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THE 2.3 Liter Natuarally-Aspirated Performance/Modifications Thread

240K views 243 replies 114 participants last post by  Fredness. 
#1 ·
Hey all this is my first post to this board and I'm hoping someone can help me out a little bit. I just bought a 1987 LX. Its 2.3L and 5 speed but other then that I don't know anything about it. The owners manual is long gone so I have no idea of where to look for specifications and stuff. Is it turbo or not? I don't have license plates or insurance yet so I can't drive it around any. Is this a fast mustang? More importantly, is it faster than the stock civics my friends drive? Its blue, does being blue make it faster? :cool: Anyways! Any help anyone could give me would be awesome. Thanks a bunch!
 
#27 ·
Originally posted by Flex Remove the air silencer. Half shaft the TB and port the intakes. Unhook the Knock sensor if the engine is not detonating. There are bolt ons as well but they cost.
I'm one of those guys who doesn't know much about mechanics, is there any easier way to explain what you're saying ?:help:

Also, is it better to go with no cat with exhaust ?

Oh, and the reason I was asking about dual exhaust is because I've heard people use an 86 SVO Y-pipe to go dual with their 87-93 2.3L, but you're saying it's not worth it ?
 
#28 ·
Won't make it faster? Want to bet on that?

A turbo is an easy way to improve performance but the 2.3 can make power N/A as well.

Remove the silencer and get a high flow filter. It is worth more than 2 hp if you do both. Do not disconnect the sensor if your motor is detonating. Get it running without detonation first as detonation can cause engine damage.

The sensor signals the ECM to retard the ignition when knock is detected only it knocks it back about 20 degrees and takes a long time to return to normal. The idea behind the sensor unhook is that the sensor detects knock so faint your ear won't hear it. Unhooking the sensor will keep the timing static and let the engine make power to its max rpm as long as the motor is in good working order


After we blew a rod/piston on my brother's 4 we performed this build up.

Went to the 5.7 inch rod KB piston conversion. The pistons were $122 from Summit at the time. Also put in file fit rings. Rods cost me $50 Canadian (about $5 US lol) and were considerably lighter than the stock four cylinder rods even though they were 1/2" longer. ARP waveloc rod bolts were installed as well. I also got the 89 grm tool steel pins. Lightened the rotating assembly by 2 pounds when everything was totalled up.

I bought a windage tray from Esslinger and installed that during the build up.

I heavily ported the heads and relocated the exhaust upwards. Manley 1.89/1.59 valves were installed along with a Ranger roller cam and followers. I also got a Ranger header and ceramic/aluminum coated it. Rest of the exhaust was 2.25 out the back with a Flowtech Terminator muffler.

The Intakes were ported and polished and port matched to the head. All internally projected fittings were cut down even with the intake wall. The TB was half shafted to increase flow. My own phenolic spacers were also installed during the buildup. It also has a rail mount gauge and Kirhban regulator.

For the timing, we got the round tooth gear set from Race engineering in Florida. Very light and adjustable. I also bought a %50 underdrive crank pulley from Unorthodox Racing and swiss cheesed the factory pulleys to lighten them.

I also bought a rice rocket CAI that came with a K&N filter which will be modified to take air directly from outside.

Other goodies include MSD 8.8 Wires and Coil, distributor cap and rotor, Turbo aluminum valve cover and Bosch +4 plugs.
Once the engine was running and the timing was set with no detonation, I disconnected the knock sensor. Those things kill the performance of the 2.3.

The last thing it needs, besides finishing the cold air box, is a newer mass air conversion. That alone is worth 17 hp on a stock 2.3. I also have some idiot making an aluminum drive shaft for it but he has been working on it for over a year (always too damn busy). .
 
#227 ·
Won't make it faster? Want to bet on that?

A turbo is an easy way to improve performance but the 2.3 can make power N/A as well.

Remove the silencer and get a high flow filter. It is worth more than 2 hp if you do both. Do not disconnect the sensor if your motor is detonating. Get it running without detonation first as detonation can cause engine damage.

The sensor signals the ECM to retard the ignition when knock is detected only it knocks it back about 20 degrees and takes a long time to return to normal. The idea behind the sensor unhook is that the sensor detects knock so faint your ear won't hear it. Unhooking the sensor will keep the timing static and let the engine make power to its max rpm as long as the motor is in good working order




Hi, im new to the site, and im new with my first 93 2.3 lx hatch mustang

would wht u were saying about the sensor doing wht it does be the problem with my car???

my car in nutruel revs perfect and is fine, but under a load(in gear accelerating,) it looses power all together at about 3,000 rpms. boggs out
 
#29 ·
The air silencer is the highlighted piece.



Half shafting involves removing the upper portion of the TB shaft to improve flow. I will post a link .

http://www.3.8mustang.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38630&highlight=half+shafting

POrting the Intakes is obvious right? The knock sensor mounts behind the linkage on the upper. Look at this thread for more info on it.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15518

Eliminating the cat will increase flow. You do not want duals on a N/A 2.3 cause the lack of back pressure will kill your torque. Just a single 2-2.25 inch exhaust and a good muffler like a Flow or Flowtech will work good.
 
