[Turbostang]

So you want a 2.3 turbo, huh?  Lets start with the basics first. Back in 1974, Ford had decided they needed an econimical engine for the soaring gas prices back in the 1970's, so they built the 2.3L engine. But as early as 1979 they realized it made insufficient power. So  Ford decided to put a turbocharger on it to boost power, from then on it was known as the "Turbo GT."

Ford had done this with a blow-thru carb setup until 1984, when SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) had come into play. They made the 2.3T's fuel injected, and from then on, the 2.3 Turbo Mustang was known as the SVO Mustang. These Mustangs were in production from 1984-1986. However the SVO wasn't alone, it had a few cousins; the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe '83-'88, the Merkur XR4Ti '85-'86, the Mercury Zephyr '80, Ford Fairmont '80, the Mercury Cougar XR7 '84-'86 and the Mercury Capri '83-'84. Then, in 1987, SVO had come up with an idea to gain more power from their SVO Mustang. They came up with the idea of a 16V DOHC head to fit on the 2.3. After a few months on their project and their proto-type model, Ford scratched the plan. It made more power than their V8 5.0 liter Mustangs. The DOHC 2.3 rated at 275hp, while the 5.0s were just hitting the 220hp spot. SVO was then disbanded...but they continued to put the 2.3T's in the Thunderbird until 1988. This is when production of 2.3Ts had stopped...

However, a few years later, people started to realize what these cars were: faster than V8s. People started snapping them up and making more power from them. Which leads us to the point of this thread, "You want a 2.3 Turbo huh?"

First off, it's really not a good idea to use N/A 2.3 engines because they have cast pistons and no oil feed for a turbo. This is why people are using Turbo Coupes and Merkurs as donor cars for their 2.3T project. They can be picked up for dirt cheap, and have a plethora of useful parts, such as the block with forged pistons.

Another question I often hear is: "How hard is it, how long will it take, and how do I install it?" Well, this is where Stinger Performance will come in to play. He has a well detailed installation of his 2.3T swap on his website: STINGER. He is probably one of the most knowledgeable 2.3 people I've met, he also makes a lot of custom stuff for the 2.3T's...

So now you're probably wondering where you can get 2.3T parts right??
Well here's a few; Esslinger Racing has alot of 2.3 parts, mostly 2.3 N/A's tho, another is Cheap HP and they have a lot of 2.3 stuff as well along with Racer Walsh and Stinger and if you need replacement 2.3T wiring, this you right Here

Not too long ago, a guy named Cosworth found out you can take an early model 16V Volvo 2.3 head and fit it onto Ford's 2.3L with minor modifications to make more power. Now, if you're looking to get into something like that: Click Here and Here For more info on the Volvo head swap. Also, if you want you can build a custom intake for the 2.3, all you need is to know how to weld.

Now, let's talk about tuning the 2.3T,  now if you have crazy plans for the 2.3, its obvious you're not gonna be running the stock EEC, now you gotta start looking in to stand-alone systems like Mega Squirt or twEECer to tune and properly run your bad ass setup, but however they have a harness to make installing Mega Squirt a lot simpler.

Well I think we pretty much covered what it takes to do a turbo 2.3, so if there's anything I made a mistake on, or missed, let me know and I will correct it.

FAQ's

Below is a few links of interest you might want to check out:
TUrbo Ford
Turbo Mustangs/Turbo Forums
4 Banger
Motion Dynamics
Ford Turbo Motorsports
SVO club of america
NATO
Ford 4 Engines
FOURCED

Some persuasion! 

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[JaxRhapsody]

I was gonna turbo my 4banger and I might still do it. I got discouraged trying to pull a turbo from a caravan at one of the Pull-A-Part chain junkyards

[Turbostang]

well i just finished my 2.3 turbo and im looking at gains around 450hp

[MyStangOpens]

well i just finished my 2.3 turbo and im looking at gains around 450hp

so you finished it?

dyno

dyno

dyno!

[Turbostang]

Damng MSO lmao, its in, no dyno yet, i still need a computer to run the stand alone

[MyStangOpens]

Damng MSO lmao, its in, no dyno yet, i still need a computer to run the stand alone

stop lying

i kno u

ur gonna get off the comp, hop in your 500hp 2.3T and go drive down the street, right past the dyno place, and go to quiznos or something

then come back and say you were working on it again

 

[Turbostang]

oh haha your a funny guy, lol, after the car is painted, were putting it on the dyno

[MyStangOpens]

oh haha your a funny guy, lol, after the car is painted, were putting it on the dyno

thats a good idea, we all kno fresh paint adds horsepower

[Turbostang]

now your making fun of me

[MyStangOpens]

now your making fun of me

wow dude, you hav 407 posts? how come u never told me about this site?

[Turbostang]

i did kinda, i was waiting for approval from MD to say something about it on MM

[MyStangOpens]

you cuda jus pm'd me lol

but anyways, lets not spam this place up too

[Turbostang]

yea were bad like that

[jayber]

Owned 84 SVO myself. Pushed it up to 21psi and ran spinning bottom 14s. Fun car and could of been alot more.

[Turbostang]

not bad, hope to be in the 11's with my vert