2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Topic: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0 (Read 4230 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Reply #15 – March 21, 2005, 08:39:13 PM

Quote from: shame302

chuck...you realy seem to be the 2.3 turbo to-go-man...i was considering doing something with my 96 ranger...5 speed 2wd regcab, 4 cyl. the 5.0 would be cool and all but the idea of the 2.3t is pretty sweet. any ideas? what needs to be done and what options are their?

I think I'm more the "anti-5.0 man" than anything...or the "King of pointless engine swaps (as I have been called)"

As far as the Ranger goes, I'm not as familiar with the Gen3's. Hop on over to turborangers.org and do some digging. There are several guys who have dealt with the wiring harness issues and the like. Mine was "simple" in the fact that really the '87 2.3NA Ranger harness and the turbo harneses were very close in regards to layout and pin-outs. The later trucks got a different ECU harness IIRC and are a bit more tedious to do. I also don't remember when they switched to EEC5...which changes things too.

Most guys stay with their existing tranny if it was a 2.3 to begin with. Mine wasn't (2.9/A4LD)..so I did the T-5 swap at the same time I did the engine.

If you want to keep the A/C there are a few other things to contend with as well.

Pay a visit, do some reading and I'm sure you'll find most of the questions answered.

As far as "molesting" the car...mine is better than it ever was as a 5.0 car....and to me the 2.3T is more satisfying.

Re: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Reply #16 – March 29, 2005, 03:45:33 PM

i'm going to have to say 5.0. it's easy do to already being an automatic for one. second, the 87-88 birds are no the lightest little creature in the world.

but, if you want something interesting, do the turbo 2.3. i personally love them. they're easy to tweak, have a nicer torque curve then a V8 (i was never afraid of a supercharged mustang...but, there was the twin turbo vette the one time..), and if you want the car to handle, instead of going straight, you knock off around 80-100 pounds easily.

Re: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Reply #17 – March 29, 2005, 05:21:20 PM

set of aluminum heads on a smallblock will do almost that for ya!

Re: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Reply #18 – March 29, 2005, 10:07:15 PM

The 5.0 would probably be easier in the long run if you don't know your way around the 2.3T. I will say that a 2.3T would be a ton of fun and get much better gas mileage(if you can keep your foot out fo it). I always loved going to the track and smoking a 5.0 and then popping the hood to this tiny little 2.3 in a big heavy TC. This year(if I have enough time to get it back together) we're going to be playing with the supercharged and nitroused 5.0's.

Re: 2.3 Turbo or a 5.0

Reply #19 – March 30, 2005, 10:14:51 AM

ah forget it, just do a twin turbo 5.0 swap and you can have it both ways.