2.3l foxes have rear wheel drive?

2.3T all the way baby.

yeah 2.3T is easier........ also more legal in most states. Power levels are similar but the car should be able to handle better due to less weight on the front nose.

89Stang said:

yeah 2.3T is easier........ also more legal in most states. Power levels are similar but the car should be able to handle better due to less weight on the front nose.

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And better gas mileage. Biggest of all, the swap is far easier than a 5.0 swap, becuase you'd have to change out pretty much everything to make it work properly. The 2.3 turbo engine is pretty much the same as the n/a 2.3, so the swap is relatively straightforward.

Foxfan88 said:

where can i find a 2.3t and how much would it be?
so its the same engine excepts its got a turbo?
how much hp and torque do the 2.3t motors have?

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Check junkyards, or ebay. You can expect to pay between 150-500 dollars for a complete engine, depending on who you talk to and where you find it.

Yeah, the block is the same (except for the oil and water lines), but the pistons are forged instead of cast. Those two things are the reason you want the turbo block.

It depends on what car you look at. Merkurs had 175hp and 210ft/lbs torque on some models. The SVO had 200hp and 240lb/ft torque in 86.

Let's put it this way:
You buy a turbo engine and a T5 transmission. You assemble it, put on a full 3" exhaust, a front-mount volvo intercooler, a large VAM+35lb injectors+LA2/3 computer (use search to see what these are), and maybe a better cam. You can expect to make over 200hp easily if you run enough boost and get it tuned right. With a few more aftermarket parts and/or machine work, 250, 275, and even 300 horsepower are attainable. Of course, you'll be pushing the limits of the stock fuel system, but you would know that once you learn more about these engines.

Definitely research this swap and this engine. They are great little motors!

I have a silly question, why do you all the sudden want a 5.0 in there? what is your reasoning behind it? ask yourself this.

for alot of us on here we stick with the 2.3 because there is the thrill of ataining high amounts of power from just a 4 cyl. and as a bonus you get great gas mileage. drivability is alot better because the weight in the front is not so much, the balance of the car is closer to 50/50 than a 5.0.

personally I am stuck with the 2.3 and 4-cyl linup because I love when people tell me that I cant do it.

Dr_EluSivE said:

you dad is correct. ALL mustangs have RWD. Its the only way to properly drive a car.

Dr.

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AWD is a good option, and FWD works great for economy cars, just not performance.

tealtiger93 said:

Someone suggested there be a 2.3 to 5.0 swap forum, and whoever it was is a genius ... but it should just be a section called "Engine Swaps" and have forums for 2.3 to 5.0, 2.3 to 2.3T, 347, 351W, etc etc.

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That would be me.

I stradle the fence. I have a ~450rwhp mustang and I'm working on a ~400rwhp 2.3L .... I Found the 2.3L to be really cheap to make fast, the turbo / standalone fuel system are where I Forked it out. As far as whats easier and whats harder, converting to a 5.0 is a hell of alot less wiring, you just toss in a 5.0 computer and forward harness, put an 8.8 rear in, and a T5 WC and your a 5.0 LX ready to roll, I could do the entire swap in one day no problem. It takes alot of time to make some serious power out of a 2.3L. I blew off stock heads and went right for a fully massively ported stock head, and a hybrid turbo w/ a standalone fuel system, I expect to make 400rwhp at around 25psi with a little dyno tuning. So, either way its fun, as far as handling goes, a 2.3T motor weighs about 100 lbs less than a 5.0, not much at all really.

A friend of mine has a Merkur that he just had a modified head and a hybrid turbo installed. Says it has between 350 and 400 hp. He had it over 100mph in a block and a half. Now that's power.