Ford’s 2.0/2.3/2.5 litre engine family guide

"I've read about the stock 2.3 turbo being lack luster" ??? You must be talking of the carbed ones and not EFI ones.

 

The stock carbed ones left a lot to be desired.

 

I found some more reading material, still undecided on N/A or turbo. It's pretty hard to find performance info for carbed EOA motors. Going to start working on the Model A again soon.

 

The 2.0 EAO engine has two problems (both with the cylinder head). The 1st thing it only has 3 cam bearings, put a high lift cam, and stronger valve springs in it you need to change cam bearings out on a regular basis (the stock cam will float the stock valve springs in the 6000 rpm range). The 2nd problem is that the stock intake ports are way too big for the engine size. There is ways to help it put out more power without spending a ton of money on hard to find performance. 1st is bigger valves, then un-shrouding the valves in the combustion chamber. The exhaust ports like on most Fords have too much restriction so open them up mainly on the roof, and right hand exhaust port walls (with the exhaust ports facing towards you) a long with streamlining the exhaust valve guides. Be careful on the exhaust port walls, and roof as the head is thinwall casting (you will hit water if you go too far) Polishing the exhaust port walls helps. On the intake you can fill the floor on the intake port a 1/4" (making it a d-port like the later 2.3's). Filling in the intake port 1/4" will not hurt flow, but the intake port velocity will go way up which helps keep the fuel mixed with air. You can streamline the intake valve guides also, but do not polish the intake ports, you want to keep the airflow also turbulent which also helps keeps the fuel mixed with air. One more thing you can do is increase the compression ratio by milling the head. Check your valve - piston clearance with the intake, and exhaust valves fully open (do this without the timing belt on) while the piston is at TDC. If you have lets say .170" valve to piston clearance you can mill the head .070", but you still need to cc everything before milling so you don't get too crazy with compression. By checking the valve - piston clearance without the timing belt you can keep the engine a non-interference engine so if you break a timing belt it won't bend the valves. On the intake if want to run a 2bbl carb the stock 2.0 intake is the best manifold to use (filling in 1/4" on the bottom of the ports so the ports will match). A Holley 350 cfm 2bbl is plenty of carb for a 2.0, a adaptor plate on the stock intake with the Holley 350 2bbl will give you the best bang for your $$ power wise over the stock Weber 2bbl progressive carb even if the rest of the engine is completely stock. On the header if you can keep the first 5" of each tube straight before any bends will also help. Lastly whenever you mill the block, or head you will need a adjustable cam sprocket to degree the cam in (once you change the cam/crank center to center it throws the cam timing off).

 

Wow Kenneth, thanks a lot. I found some older books online and was starting to read them. I've read about the head being the weak link also. Header needs to be made either way (turbo or n/a), just need to do more reading and make a decision.

 

what did you use for a starter motor?

 

I have'nt really put it in and tried it yet, but it looks like the 2.3 and the EAO 2.0 have the same nose cone. The bolt holes line up with the EAO motor plate and the 2.3 bell housing, but the 2.3 has a 10 tooth gear and the EAO has a 9 tooth. So I think I'm ok with the EAO 2.0 starter since I'm using the 2.0 flywheel.

 

I came across this and am wondering what it is and if it would be worth picking up for my next A coupe project?

http://chico.craigslist.org/pts/4981781500.html

 

The intake isn't good, the aluminum valve cover is worth gold, the dual point mallory is great and the header is ok (plus a 4spd if you want it). It's kinda steep in price, I would say around $400 because of the parts.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/pts/4978662886.html

 

What is the drawback on the intake?

 

I've read that the stock intake performs better and if you do want to run that dual runner intake you need to build it for the intake.

http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=23742.0
http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=21560.0

 

The 2.0 EAO "Pinto" engine are good little engines, I used to race a car with one. Only problem now with the 2.0 is parts are harder to find, its a "orphan" in the U.S. they are plentiful in Europe. No parts from the 2.3 will interchange even though the 2.3 was designed off the 2.0 EAO engine. The 4 bbl intake is ok, but the stock 2 bbl intake is the best intake. The stock 2 bbl intake works really good with a adaptor plate to put a 350 cfm Holley 2 bbl on it.

 

That's what I'm going with now, unless I find some cheap weber 40's or some dellortos .

 

I sold my old, used dual Weber 45 DCOE's and 2.0 intake for a lot more than what I paid them for them brand new. I wanted to run something like a 38/38 Weber on a 2.3 I have, but the prices are just too much. The old $25.oo 350 Holley with a rebuild kit works just fine, performs very well, and have been getting 27 mpg on the hwy, 22 in the city.

 

Thanks everyone, 'ppreciate the reply's. I'll keep looking.

