2.3l help with more speed

bvav22

New Member
Jul 1, 2004
93
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Michigan
I have an 89lx with a 2.3l, its slow as hell. ne one know of how i can give it a decent boost in speed or pickup. i have heard of people putting in turbo chargers. advice is greatly apreciated.
 
Advice corner:

1. Do a search on a turbo swap and read all of the threads, this may take a while to do.
2. Look at this site http://projecthp.ford23.com/TechMain.html this is the foremost sight for what you are asking. READ this 100% before you post again. We will refer you to it over and over if you dont because this site will answer your questions time and time again.
3. Read the Faq, and the tech thread this will give you ideas that you have not even thought of yet
4. look at www.turboford.org that is another site we post to that is just as informative. THE SAME ADVICE APPLIES ON THERE.

5. WELCOME to Stangnet now post your ride in the talk section and a picture is also prefered. Here is the thread, http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=468966

Rich.
 
ok i got that site to work now, but i was looking around it, i dont think a turbo swap is wat i want to do, i think i will change to a manual tranny, but would it be possible to just buy a garret turbocharger and throw it on my current engine?
 
bvav22 said:
ok i got that site to work now, but i was looking around it, i dont think a turbo swap is wat i want to do, i think i will change to a manual tranny, but would it be possible to just buy a garret turbocharger and throw it on my current engine?

A number of internal engine pieces on the NA 2.3 will not hold up to the power of a turbo. (Pistons, rods, etc)
Get a donor car - then you have engine, tranny, all youll need.
 
I guess it depends on what your machanical skills are. If they are high, look into a turbo swap. Now if they are low to very low sell the car and buy a 5.0L :D If you just want a little pick me up and you got some machnical skills try doing the following:

91-93' mustang roller cam swap into your car.
Swap in a header off a 2.3L Ranger from like a 96'.
Mill your head down a hair and polish it up a bit.
Build a CAI
advance your timing a hair to like 12 degrees ( stock is 10 I think)
Stick a 50 shot nitrous bottle on it.

That is some basic stuff you can do without swaping motors and your EEC. Swaping in a T-5 instead of using a A4LD (auto) will be a big improvement that you would see real fast. Also...get a job and stop thinking about cars :rolleyes:
 
bvav22 said:
yea i think i am just going to end up doing a t-5 switch, and maybe put in a cheap turbo charger called the turbonator, check it out, http://www.turbonator.com/, it can give a boost up to 30hp and 30% better fuel economy. another question, would like a local mechanic shop be able to do the tranny switch for me

That thing would only make some guy rich and add dead weight to your car. There is no real easy way to add power to a car other than Nitrous oxide kits. Other than that you are stuck looking for a 2.3T to swap into your car.

As for the local tranny shops I'm not sure. You're probly better to find someone who does custom work to convert your car to a stick. One reason is there isn't a kit to do it, you have to hunt down a few parts which isn't to bad.
 
The "Turbonator" in theory would work. It is the same concept that turbo's, superchargers and ram air use to get more power out of your engine..it's called FORCED AIR and the 2.3L Ford engine responds amazingly to forced air (hence the 2.3T). But instead of paying that guy loads of money for the "Turbonator", just go to your local marine store and buy an inline engine blower air pump. That's all that it is and make sure you buy one with the highest air flow that you can find...Something like 300cfm would make a noticeable difference in power from your Stang!
 
km91mustanglx said:
The "Turbonator" in theory would work. It is the same concept that turbo's, superchargers and ram air use to get more power out of your engine..it's called FORCED AIR and the 2.3L Ford engine responds amazingly to forced air (hence the 2.3T). But instead of paying that guy loads of money for the "Turbonator", just go to your local marine store and buy an inline engine blower air pump. That's all that it is and make sure you buy one with the highest air flow that you can find...Something like 300cfm would make a noticeable difference in power from your Stang!

I really don't think that thing would blow more air in that what the engine already pulls in on its own. If you really want a cheap boost of power take 250.00 bux and go my a Nitrous kit. That is the best proven cheapest fastest power adder to a 2.3L(T). Anything like the electric S/C or Turbos is a waste of time and money.
 
bvav22 said:
yea i think i am just going to end up doing a t-5 switch, and maybe put in a cheap turbo charger called the turbonator, check it out, http://www.turbonator.com/, it can give a boost up to 30hp and 30% better fuel economy. another question, would like a local mechanic shop be able to do the tranny switch for me

Bizarre. He doesn't really say in there how this actually works or what it is. Anybody have any idea?
 
the turbonator is an electric turbo. You know those things you use to fill up tubes and maybe tires, the little mini air compressors, thats what those things are, they make you lose about 20hp because they can't provide enough power for the amount lost. you can't afford to lose 20 hp on a 2.3, thats probably going into the negative.

My advice, sell your 2.3, there's always that mustang enthusiast out there who just wants a mustang. I bought mine for 300 from a farmer. Sold it for 1200 to a mustang enthusiast. Using that 1200 dollars i bought a car that smokes 5.0's.

I did a cold air intake, custom exhaust, a little bit of headwork and revved it till the rpm meter started bouncing. It still didn't break 100hp and ran 21's in the 1/4 mile (4 speed manual)