Yeah I have a 91 LX 2.3 and its bad to the bone I ran it for like a week or two with no oil at all in it and I also drove the car till just last month with out a good heater core and I didn't even think to put in a bypass its a bad a$$ little eng best ford has made in a while in my book I can't hurt mine even when I try lol
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"Hey I need some more HP put a nother ford racing sticker on the best"
I gave my 2.3 mustang to my neighbor over a year ago, when it had 230,000 miles. He blew the transmission (2nd one, I blew the tranny in 2002), but the engine still runs strong. Hard to kill the little motor.
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66 Coupe - CandyApple Red, 2 barrel 289, C4.
66 Coupe - (father-daughter project). Tangier Orange, 302 with AOD, 17 inch Bullit wheels.
69 F-100 - 351c. Emerald Green Metallic paint. Still "in progress".
68 Barracuda - Rusted out project. 318 in the frame rails for now. Maybe a 360 in the future.
00 Mustang - (son's car) V6, 18 inch Saleen wheels.
MY first car was a 2.3 liter Mustang. It has 88 hp, but that is beside the point. I drove it for three weeks at a time because every three weeks something new would go wrong electronically. After I replaced everything electronic, the car broke a rod and the crankshaft, that is after a headgasket went bad and I had it replaced. I then bought another 2.3 and the head gasket went bad in a week. My cousin bought a 2.3 liter mustang and it had all sorts of electronic problems. They are junk. Sorry if I offended anyone but I am venting my frustrations on the most useless engine.
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
I have destroyed a few engines in my day, most recent was a 1.9 Escort.
302's, 454 chevy, pontiac 6's, triumph, Austin Healey, motorcycles, gocarts, Mazda rotarys, Mitsubishi 1.6 turbo, and hondas.
The 2.3 was far and away the most indestructable motor I have ever owned.
My 74 Mustang has 409,312 on the original motor and smokes a bit. At 170,000 it started smoking and I drove it to work and the oil light came on and I drove it 3 more miles to work thinking it would be killed when I got there. Got hot and I put oil in it for a trip home and it had stopped smoking for another 85,000 mles.
Since I have a fresh built turbo motor ready to go in when this engine dies I do not treat it well.
2 other times I have done the run with no oil in it and all it does is stop smoking for another 60 or 80,000 miles.
4 timing belts, 2 water pumps, new tranny (5 speed is fun!), 3 starters, new carb,
never had the head or pan off.
Currently doing about 400 miles a week of pizza delivery duty.
I have replaced about everything except the long block and it still runs well!
I can say nothing bad about my 2.3 89 coupe it flies and my wife drives a 2.3 91roller motor (lol 115 hp) with dis (no dizzy) 5 speed great car wicked on gas.
I think if you get a auto 2.3, ya your going to say it slow as slow gets!
Have to agree. I own a 92 2.3 hatchback 5 speed with 301,000 miles on the engine (thats not a typo). Engine starts right up and runs strong, she likes to cruise about 80 mph on the expressway, it's just where the engine "feels" like it wants to be. If I keep my foot out of it (65 mph), the car will get 30 mpg. I have replaced the DIS, cooling system, timing belt, and had the head rebuilt (just to restore lost power from wear, it didn't break). I do miss a shift under hard acceleration from time to time (damn third gear), and have overreved the engine numerous times. I honestly believe i would have to put the car in neutral and stand on the gas pedal with the intentions to blow it. Engine gets an A+ from me.
MY 2.3L just took a s**t on me too..... after about 190,000miles and a 75shot of nos that was the nail in the coffin I guess... haha I just got it rebuilt tho so no worries!! besides that they are good easy to work with motors in my opinion..
MY 2.3L just took a s**t on me too..... after about 190,000miles and a 75shot of nos that was the nail in the coffin I guess... haha I just got it rebuilt tho so no worries!! besides that they are good easy to work with motors in my opinion..
LOL, that's a lot of nitrous to put into an engine that small, with that many miles, especially if it was stock! lol
That said... I've done it too... a 75hp shot of nitrous is fun on a 2.3, just not something I'd recommend, lol... sure makes beating up on six-shooter 'stangs easy though!
