It seems that the HP ratings range form 88HP-105HP between 1987 & 1993. Was this acomplished in ECU programming? Can you just swap ECU's to get the HP's out of an '89? If so, what is the computer code?
No, and no. '91-93 2.3's were distributorless, 8 plug engines and their computers won't run the earlier engine, at least not to my knowledge. Even if they will, swapping computers won't give you 17 hp.
The power gains were due to a number of different changes. Here's a couple of the more obvious changes...
Head design (oval port to D-port) (Single to dual plug)
Intake design (oval to D)
Camshaft (in some app's. flat tappet to roller)
Possibly ECU, but doubtful
Header (Ranger or aftermarket)
Porting (This is something you can do at home with little effort)
Make sure everything is tuned up (Plugs, wires, filters, etc.)
EEC Tuner
Better fuel - Higher octane (NO ETHANOL) Higher octane with ethanol actual equates to less power, unless you adjust appropriately for the ethanol.
Since you said you're using this car as a rally car and want to swap engines later anyway, I wouldn't invest a ton of effort into the n/a 2.3L for the minimal gains you will see. However, I do recommend some sort of cold air setup, a long tube header, and a full exhaust system. This will help the engine rev easier, and while it won't increase power much, I think it should be adequate for rallying (unless there are a lot of long straights). 2.3's have lots of bottom end torque but not much up top.
If I might ask, what are you doing suspension-wise?
Thanks for the help. I don't plan on putting much effort into the 2.3, but I would like to get a little more out of it since I have to use it.
As for suspension I'm going to use KYB AGX struts and then a basic coilover setup. I don't know all of the details. Mark Utecht is helping me design it. It shouldn't cost much compared to DMS or Leda or even Hotbits.
I'm also using 215/75R15 truck tires. They'll give me a little more lift and get the diff off of the ground a bit too. Plus they are only $50 compared to $130 for rally tires.
Well, I guess you could say I'm interested in rally...moreover, I had an old '90 2.3L Mustang (just got rid of it this past october actually) that in the last couple years I owned it was kind of my beater. During a little bit of experimentation, I put stock 5.0 springs in the front of the car and '84 Thunderbird springs in the rear and they lifted the car almost 2 inches over stock. This got the gears in my head turning and I started thinking about how cool of a rally car it would make. I had some chassis reinforcement on the car (subframe connectors, strut tower brace, 4-point k-member brace) and the modifications I listed above, as well as relocating the battery to the hatch. I had wanted to play around with it, strip the interior etc, but the car was just too rusty and didn't run that great, and then I couldn't get it to start and I just sold it for parts.
If I might ask, how do you plan to fit 215/75's under it? I SO wanted to do that after I lifted the car, but the mud-tread tires I wanted were more than I could afford at the time, plus I wasn't sure they would fit (ended up running 215/65 snow tires)