#30 ·
I went on jet's site and they dont show one for the 2.3. Am i looking in the wrong place? Could u point me in the right direction or post a link? Thanks.
 
#32 ·
Flex said:
The air silencer is the highlighted piece.


Eliminating the cat will increase flow. Just a single 2-2.25 inch exhaust and a good muffler like a Flow or Flowtech will work good.
I looked under my hood , and i don't have the hilighted piece, instead theres a big black rectangular shaped piece of plastic that says FORD on it, same thing ?

Is a Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow the best muffler to get (I think it has 2.5" in , 2.25" out) , I'm just looking to get a good sound , and if possible power/performance gain. Oh, so no cat system = the way to go ?
 
#33 ·
Just bring the car down to your local muffler shop and get them to chop the cat off and replace it with a pipe. If you have no mecanical skills just get them to put on a cherry bomb muffler.. It gives a great sound, flows great, and looks good! Its also cheaper then a normal muffler, its only 30$ canadian. like probally 15-20 american. You wont be disappointed.
 
#34 ·
Oh and about the air silencer yea thats the one! I had the same one on mine. Just take it off, take a knife and gut the insides. The insides will look like a cheese grader (sorta) but all plastic, thats what you need to gut. Its simple, then just rip it out!
 
#36 ·
Well, even if you gut it, it will still hurt flow Black because of the chamber expanding so much larger than the rest. Remove it completely and replace it with the appropriate sized PCV tube. It will cost a few bucks from Home Depot etc. They even sell rubber plunbing connectors and reducers if you need. This will provide a smooth straight flow path. I will post a pic later.

Don't go too large on the exhaust. 2-2.25 inch max unless you are going Turbo. A large pipe will kill backpressure and bottom end torque. The factory pipe is like 1.5". Eliminating the cat will add a huge amount of flow by itself.

The Flow is a good muffler as is the Flowtech Terminator (on our car) or if you want more sound, take Black's suggestion.

Also, the Ranger exhaust manifold I mentioned is a factory tube steel header.

MASS air came in 91 and later cars. It is only "necessary" to convert to it if your car is heavily modded but it is supposed to be worth 17 hp and a lot of guys say the 2.3 really responds to mass air conversion.

The bad thing about it is that I have not found one that has a distributor so you may have to take the DIS and pull your distributor at the same time. I have recently obtaind everything except the DIS and will try the conversion soon.









 
#162 ·
Well, even if you gut it, it will still hurt flow Black because of the chamber expanding so much larger than the rest. Remove it completely and replace it with the appropriate sized PCV tube. It will cost a few bucks from Home Depot etc. They even sell rubber plunbing connectors and reducers if you need. This will provide a smooth straight flow path. I will post a pic later.

Don't go too large on the exhaust. 2-2.25 inch max unless you are going Turbo. A large pipe will kill backpressure and bottom end torque. The factory pipe is like 1.5". Eliminating the cat will add a huge amount of flow by itself.

The Flow is a good muffler as is the Flowtech Terminator (on our car) or if you want more sound, take Black's suggestion.

Also, the Ranger exhaust manifold I mentioned is a factory tube steel header.

MASS air came in 91 and later cars. It is only "necessary" to convert to it if your car is heavily modded but it is supposed to be worth 17 hp and a lot of guys say the 2.3 really responds to mass air conversion.

The bad thing about it is that I have not found one that has a distributor so you may have to take the DIS and pull your distributor at the same time. I have recently obtaind everything except the DIS and will try the conversion soon.









I've got a 91 2.3 So it is mass air right
 
#42 ·
ts?

I am only 16 and have a great 1991 mustang, however it is a 4-banger. My friends dont have mustang fever like me so they dont see the car as much since their cars are faster. (Grand AM, Taurus, Sonoma). I would have a 5.0 but my parents wouldnt allow it. So I want to modifiy the car to have decent speed. I dont need it to be as fast as a 5.0 of course, I just want to speed it up a bit. Where do i begin???????
 
#44 ·
Do you have any idea how many posts pretty much Exactly like this there are? Meh oh well.. First remove your air silencer.. Look in another post for that. Dis connect your knock sensor... Also another post.. Get a new muffler, and a header from a 96 ranger.. Tube header.. Other posts.. Depending on your budget.. Maybe a performance street cam.. and if you really want to spend money.. Perhaps an oval port allumium head.. Not cheap! can get up to around 2000-5000 american. You really came to the right place for your mods. But sorry im too lazy to repeat all of those topics.. But they are easy to find, because they have been said many times.. Good luck, just IM a mod, or myself if you have any more questions..
 
#45 ·
Re: ts?

mustang5 said:
I am only 16 and have a great 1991 mustang, however it is a 4-banger. My friends dont have mustang fever like me so they dont see the car as much since their cars are faster. (Grand AM, Taurus, Sonoma). I would have a 5.0 but my parents wouldnt allow it. So I want to modifiy the car to have decent speed. I dont need it to be as fast as a 5.0 of course, I just want to speed it up a bit. Where do i begin???????
Since when has a sonoma, and a taurus been "much" faster cars then a 2.3 mustang.. man that car has a bad rep.. Maybe its because I haven't been driving a stock one for a while.. (Getting to my head)!
 
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