another worry of mine is that the fox body and sn bodies have a diff place for the shifter and thet-5 was redesigned for the sn bodies if anyone knows any info i would appreciate it
 
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Hm. I didn't know the T5's in the '94-95 cars was different from the Fox models. Anyway, I don't really know if anyone has ever put a 2.3 Turbo into an SN95. I'm guessing that any Fox frame 2.3 motor mounts would work, but I don't know for sure, and I dunno what you'd have to do with the wiring harness unless you have that figured out already.
 
A guy I know, finished using a trans from a 95 3.8 in an 87 hatch 5.0 and he had to change his bellhousiong (starter position was wrong). He also had to machine down his input shaft ($20).
The four bolts the hold the bellhousing on are supposed to be the same so you can just bolt up your trans with a 2.3 bellhousing, starter, flywheel, etc.

I hate to talk you out of a 2.3T swap because that would be cool, but....You might also consider a supercharger from a supercoupe. My girlfriend has a stock 180k mile 3.8 SC cougar that weighs 3750lbs and outran a lightly modded 92 GT.:D
 
its just an idea that i had that seemed very interesting. the work would be the same as a 5.0 swap and the wiring wouldnt be very different. ofcourse i would need the comp and wiring harness but well see if anyone else has any ideas please tell me im not very read in the 2.3 t motors and bodies. thanks
 
I don't see how you think that the wiring will be easy cause I think your wrong but definately this is a cool azz idea. Also I am pretty sure that the swapping of imput shaft thing will not work because I looked into that and had my friend dissect about 5 t-5's and he said that they changed so much every year that without a lot of trannys to take apart and use parts from, it cannot be done exept maybe certain years, I never inquired about at sn tranny from a v-6. Good luck, hope your ready to get really dirty on this one...
 
The little 2.3 SOHC can make plenty of power. I had a friend that made 330+ to the wheels 20 years ago on stock ECU with Custom program and 55 LB injectors and 21 PSI. This was way before things like E85 , Ball Bearing Turnbos. Aftermarket Engine Manigement,Methonal injection were as available and mainstream as they are now. Cosworth and Esslinger have made big power with theese engines for years now. I guess you would say my little Buick 3.8 is to small to pull around my GM G Body. But there's a funny thing about its track record vs Mustangs at the Drag Strip it's pretty good. The SN95 isn't that much heavier than a Fox. As for the Transmission why not just get a T-5 out of a TBird Turbo Coupe?
 
Your talking to a 14 year old post, he's probably blow'd that thing up twice by now!
I didn't until you said something. I looked. But it still needed to be said the 2.3 LIMA can make some big power probably cheaper than a Windsor 5.0. I'd like to start a challenge 2000$ I start wIth a stock 2.3 Turbo Engine vs someone with with 2000$ to put in a Windsor 5.0
 
Skimming around the net I find lots of claims of 350 to 425 hp at the wheels with 25lbs of boost in those stout little engines. I also see problems with heads cracked around the valves on some yrs that ups the build cost. Now I'm no engine builder and I don't play one on no tv but I did stay at a holiday inn express once, and I've read a lot of junk yard built 5.0 articles. I'm with noobz on this one, even a cheap 5.0 turbo build can produce block splitting results.
 
Ok, how much power do you think a 2.3 turbo will pump out with 2k worth of mods?
Ok, how much power do you think a 2.3 turbo will pump out with 2k worth of mods?
I would rather not say until some ground rules were agreed upon first. Like type of fuel. And if someone wanted to use parts they had laying around had to have an agreed Value that goes against the budget.
 
The little lima will make around 400 with 25-30psi and the right supporting mods. including ported gutted intake, professionally ported head, large cam, aftermarket rods... and at a bare minimum a t3/t4 .50 trom turbo at its ragged edge or a holset... well over 2k in parts.. not to mention the stock ECU is now out of its usable range .

;)some of us have been there before.