1992 Ford ranger turbo build.

Well as it says in the title, I have a 1992 ford ranger with the 2.3 ford. Going for over 300hp. I am currently about 2/3 of the way thru collecting parts for this, and just need a megasquirt, intercooler piping, injectors, and clutch and pressure plate. Going to weld the rear after I am done with welding class this semester. I have a 8 plug head that I had drilled out for oversize valves 1.89 in and 1.59 ex. I ported the head mildly on the intake and exhaust ports. I am using 88 Turbo coupe pistons and rods that I had resized and arp bolts installed. Block was honed, and I bought mahle rings. I have arp head studs, felpro gasket, autometer boost gauge, Innovative motorsports wide band and gauge. Springs, retainer, locks, stainless valves, shims, ect. Need to figure out a cam, as I had a 400.00 one stolen by some cocksucker in flordia. Anyone with relatives in the pensicola area that want to earn 50.00 bucks get a hold of me, and I have an address and they can get my cam back. It will be a bit for any real interesting pictures as I am going to try and have every thing ready before swapping motors and stuff. Happy to be on a somewhat local forum, as I am in the flathead valley.

Sounds like an interesting endeavor! Glad to see someone else modding a truck! If you are going through all the trouble of doing everything right with the motor, why weld the rear? If for money, just get the motor going and drive easy while you test and tune while saving some cash and then buy a locker.

At any rate best of luck with it, I will definetely keep my eye on this thread.

Wow, this sound interesting. Definitely keep the updates coming, I like seeing different projects and how people accomplish these things. Best of luck with it!!

I have a 430hp chevy with a 8.5 thats been welded for 4 years, and its just as strong as it was on day one. The key is knowing how to weld them up. Most don't and thats why they come apart. Also I plan on installing a 8.8 eventually, so its because its cheap, and because its temporary. I'll get some pics up soon of the engine and parts. haven't actually done anything to the truck besides installing a Tach. Thinking of getting crager soft 8 rims for it too. Also I really want to try the new goodyear street slicks. I think they are better than the mickey et, or even hoosiers street ones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k98KD-Xdymw

I had a 2.3 89 Mustang, it was pretty fun, saw allot of turbo set ups for them. Good luck, stinger performance has allot of good 2.3 turbo parts

I am not gonna use anything from stinger, although in the beginning, I did think I would. The 2.3 market has really expanded, for the most part, I do wish a few people were still in it, but its pretty amazing what you can do with one of these little 4 cyl. The first cast iron aftermarket head just came out last year, so there is lots to come I feel.

cool, they didnt have much out for them when I had mine, its nice to hear the market is expanding and you can at least get a better flowing head now.

jfive seen the flanges you had cut... twin scroll??

Sounds like a great project! Good luck and keep us posted. I recently put the 2.3L back in my 92LX. These motors are bullet proof. This one had lost oilpressure due to a plugged pick up tube. Check it out:

Good stuff. The engine I am building is the exact one you have there. Just got a few more things to add to the build. I got a accufab fuel regulator, and a turbo concepts wastegate. Got more stuff coming soon. Did I order a twin scroll? Okay if I did, cause I was gonna use the HX35, but I just sold it, and gonna run the rotomaster I have for a little bit, and then pick up a ebay GT35 twin scroll turbo. Can't beat 240.00 shipped for a turbo good for 500hp. Gonna start on my header as soon as the flanges arrive. Guess its gonna be a paired header with one wastegate for the moment. I could always have the middle milled out at school.

I dont know why anyone would sell an HX35 with plans to run an eBay GT35. An HX is rated to about 500hp as well, but realistically do you think you'll get that out of the 2.3? I know 73vegagt has GOBS of money into his engine and is shooting for 400ish (correct me if I am wrong here Kye) HP...

I am going for 400 ish flywheel. hp. I need a lighter turbo. the Holset is 30+ lbs, and the GT35 is around 20 lbs. I plan on getting at least 300 rwhp, and then doing some tunning with E85 and going for 400. Just hope the only station that carries it doesn't stop. I guess you would really have to know what I do about this motor to know what its really capable of. Kye is being very modest in what his can put out. He will have no problem making 400 at the wheels. I would be disapointed if he doesn't. There is a guy with a ranger that uses a stock bottom end(turbo one) with a top end not even as nice as his doing about 11.98 to 12.03 in the 1/4. I got some money into my motor, but only where I needed it. I am custom building a header out of schedule 40 mild steel 90*s and just want the lightest turbo that will work on top of it. Some have told me it will crack, so i want to prove it won't. I also plan to make this build a little differant than others, so I will get there with a ebay turbo hopefully. I do have a rotomaster turbo, which is made by honeywell, which owns garrett, so Not like i don't have a namebrand turbo still lying around. 11.5s honda with ebay gt35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOIu2-X3XTE a nissan 240 with one at 7.5psi doing 13.6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG-kS7v5Csk. They are a pretty good journal bearing turbo for a chinesse knock off.

