worthwhile mods for a NA 2.3?

Foxfan88 · Oct 26, 2004

Can someone make a list of stuff i can do to my stock 2.3, i dont want to totally waste money, but i dont want to leave it stock until a 5.0 or 2.3t swap. I'm wanting to do something to it. Would a new exhaust be worth the time/money?

So what are some mods you've done to your NA engines?

Oh and one more question, is the 2.3t motor the EXACT same engine as the NA motors? just forged block and turbo?

T3AL · Oct 26, 2004

http://racerwalsh.zoovy.com/category/4cylinder/

header, duel exhaust, cam, maybe a 2.5 stroker cam.

other than that there is a overbore and a 3angle valve job, port and polish is about it really.

theres other stuff but not really enought to get good gains.

and about the block thing from what I read on here in order to make a na block for turbo you have to drill out the hole for a distributer...

Willy0314 · Oct 26, 2004

if you dont want to be wasting money, give her a real good tune up and change to duel exhust. Buy a K&N air filter, new fuel filter and spark plugs, You can do the plug wires if you feel like it. Then buy the y pipe for a turbo with duel exhust and the duel tail pipes. You will be able to reuse the tail pipes no matter what motor you swap in, and you can re-use the y pipe if you go the turbo route. Anything else your just wasting money. It will get really expensive after that.

The Turbo motor isn't a forged block, it just has a boss for oil lines to the turbo that dont come on the N/A motors. I belive only the pistons are forged on the turbo motor, and the heads and camshafts are different. Right?

Red_LX · Oct 26, 2004

If you know you're gonna swap eventually, I wouldn't bother wasting money on the stock engine. You could do an exhaust if you want it to sound better but otherwise I'd leave it alone. Spend some money on the suspension instead, that'll make it more fun to drive.

freakintiger · Oct 26, 2004

Willy0314 said:
if you dont want to be wasting money,... change to duel exhust.... Right?

IMO: (very opinionated=don't take me to seriously)
Dual exhaust on a 4 cyl is a waste of money, and although its probably a trivial amount overall, why add unecessary weight to the vehicle?

(For the record I am mounting a passenger side side pipe based from a Ranger header, direct fit hi-flo cat/pipe and stainless steel tubing to a stainless 24" Supertrapp. As soon as it is done I will be posting pics )

StangerJon · Oct 26, 2004

Red_LX said:
If you know you're gonna swap eventually, I wouldn't bother wasting money on the stock engine. You could do an exhaust if you want it to sound better but otherwise I'd leave it alone. Spend some money on the suspension instead, that'll make it more fun to drive.

I agree.

mr_woodster · Oct 27, 2004

Red_LX said:
If you know you're gonna swap eventually, I wouldn't bother wasting money on the stock engine. You could do an exhaust if you want it to sound better but otherwise I'd leave it alone. Spend some money on the suspension instead, that'll make it more fun to drive.

Yes, or you can do small things to prepare for the swap, I put a nitrous kit and a walbro255 in-tank pump in prior to my swap, ran Good on my n/a setup...plus less work when swap time comes (either 5.0 or 2.3). Also a Decent cam will help out, and will swap over! There are a few Good things, but usualy wieght removal for n/a is the most cheap thing you can do.

kiddiccarus · Oct 27, 2004

mr_woodster said:
Yes, or you can do small things to prepare for the swap, I put a nitrous kit and a walbro255 in-tank pump in prior to my swap, ran Good on my n/a setup...plus less work when swap time comes (either 5.0 or 2.3). Also a Decent cam will help out, and will swap over! There are a few Good things, but usualy wieght removal for n/a is the most cheap thing you can do.

Weight removal........Dump the woman and the speakers LOL

T3AL · Oct 27, 2004

well ya see ther are things you can get for your na motor then use them again on your turbo motor....what would you rather have a 2.3 turbo or a 2.5 turbo motor?

89Stang · Oct 27, 2004

eh the ford 2.5 stroker kit comes with crap pistons and the rods could be stronger so to answer the question on this I would rather have a 2.3t short block or long block. also the na block will need oil feed lines drilled in the oil pan for the turbo. Not distributor changes. Also Dual exhaust is worthless on a 2.3 unless your going for looks.... it will net no more power and will only add some weight to the car........

T3AL · Oct 27, 2004

I did not say anything about a kit, dont put words in my mouth.

Willy0314 · Oct 27, 2004

Putting duel exhust isn't a waste of money when your going to end up putting them on there when you swap in a v8 or even the 2.3T. Duels would make the car look a lot better, and will save you time down the road when it comes time for a motor swap.