 

Aloha Ken,
I've got a bit of a challenge ahead of me, and seek advice. I'm in Hawaii, and am going to go to Nova Scotia to fix my grandfather's '75 Bobcat (the one with a ridiculously small trunk) because somebody ran the car with no oil in it, and it appears the cam lost a lobe, judging by the sound. I have tools here, very few in Canada. I also have new replacement roller followers, cam and hydraulic tappets I'll be taking with me. Having never swapped a cam on one of these engines, I wonder what problems I'll have getting the rear cam retainer plate off with the engine in the car, and what other things may be a problem, because once I'm up there, I won't have many options and no other transportation.
Future plans for future trips include swapping for an Offy intake and Holley 2V carb, and transplanting in an '85 SVO Mustang T5 transmission. For these projects I have the major components already, its the small stuff that's got me wondering.
I'd appreciate any input.
Mahalo,
Robert

 

The cam wore out even with a proper oil fill on the early 2.3 engines. later engines were upgraded to roller cam followers and seem to be bulletproof.

I think you can upgrade with junkyard parts from a roller equipped late Ranger or Mustang.

 

Sometimes the screws in the cam retainer plate can be a real bear to get out. I'd take a extra retainer plate, and screws just in case. You maybe able to use one of stubby screwdriver bits you can put in a 3/8 ratchet, or breaker bar. I've never tried to remove a cam with the head still in the car, I usually pull the head (I'd take a head gasket kit just in case, it's not really that hard to R&R the head). Since you are doing some up grades, a single plug D-port intake head from a 1979 to 91 Mustang, or 86 to 88 Ranger would be a good improvement over the oval intake port head it has. Also a factory Ford carburetor intake from a 1979-85 Mustang (it also has the bolt pattern for a 2 bbl Holley in it, just remove the Weber carb adaptor, and a put a 1/2" spacer plate for the Holley on it). There is also a aftermarket intake for the D-port head that a 350 Holley can bolt right on to (which would be better than the Offy intakes). You could put the oval port intake on the D-port head temporarily, it's not optimal, but it will work (I have done it a couple of times). Lastly there is mark in the distributor housing that should be lined up with the rotor, and going to the number 1 plug. The oval port head flows so poor due to the too big ports, and the different angles of the ports in the head the number 3 cylinder runs leaner than the rest (it flows the poorer than the others) so if you don't line up the mark, and rotor to the number 1 cylinder the number 3 cylinder will detonate itself , and kill the number 3 piston. The stock distributor has the firing for the number 3 cylinder about 8 degrees retarded so the number 3 piston will live.

 

I've pulled a 2.3 cam in the junkyard using a bit and probably a 1/4" ratchet to undo the retainer. The cam needs room to come out the front- the radiator/support can be in the way.

 

Just be glad it's not a 2.0 EAO, the cam in it comes out the back.

 

Quick question, I came across this thread while surfing the net for answers.
I do some teching for a local dirt track. I am not well versed in the Ford 2300 and inspecting some heads for port work a came across something questionable. Just inside the intake runners on one of the heads there was a small raised "bump" about 1/4" in diameter. The other 2 heads we checked didn't have these bumps and I couldn't find any evidence of grind marks. Do all of theses heads have those bumps stock?

 

Where exactly were these little bumps, and how tall were they? There shouldn't be any bumps in the intake ports besides where the valve guides are naturally.

 

They were about an inch back on the floor of the intake runner. They were about 1/4 inch in diameter and raised up about 1/16 of inch and flat on top. They were definitely part of the casting.
The one that had the bumps was an oval port head if I remember correctly, the other 2 were D port heads.

 

I have a 92 Ford ranger, efi and electronic ignition.2.3 liter engine having a hole for a distributor.I would like to run a carb and distridutor.The cylinder head has 8 spark plugs.What spark plug holes to block off and what would be a good set up for a carb and distributor?

 

I heard the new 2.3 turbo was going to be available as a crate motor with controller and tranny. Does anyone know if that package is out yet? Gary

This is the only thing that shows up now.
https://fordperformanceracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=22999

 

Different family

 

How often do you need to pull the cam, I might make a trap door of sorts on the model A firewall if it's frequently.

For street use, I should add.

 

There is no carb intake for the dual plug 2.3's unless you make your own. The easy all bolt-on way is to get a head from a 1979-91 Mustang, or 1986-88 Ranger 2.3L 4 plug head, and put it on your engine. Carb intake manifolds, and carbs are easier to come by for those heads. Should you make your own intake for the dual plug head plug off the sparkplug holes on the intake side, and just run the plugs on the exhaust side. You can take the roller cam, and followers from the dual plug head, and put them into the 4 plug head.

 

If you are running a stock cam with stock valve springs you shouldn't need to pull the cam. If you got a bigger cam, and stronger valve springs you may need to change the cam bearings once a year, or 10,000 - 20,000 miles depending on the cam, and springs.

 

What is the metal canister just below the intake manifold and between the distro and oil filter? I just aquired a 79 2.3 from a mustang. I'm deleting all the emission connections that I can. I'm not sure what this thing is, but it is fitted into the block and is full of carbon build-up. Please and thank you.