Have you done a baseline dyno? If not, do you have any idea what the stock set up makes to the wheel?

I have seen one person dyno the stock engine and it made like 89 or 91hp at the wheels which ain't bad since its only 105 hp stock. thats like 15% loss or something. There are plenty of mustangs with 2.3 turbos that have done rwhp dynos to see what works on turboford.org. We just got a rwhp dyno in kalispell finally, so I am gonna schedule a 1hr when I get to that point. And I hope to get it tuned to perfection within that hr. Going with megasquirt, and i have a guy locally here that is really good at tunning OBD II LS1 motors, and he is willing to help with the squirt. Hope to get it close before the dyno, and just fine tune it on the dyno. There are quite a few setups with 300+rwhp with less than what I have so I hope to have some impressive numbers.

Isn't that the same engine that was in the turbo Thunderbird? I've been wanting to put one of those in a Pinto wagon. Does that engine leave you plenty of room under the hood to squeeze turbos and piping and whatnot?

Jfive- honestly I don't know why your doing a mild steel manifold first if you can get stainless elbows from ace stainless for 4.95 a piece. That's. Really cheap for 1 1/2 stainless butt weld fittings! My .02 worth for the day. Welp better get back to putting my c4 together.

Wireman wrote:

the stock set up makes to the wheel?

the "wheel" lmao

I know they call it rwhp, but its hp to the wheels. We can't weld stainless due to some new gay law at school, so gonna due one out of mild first and have it coated, and then do one out of stainless when I get a tig of my own. Don't know anyone with one that I could even use at this point, and I did want to do stainless. But I would like to see how well mild can work. Plus I couldn't get ahold of you on what you used for the reducer cones on the head flange. I know 1 1/2 s won't give room for the head bolts, so I would need what you used. Where did you get the 1 1/2 to 1 1/4 reducers. Gonna save up for a tig for the future. I did order my mild steel from ace. Oh and there is plenty of room with these engines for the turbo and piping. Very roomy. Many pintos out there with em too.

BlueSteel wrote:

Wireman wrote:

the stock set up makes to the wheel?

the "wheel" lmao

Well...until he qets the rear end welded up!!! Lol!

Jfive,
Keep it up man. It sounds like you have a solid plan and i am stoked to hear how it turns out! I have been considering the turbo route w/ this car (it's for my kid) because i saw how Nick turned out when he got a V8.... Please keep us posted.

Scott

If you do decide, I know a guy that might be able to make a base tune for tweecer for it. Also I have a E6 cast iron turbo manifold if you don't want to go too big. Hope to be leaving black marks by may, or june. Speaking of welding, I need to weld my rear end up too, but its still winter, so better wait.

Jfive wrote:

I know they call it rwhp, but its hp to the wheels. We can't weld stainless due to some new gay law at school, so gonna due one out of mild first and have it coated, and then do one out of stainless when I get a tig of my own. Don't know anyone with one that I could even use at this point, and I did want to do stainless. But I would like to see how well mild can work. Plus I couldn't get ahold of you on what you used for the reducer cones on the head flange. I know 1 1/2 s won't give room for the head bolts, so I would need what you used. Where did you get the 1 1/2 to 1 1/4 reducers. Gonna save up for a tig for the future. I did order my mild steel from ace. Oh and there is plenty of room with these engines for the turbo and piping. Very roomy. Many pintos out there with em too.

I had to machine those reducers on the lathe.

I have a MS-I i don't need anymore.... i would sell it.

What was the MS 1 setup for. How much you want for it. I need MSII personally for this build, but I have a V8 ranger to build, and I am debating doing EFI on it too.

I had the MS-1 on this

http://www.maecforum.com/t39-matt-s-fiat-x-1-9

http://www.maecforum.com/t25-can-t-wait-to-install-the-monster-15l

PM me if your interested... I would sell it pretty cheap.

Getting the squirt from Dr. auto, getting 8 slightly used Siemens Deka 83lb low ohm injectors in the next week, and splitting with another turbo ford. Got a cam maybe. Sold a bunch of draw thru turbo stuff i picked up thinking I would use it on my other ranger, but its getting a 302.

what are you doing for ignition with the squirt 1?