89' RICE COOKER · Oct 27, 2004

T3AL he wasn't putting words in your mouth. If you knew half of what you were talking about, you would know ford never made a 2.5L turbo motor that could be swapped in. The 2.5L YOUR talking about, is made from The 2.3T stroked with the 2.3-2.5 Stoker kit. so unless your going to fabricate your own rods, pistons, and whatnot then stick with 2.3 route.

89Stang · Oct 27, 2004

T3AL said:
I did not say anything about a kit, dont put words in my mouth.

Unless you buy all the stuff seperate from someone like race engineering it is almost 90-95% going to be a Ford 2.5L Kit. Which isnt suitable for Turbo use.

Willy0314 said:
Putting duel exhust isn't a waste of money when your going to end up putting them on there when you swap in a v8 or even the 2.3T. Duels would make the car look a lot better, and will save you time down the road when it comes time for a motor swap.

Dual exhaust even on a 2.3T just isnt worth it. Now if its a look you want then go for it. But my statement was a fact. It will net no hp gain. Hell might even cost you a bit. Now if your going V8 this makes sense. On a 4 cylinder its only for looks and that is subject to opinion. Personally I like the single pipe better because its more unique. I have been through most of these conversations several times before. Duals are only for looks unless a V8 swap is planned!

tiny4lx · Oct 27, 2004

Full exhaust,gears,good clutch,lots of porting,cam,slicks and lots of nitrous[300 shot]

89Stang · Oct 27, 2004

tiny4lx said:
Full exhaust,gears,good clutch,lots of porting,cam,slicks and lots of nitrous[300 shot]

hahahaha
the old one pass wonder!!

Though I know not a lot of power comes out of these things NA but I still have an urge to do a carbed big cam 2.3 eh it will go away

Red_LX · Oct 27, 2004

89Stang said:
Dual exhaust even on a 2.3T just isnt worth it. Now if its a look you want then go for it. But my statement was a fact. It will net no hp gain. Hell might even cost you a bit. Now if your going V8 this makes sense. On a 4 cylinder its only for looks and that is subject to opinion. Personally I like the single pipe better because its more unique. I have been through most of these conversations several times before. Duals are only for looks unless a V8 swap is planned!

I have to disagree with that. If you want to run a full exhaust, tell me...where can you get a good mandrel bent 3" tailpipe without building it yourself? And how much fun is it to try to snake a 3" pipe over the axle? You can get Flowmaster mandrel bent 2 1/2" tailpipes for $99, and yes they look better than single exhaust too.

89Stang · Oct 27, 2004

Red_LX said:
I have to disagree with that. If you want to run a full exhaust, tell me...where can you get a good mandrel bent 3" tailpipe without building it yourself? And how much fun is it to try to snake a 3" pipe over the axle? You can get Flowmaster mandrel bent 2 1/2" tailpipes for $99, and yes they look better than single exhaust too.

Local shop qouted me 60 bux for the over the axle section 90 with a chrome 3.5" Tip welded on. and only 20 to weld it to the muffler..... not too bad.....

Bit more yes... but much straighter shot.
But a lot of it is personal opinion.
Oh the piping would be aluminized steel.
Granted the shop is 35 minutes onto the IL side but works for me.
Same shop qouted me 300 for all mandrel bent intercooler tubing and the exhaust work downpipe etc. But then again I know them but eh its a price someone else might be able to find.

Foxfan88 · Oct 27, 2004

Well we'll either go one of two routes with my car..

A: Fix it up real good and swap a 2.3t or 5.0 in her, then i would want to a do a tranny swap.

or

B: Fix it up real good, runnign very well, repaint the finish ( dad was in auto body for 20 years, it WILL be a good paint job. Plus we wont have to pay thousnds, just a couple hundred for paint stuff, and we paint it ourselves.) Some pony wheels. Make it all around a nice looking car. Then sell it for a HUGE profit then buy a 5.0 or something.

We'll most likely go down route B, so i would want to do some minor mods to it to increase its value.

I bought her for 300$ didnt run, spent about 120$ on it, now it runs really good, fixing alot of stuff. we could probably get 700$-1000$ for her at this point. With a new paint job, wheels, minor mods, etc. we could get about 2000-2500$ for it hopefully.

Does route B sound good?

Red_LX · Oct 27, 2004

$60 for a mandrel bent 3" tailpipe? You sure?

There are no muffler shops anywhere in this area that can even crush bend 3" pipe, much less do mandrel bent stuff.

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