I would love the details on this if you would. Which 16” rim, how there mounted, machining of the TRX’s. Have an 83 that needs this treatment.
pretty simple. I had a machine shop turn the TRX centers down to barely fit into Center Line billet wheels. 16 x 8 fronts and 17 x 8 rears. I installed long wheel studs. The C/L wheels mount as normal with 4 lug nuts. Then the TRX centers mount with another 4 lug nuts I used some disc brake dust shields behind the TRX centers
I've often wondered why no one has done this before. It seems that with the power that these things are capable of, it would be a killer in Super Stock.
I know there are 2 things that would restrict how much potential the 2.3T has in SS.
The stock t.b. diameter and the T-3 frame turbo rule. We are allowed more than 2 mm larger diameter than the stock compressor housing of 1.852 ". No restrictions on the turbine side.
There is a racer in the mid-west that races a 1984 2.3T Mustang in Super Stock and he runs close to 1.0 seconds under the SS/N index. ( he runs a manual trans tho) He has some nice parts on his setup.
My goal is to run SS but maintain the car in 100 % legal Stock Eliminator trim so I can pick either eliminator any time I want.
Sure looked and felt strange being mixed in with all those cars with huge slicks and wheelie bars. There it was...a the little ol' 2.3 Lima Turbo "tractor" motor with it's quiet exhaust and skinny rear DOT legal street tires.... lol
I was doing some measuring and it appears that installing a 4.6 3v into a 87-88 TC will be even more challenging.
The 3V throttle body will be right at the opening to the hood vents on the factory TC hood. I will have to remove all of the plastic air ductwork under that hood. Looks like 1 1/2 to 2 inch k-member spacers are needed. Gonna be close if it fits at all.
The centerline of the crank to the top of the intake on that 3v is much higher than my 460 big block is with an air cleaner on it.
Would be alot easier if I used a reg. T-Bird hood, but I like my TC hood. :D
I got into the data back-up industry in 1985. The company I worked at made streaming tape drives. The largest capacity 5 1/4" drive was 256 mb.
When I left in 1990 the largest capacity 3 1/2" streaming tape drive was around 1 GB if I recall correctly.
The electronics industry is like no other. Amazing. Technology moves fast. Mass production makes new fancy gadgets cheap and their capacity and quality get better.
Are the 3V block mounts the same as the 2V and 4V? If so, aside from the water outlet issue, some of my Type 9 mounts with the early lower brackets may get you in the ballpark. Not sure of other clearance issues, however.
According to the LMR write up, and looking at their pic, it sure looks like the 2v mounts will work.The S197 mounts that came on the engine are totally different. As a last resort if I get frustrated, those 2v mounts are the way to go with a 96-04 K-member, and as V8Demon says, it's still stock.
Or maybe one from Maximum Motorsports or the like and make yourself a ton of room for a decent exhaust? Then again, if you have a welder and time on your hands I can see where this would be tempting.
Darren
Darren: I can't use an aftermarket k-member due to the class rules, but even if I wanted to, I wonder if it would have clearance issues. Here is a link to the LMR blue Fairmont they put a 3v into and if you scroll down to the "2nd attempt" and 3rd attempt is shows how they had problems with an aftermarket one. I'm sure MM has the best aftermarket k-member out there, but I can't use it anyways.
Alan, any reason you can't/won't use a k member from a '96-'04 Stang?
2 reasons. The NHRA Super Stock class I want to eventually run this combo in requires a stock k-member. I could probably use a 96-04 one and no body would say anything tho.
The other reason is I want to use the 87 TC to build the engine brackets so that everything is a 100% bolt in, because I am entertaining the idea of putting that 4.6 into my 86 TC Stocker since it will soon be a NHRA legal Super Stocker anyways. That same car could run a turbo 2.3 or a 4.6 CJ engine and not have to change k-members.
I did the 460 swap in the 87 TC and made one-off custom mounts and set the engine way back, so I am hoping I can repeat the feat here with the 4.6.