Is the Ranger done yet?

Gonna get the extra code, and getting a MSII daughterboard. Its not done yet, but I got injectors coming, and a whole turbo head with a bad azz cam. Making progress, but at least another month and a half away. Busy reading the mega manual for now. Gonna have to do EDIS, but MSII with V2.2 can do it, and have two step. Might need a turbo head intake and fuel rail. We will see though.

There is lots of reading to do on the megasquirt... don't fry your brain. lol. There is so much you can do with it... I barely tapped it's full potential before I knew that the engine I built although quite knarly for a 1.5L just wasn't going to be engough engine in the long run. Sounds like your on the right path to turn it into what you want. Just remember though that if you go with a real low impeance injector you'll have to run a resistor pack so you don't fry the transistor drivers on the megasquirt board.... yes.... you can overdrive them right past 100% duty cycle and driver current limit is user defined. So just keep that in mind.

So did they deliver it to you yet? tracking info says they delivered it to you. Just curious that it made it there safe.

Yeah. The shredded paper sure was fun. LOL had it by 9:45am in the morning. You can run either low ohm or high ohm injectors with squirt. Thats the reason I wanted it. Guy I know on another forum has the same squirt with just the extra code to run ignition on his. Think he has the version 3.0 though. I'll get it figured out. Got a message from DIY allready about what I need to update it. Making a resistor pack is easy. Radioshack 10watt10ohm resistors and some wire and epoxy, and a box and your done.

Kewl, good to hear. Have fun

I have been making alot of progress, without actually touching a wrench. I got my turbo tonight. Just before the 9pm cut off. Thing was on the truck at 6am. Ended up with a T3 super 60 .82ar turbo. Should be good for 425, and spool pretty quick too. Its a twin scroll, and gonna try making a quick spool valve. Kinda a cool idea if you ask me. Should spool almost as fast as a paired header would, but without a paired header. Who knows. Gonna try to make a paired header first with mock up, but if I can't come up with a design i will go ram, with the quick boost valve on the burner. Selling my Henrob torch for turbo parts. Not sure if anyone is interested, but its listed on ebay at 165.00 + 25s/h. They cost almost 400.00 new. Nice if you want to cut metal like a plasma, with out all the cost of a plasma. I'd like to keep it, but its got to go so I can buy more parts. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150582140800&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Jfive... you want reducers machined for that flange or are you just going to flatten the tubes?

I was thinking of doing something like this? http://www.40bob.com/?loc=shop&cat=1 Using something like 1/2" pipe or something. Do you have an extra intake for the turbo head. I just picked up one thats all done, and gonna probubly sell my 8 plug head and do what you did and use 4 ls1 coils. Don't have an intake though.

I do have a turbo intake manifold but its the inline style. dont know if you want that. I also have an EDIS4 module if your interested. Or are you going to use the squirt by itself? I dont remember if you have to use the EDIS4 module with the V. 2.2 or not.

What do you mean inline style. I need the factory lower intake. I might go with a differant squirt with this, and use the MS 1 on the other ranger when I put my 302 in it. I think I want the V3.57 anyways. Is that what you built. I had plans of using it on one or the other, so it was good to get anyways. This is what I am looking at getting.

I had the stock square lower intake. the oter one that I have has the runners inline. I will find a picture. heres a list of what I have fuel and ignition wise

MSII v 3.57
1997 ranger front crank cover (for the crank sensor mount) a few bolts dont line up but it actually works
crank trigger wheel from 1997 ranger
crank sensor from 1997 ranger
siemens deka 83LB injectors from fuelinjectorconnection,com (something like 60 bucks a piece)
coil packs from a 2004 GM 5.3l (will have to get the numbers off them)
mallory fuel pressure regulator

I will have to get a picture of how that front crank cover works when I get home.
I had to do some modifications to the trigger wheel to fit the single pulley.
This setup seems to work pretty good so far even though she hasnt been boosted yet. but the ignition timing is to the gnats ass.

I apologise I didnt document all the things I did cause Im pretty sure it would have helped a lot of you 2.3 guys out there.

Looks like I need to mirror your stuff more and more, cause i have 8 of those fuel injectors coming this week. Got 8 lightly used 83 siemans deka low ohm injectors for 300.00 shipped. Got a guy that said he wants the other half of the injectors. Gonna look for coils as soon as I can afford em. could of got 8 for under 100.00 the other day, should have jumped on it.