how reliable is the 2.3?
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fordman54935
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Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
16vstang
New Member
Ive Had a few mustangs in the past few years and 3 were 2.3s (had a 5.0 and hated it horible milage and drove like a tank)and have had very good luck with them. My current daily driver has 140k and still runs super smooth. Revs prefectly all the way to the rev limiter
Its a 91 with the dual plug head and it gets 25 mpg consistantly in town and 29-32 on the hwy. My friend bought a beater trecel and his gets like 29 in town and 35 hwy but it burns almost as much oil as gas and has no power. if you think the 2.3s are bad try a 1.5 sohc yota! All in all I love em but make sure you get a 5 speed or you will be having trany issues down the road. Good luck with your stang!
Its a 91 with the dual plug head and it gets 25 mpg consistantly in town and 29-32 on the hwy. My friend bought a beater trecel and his gets like 29 in town and 35 hwy but it burns almost as much oil as gas and has no power. if you think the 2.3s are bad try a 1.5 sohc yota! All in all I love em but make sure you get a 5 speed or you will be having trany issues down the road. Good luck with your stang!
DarkMesa8
Founding Member
85&90notchowner
New Member
my 85 is carb. and it gets the same gas milage as my dads 5.8L f150 but the engie is still going86 Sivercoupe said:
Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Big truck with a 5.8 getting the same MPG as a 2.3 'Stang. Wow! I'm betting the 2.3 gets the crappy mileage.
85&90notchowner
New Member
yeah the 5.8 is efi and the car is carb. that runs like it has a huge cam in it but it is stock the car still runs after a fire under the hood from the tranny line leaking so i guess that makes it reliabletealtiger93 said:
Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
TurboFlush
Founding Member
carbed cars are always slightly more of a pain, unless tuned correctly. I dont get along to well with carbs and how they work. but you wont be disapointed either way you go. Unless of course you are expecting lots of power from the 80hp motor. they are easy enough to get up to around 100hp for decent money.
I like v8's but prefer the 4cylinder. (keeps me alive for one)
TF
I like v8's but prefer the 4cylinder. (keeps me alive for one)
TF
Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
86 Sivercoupe said:LOL,You sayin the 4 banger stangs only had 80hp....that explains alotno wonder that 4-wheeler passed me
Dude, it's really not that funny! 
TurboFlush
Founding Member
80 hp was about standard in those days anyways. imagine being a dealer... we can sell you this mustang with one of the three; a 80hp 4cyl, a 120hp v8 or a 130hp turbo4cyl. hard choice ehh!
my 89 Sierra came with something like 115hp and now that the cam is more worn out and the motor ages it is probably closer to 80hp.
turbos and 16v 4cyl's were still getting the bug's worked out.
My head is so swollen, until I get next to a new car, and they dust me like its nothing. ohh well, I love my car. If i replaced the ca I would get better gas mileage.
TF
my 89 Sierra came with something like 115hp and now that the cam is more worn out and the motor ages it is probably closer to 80hp.
turbos and 16v 4cyl's were still getting the bug's worked out.
My head is so swollen, until I get next to a new car, and they dust me like its nothing. ohh well, I love my car. If i replaced the ca I would get better gas mileage.
TF
DarkMesa8
Founding Member
wuzfast said:250,000 and still doesn't burn any oil. Mobil 1 since new. It's all stock & used for my work mule. 3rd clutch, 4 cam belts, 3rd set of struts, shocks & brakes, 1 new starter and 1new Alternator. But the valve cover has never been off, and doesn't leak either!
You and I are in a similar boat, mine just passed 243,000, valve cover never been off and not burning oil. The stock radiator finally sprung a leak this week, but other than that, nothing special as far as maintanance.
Your motor was lucky to be exposed to synthetic early in its life, mine was a dinosaur baby since its birth. Your bearings/internals probably look a ton better than mine, but hey, if it runs it runs.
Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
God I have 76K and I'm on my 3rd clutch! It's the second since we bought it at 56K, last one went in a 60K.wuzfast said:250,000 and still doesn't burn any oil. Mobil 1 since new. It's all stock & used for my work mule. 3rd clutch, 4 cam belts, 3rd set of struts, shocks & brakes, 1 new starter and 1new Alternator. But the valve cover has never been off, and doesn't leak either!
DarkMesa8
Founding Member
Shawneebear93
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Yea, I don't really think it's me, but maybe it is? My mechanic told my mom he used a better replacement clutch this time but she forgot what it was.
TurboFlush
Founding Member
LOL, I had a funny thing happen the other day. I was trying to power brake the car and do a burnout. while doing this smoke started coming from the front, my freinds (mechanics) just laughed and said "hay isnt that suposed to come out the back?". I have known my clutch is getting weak, but I didnt think it was this bad. ohh well. new motor, tranny and everything is going in eventually. its god enough to get me back and forth to the shop.
and man do clutchs stink!!!!
and man do clutchs stink!!!!
I can also stand up for the 2.3 engine. My first car was a 88 LX 2.3 with an automatic. The POS tranny didn't even make it home. 
After emptying the rest of my account, I had a new one put in. I drove it from 91K up to 114K, and that included 3 midwest winters. The tranny saw plenty of abuse during winters in numerous empty parking lots around town. Finally the engine blew at 114K. Oil leak + lack of oil changes = BOOM! About 4 months later I found a 90 2.3 for $595 at ford dealer. I bought that at 154K, and at 173K, I sold it with a slipping tranny to a pregnant 16 year old high school drop out. That car saw a handful of midwest winters and plenty of abuse as well.
What brought me to bump this thread is I was searching for their average mileage. I never paid attention to mine, and simply swipped the debit card when needed. Now living in FL, my blown notch without A/C isn't making the best daily driver. I found a pretty cheap 2.3 for sale I might go check out tomorrow. Its an auto.
If it at least has working AC, I'll probably be sold.
After emptying the rest of my account, I had a new one put in. I drove it from 91K up to 114K, and that included 3 midwest winters. The tranny saw plenty of abuse during winters in numerous empty parking lots around town. Finally the engine blew at 114K. Oil leak + lack of oil changes = BOOM! About 4 months later I found a 90 2.3 for $595 at ford dealer. I bought that at 154K, and at 173K, I sold it with a slipping tranny to a pregnant 16 year old high school drop out. That car saw a handful of midwest winters and plenty of abuse as well.What brought me to bump this thread is I was searching for their average mileage. I never paid attention to mine, and simply swipped the debit card when needed. Now living in FL, my blown notch without A/C isn't making the best daily driver. I found a pretty cheap 2.3 for sale I might go check out tomorrow. Its an auto.
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