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
LOL, that's a lot of nitrous to put into an engine that small, with that many miles, especially if it was stock! lol
That said... I've done it too... a 75hp shot of nitrous is fun on a 2.3, just not something I'd recommend, lol... sure makes beating up on six-shooter 'stangs easy though!
I'm gonna' let that pass . ..
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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Just messin with you KS, but seriously, a 5spd, 3.73 geared 2.3 notchback fox with a75hp shot of nitrous will beat down most 3.8 SN95/New Edge cars if the engine holds up to the nitrous. I've even seen 100hp shots run by guys who were trying to blow up a 2.3 and just have fun doing it (worst damage I've seen is a few bent valves, a blown head gasket, and a blown set of piston rings... block, pistons, rods were all still good in all three of those 100hp-shot grenades).
I'd love to find a DIS 2.3 notchback 5spd car, rebuild the engine with forged pistons and rods, with some port work and milling to the head with a mild cam, and a 75hp nitrous kit on it just to go V6 Mustang & Fbody hunting on Saturday nights... embarass the hell outta them.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
I have to agree with some of the other guys man my 2.3 in my turbo coupe thunderbird has never given me a bit of trouble it has 120,000 miles on it and i don't baby it what so ever.
hey there, new to this website,, but i own a 1979 mustang, 2.3ltr.. its got over 200, 000 miles on it,, to my knowledge it only had one rebuild, that rebuild i put in my self in 1997 when it had 100,000 miles,, since then i only put another 100,000 miles.. only had one ignition box change and still going good.
I think the life of an engine has mainly to do with who drives it and how they take care of it. I had a 89' 2.3L that my family bought in 91 with 30-40k, it ran strong up until 220,000 miles. After that she died.
Now my girlfriends '93 2.3L is a different story. It is a Cali car with less than 75k and no rust (Michigan Mustangs rust), but I think it sat for a long time. Crap is breaking ALL the time...
Water pump, heater core was plugged, leaking A/C system, self-adjusting clutch cable does not "self-adjust," p-brake cable seized (which caused d-side brake shoes to wear out), wheel cylinder, p-side axle seal, cable for forward/backward seat adjustment, leak in sun roof, brake proportioning valve, starter, O2 sensor, rear shock axle mounts, and NOW the fuel pump is only getting 6.x volts instead of 12.x.
Also, at some point, all the glass has been replaced in the car. When I took a part of the dash from under the steering wheel off, a pile of broken glass fell out... crazy. She's only owned the car for just over a year too.
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1986 Mustang GT - BBK Cold-Air Induction - Flowmaster American Thunder aftercat system - Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter - Summit Racing High Flow Water Pump - 160 Degree Thermostat - Sony MP3/CD Player - Otherwise, All Stock and Loving it.
but I think it sat for a long time. Crap is breaking ALL the time...
Worst thing in the world for a car is to sit....fixing to break my '92vert outta storage. Been stored for the last 4 years at a buddies house. Kept it cranked but not driven.....looking for the worst, hoping for the best.
Another thing, best motor in the world is only as good as the last mechanic that worked on it....
in the past
'66 coupe 289 2bbl
'68 vert 289 2bbl
'71 mach1 351c
'88 4banger
and now, '92lx vert 4 banger...resto begins soon!
LOL, that's a lot of nitrous to put into an engine that small, with that many miles, especially if it was stock! lol
That said... I've done it too... a 75hp shot of nitrous is fun on a 2.3, just not something I'd recommend, lol... sure makes beating up on six-shooter 'stangs easy though!
Seriously you guys should take a few mintues to check out my webpage. If you think a 75 shot is hard you should see how well it handles 18-20 psi PLUS 125 shot.
Try that with anything other than a 2.3 and its coming apart.
i've had 3 stangs 2.3 2 had 350,000 kms before kacking,and i used to do 1st to 2nd
shift donuts for 5 minutes (with a posi 3.55 7.5 from a 85 turbo coupe) loved that car alot.
