some 2.3t help

93PONY said:

hi i have a few ?s
first did they make the 2.3t with an automatic? all the ones i find are 5 speeds, so im pretty sure the ecu wont sync up. also if they do will my stock 93 2.3 auto bolt up and work? or will i need to reinforce it? i know automatics suck but im a lil handicaped and only have one hand so shifting gears is outa the question. so if anyone has a auto 2.3t ecu really cheap or where i can find one then let me know

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They DID infact make 2.3T's in autos in both Merkurs, and The turbo coupes. WHat you will want is a turbo coupe ECU, BUT..... The turbocoupes used the Older a4ld's I Dont belive that an Old TC ECU will control your Current transmission. You would likely have to use the turbo transmission. Another better option is the C4 Auto, but the bellhousing are tough to find. All they need to run is Vacuum. Im sure someone will chime in and tell you the differences between the 90's A4ld and the 80's one.. My knowledge is limited due to the fact i am a 5 speed guy.

Dr.

I believe the good Dr. is right about the different generations of A4LD slushboxes. The good news is that there was nothing special about the auto behind the turbo motors. That should make tracking down the right trans easier. There were plenty of 4-cyl auto Mustangs and such that used that trans.

The ECU family you're looking for would be the LB series. LB2, LB3 etc. They were used on the turbo/auto combinations. The program isn't much different if it's different at all from the ever popular LA's

Depending on the size of your wallet, there's a bunch of things you can do to an A4LD to stiffen it up. The later model light duty 4 and 5spd automatics are direct descendants of the A4LD but are made with parts that should have been in the original. Some of the stuff interchanges and can add some much needed strength and reliability to an otherwise mediocre box.

Do some digging on various Mustang, Explorer, and Ranger sites. You should be able to find information relative to what I mentioned.

Yes they made automatic turbo fours, as the 87 I just got has one. After a bit of research, there does seem to be some aftermarket upgrade stuff for the A4LD.

The ECU/trans compatibility is roughly by year, but is basicly keyed to how may solenoids the trans has, 2 or 3. My 89 LX 2.3 has 2 solenoid valve bodies, later ones have 3, I think. The A4LD has gone through a zillion changes, and has a bizarre amount of cross compatibility. Sometimes the early parts are stronger, sometimes not.

Search a bit on Google for A4LD, and you should find some HD stuff and trannys.