[scruffman]

I was speaking with this auto mechanic, he said the he had re-built his ranger 2.3, new cam and push rods and bored 40 to 60 over, and that pushed him up 170 plus hp......
now.... I think I have asked these questions.....and have been told a 2.3 is a 2.3 unless it's got gas or turbo...
do I believe him??? I asked for his dyno sheets.... he said he had them somewhere....
now the price he quoted me for the re-build was way less than a turbo swap...170hp is a do-able number..... but???

[HalfPackLX]

SURE! (sarcasm) Just a cam and pushrods...UM...There are no pushrods! Valve train is: Lash adjusters(lifters), Followers(rockers), valves and cam. There would have to be othere mods to get that HP NA. Even with the newest versions of the efi 2.3l I can't see it being possible. If you had: Header, ported head, performance cam, better intake setup that would get you a decent boost in power.

[scruffman]

I was thinking......... nope..... I don't believe it!!!

[sleeper_inc]

He can't do it without more mods, but if he's got the dyno to prove it then he might have a high compression

[b_chandler]

(snicker) pushrods.... Bored 40 to 60 over? That's a pretty broad range.

I wonder if this mechanic's shop has random drug testing. This guy's seen a few random drugs

[scruffman]

well his eyes were RED...... and there was this odor of pot!!! but..... what can one expect from aiken sc????

[b_chandler]

Apparently not much other than a bunch of BS and positive drug tests

[scruffman]

yep...... and to think this guy was driving impaired...... or worse!!!!!!he could have done a tune up for YOU!!!!!!!! or even worse...... ME!!!!!
that's why when I go into a place to eat, I always look at the cooks!!! if I see a guy with long hair.. I'll joke about the food, but him I trust...

[sgcuda]

So does this mean that realistically, you can't get 170 hp out of a N/A 2.3? I guess I need to dyno my engine when it's done & check power. I wouldn't think that 175-200 hp would be a far stretch these days especially with new cam designs and different intake combinations available.

[sleeper_inc]

It could be possible. It would just need a lot of money

[b_chandler]

sgcuda, you missed the point.

The original story says the guy changed his pushrods
That's like an old Bug guy bragging about his new aluminum radiator.

He then goes on to boast about how his engine was bored .040 to .060 over.

Okay, which was it? .040 or .060? I think I've seen .040 pistons, but I can't recall seeing .060 pistons for a 2.3.

Bottom line is that the guy was full of BS (or as we later determined, THC).

The 2.3 is a forgotten engine outside of the ministock market. There aren't much in the way of new cam designs and there certainly aren't any intake manifolds available for it that haven't been around since the '70s. If there was really a decent aftermarket intake available. The racing crowd wouldn't be snagging up pre-'91 EFI intakes and welding the injector holes shut and adapting the tops for carburetors.

Truth is, whatever is currently available for a 2.3L OHC Ford, is because of circle track racing, or as of late, the turbo guys.

I hope you get your 170hp. without forced induction or power adders. You'll prove alot of folks(myself included) wrong.

[HalfPackLX]

170+ HP NA is definatly doable with parts and knowledge available today.

That's not the point of the post, I know.

Anyhow...I'd like to do it. If I could justify buying an esslinger head and cam and underdrive pullies and all the goodies.

I can't so I am doing a carb and offy intake,homeported head(first time porting ) cam, header, exhaust and ignition mods. I am hoping for 130-140+ HP. I think that's possible with enough thought and tuning.

I like to think about it this way: 2.3l is about half of a 4.6L SOHC(displacement wise).

88hp stock 2.3l = 176 hp 4.6l
P U!

170HP 2.3l = 340HP 4.6l
That's a pretty effecient NA engine!

130-140HP 2.3l = 260-280hp 4.6l This may be doable on a resonable budget and a good plan.

Just a way to think about it since about every article in the Stang mags is on V8 power.

[sleeper_inc]

If you want power fast then bump the compression.

If you want to see a 2.3 N/A build up go to http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2433289/

[sgcuda]

I feel Esslinger is out of control with their head prices, but I picked up their 2 bbl. manifold from a roundy-round builder for $ 50.00 because they are illegal in most classes. My head is home ported and milled for 10:1 compression. Cams seem abundant enough. Sig Erson, Isky, Crane, Racer Walsh and a host of others have enough grinds to make almost everyone happy. The point is, power can be made from these engines fairly cheap. But then, everything is relative. I'm in the middle of building a 500" aluminum head Mopar engine on a budget. This discount engine so far has cost more than the down payment on my house!

[74stang2togo]

Yeah, that mechanic was hitting the bong in the back of the shop for sure... either that or he built a GM 2.5... but that wouldn't explain the retarded "40-60 over" comment.