Was This The 1st Turbo Version of Ford's 2.3L I4?

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LoneRanger

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I graduated college in 1986. Used to want either a 1986 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or 1986 Mustang SVO Turbo, but was too cash strapped as a new grad to pull either off. Got married few yrs later, first child born, bought 1st house, still new in the career, dreams of the turbos gave way to necessity and realities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_SVO

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/07/29/lost-cars-of-the-1980s-ford-thunderbird-turbo-coupe/


So I was thinking about the fact that FoMoCo is still bolting turbos to the very venerable 2.3 I4, although the current version of the engine is way updated. 2020 Ford Ranger, Mustang, Explorer, etc.
 
The 2.3T lima would have been the first Ford 2.3 turbo.

However, the 2.3T they're putting in the Ranger, Explorer, Mustang, Focus RS and I'm sure more is a completely different engine. It's an evolution of the MZR (Ford/Mazda venture) I4. Updated significantly from the Duratec 4s we saw in the ealy/mid 2000s; it is more Mazdaspeed 3 than the old 2.3T in 80s.
 
Ya the only thing similar between the 2 is that they are a 4cyl with a turbo and the threads for the oil filter are the same. The old ones took a FL-1A while the new ones take a FL-910S.
 
According to Wikipedia, the first 2.3 turbo was offered in carbureted form in the 1979 Mustang, Capri and Fairmont (!?) Yes you read that right.

1983 was the first fuel injected version. Intercooling came later. Some versions had a manual switch you could toggle based on whether you were running regular or premium, because it was before the days of knock sensors.
 
Ford once made a 4.0 V6. Jeep once made a 4.0 inline 6. Just because they're the same displacement doesn't mean they're the same engine.
The old turbo 2.3 was a Lima engine. Naturally aspirated versions of this engine were used in several models. The last vehicle to use this engine was the Ranger, and they discontinued this engine in 2001.
 
Friend of mine had one of the Turbo Coupes before they had the intercooler, maybe it was an 85. They had the keypad on the side of the door back then but all of us knew the code so he said it was annoying coming out to his car sometime and one of his friends would be sitting in the car waiting for him. Got about 15psi's of boost in 1st to 3rd gear and about 10 in 4th and 5th. There was a way to bypass the waste gate on the turbo so you ended up with 15psi in all 5 gears so it made it a little faster.
 
I was under the impression the old 2.3L was a reworked 1.9L CVH or a different motor designed by Ford Europe.

The newest non-V6/V8/diesel Fords have more in common with Mazda and Volvo.
 
The oldest Ford 2.3L turbocharged engine was a draw through carburetor design. We raced these with some success.

That engine eventually morphed into the SVO engine. I worked for a shop that tested parts and camshafts for that engine design, prior to the release of the SVO mustang.

The old 2.3 had roughly a 3 3/4 inch bore and 3 1/8 inch stroke. It performed quite well at higher RPM when properly configured. We redlined them at 8000 RPM

The current Ecoboost 2.3 has a 3.44 inch bore and 3.7 inch stroke and has a 6500 RPM redline.
 
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Originally Posted by Burt
According to Wikipedia, the first 2.3 turbo was offered in carbureted form in the 1979 Mustang, Capri and Fairmont (!?) Yes you read that right.

1983 was the first fuel injected version. Intercooling came later. Some versions had a manual switch you could toggle based on whether you were running regular or premium, because it was before the days of knock sensors.


I had an '83 Turbo Coupe from new.

Only available with a 5 speed manual. It did not have a toggle for regular / premium fuel. It did have a knock sensor.

The EEC-IV system had a bit of a quirk - it would NEVER start on the first turn of the key. It would ALWAYS start on the second turn of the key. This was completely independent of ambient air temp, whether the car was hot or cold, etc. It was a sophisticated setup in its day. I went from a POS Honda to the T Bird, which was like moving from a rat infested crack house to a country club.

Mine went through several sets of injectors, and it gained a bit of additional HP with each set, best I recall.

For some odd reason, I seem to recall the engine, or some major parts of it, was made in Brazil. But that was a long time ago, and I could be wrong about that.

Mine looked identical to car number #3 in the Hemmings link, except mine had one additional, once common feature, I have not seen since: vent windows. I special ordered the car and ticked off that box ...

edit: my '83 had a plastic / chrome grille. That '84 in picture #3 looks like it has a blackout.
 
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Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Used to want either a 1986 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or 1986 Mustang SVO Turbo, but was too cash strapped as a new grad to pull either off.


I think the Ford Probe GT also used a 4-cyl turbo back in those days. Might have been the same engine they used in the Thunderbird.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Used to want either a 1986 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or 1986 Mustang SVO Turbo, but was too cash strapped as a new grad to pull either off.


I think the Ford Probe GT also used a 4-cyl turbo back in those days. Might have been the same engine they used in the Thunderbird.


The Probe was supposed to be the Mustang replacement but there was such a huge outcry about it that they just renamed it and kept the Mustang.
 
I owned an 87 T bird turbo coupe. Loved the car. It had the octane switch, and controllable shocks, for a sporty ride. I did a few simple mods and cranked the boost up.

Yes, the engine block had lower compression forged pistons and other parts sourced from Brazil.

While it was not "super fast", it certainly was fun and more than acceptable. It was not a heavy car, at 3300 pounds. I got it into the high 13's in the 1/4 mile with exhaust mods, intake filter and raised boost. Stock top speed was 145, and with the mods would probably do a bit more but the speedo was one of those 85mph flavors.

[Linked Image]
 
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I had a 1984 Turbo Coupe with a five speed manual. It was my work beater from 1994-1998. I sold it to the son of a friend and he still has it. It was a decent car for my purposes.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Used to want either a 1986 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or 1986 Mustang SVO Turbo, but was too cash strapped as a new grad to pull either off.


I think the Ford Probe GT also used a 4-cyl turbo back in those days. Might have been the same engine they used in the Thunderbird.


Wiki says it was the Mazda F2T 2.2 liter in the Probe GT.

I don't know if the 2.3 Lima has ever been used in a front-drive application...?
 
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