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2.3L Ford Turbo Swap


2.3Tconquest
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Hi guys I have a 1987 conquest tsi that I'm going to swap my totaled mustang's setup into. the setup should easily put over 400hp to the wheels with a cam and some tuning. here's a quick rundown of the stuff that will be swapped into the quest. i'm a fabricator so I think this will be a fun project. can't express to you guys how much I love the lines on these cars.

 

2.3L ford turbo engine bored .20 over (2.35L)

weisco 8:1 piston's

crower 5.2 sportsman rods with arp bolts

balanced crank

esslinger windage tray/crank scraper

arp main and head studs

heavily ported and polished head with 1.89I/1.59E stainless valves

double valve springs with milled spring seats and guide bosses for .530 lift

adjustable cam sprocket

rc's 850cc injectors

walbro 255lph hp pump

kirban adjustable fpr

80mm maf with PCMX software(thinking about megasquirt N spark 2)

msd 6al with blaster II coil, and 2-step

holset hx35/40 hybrid with 12cm housing :D (66 lb/min turbo)

Also have a hx35w(53lb/min) or HE351cw 9cm(60lb/min) if I want smaller

Sard r2d2 bov

2 wet nitrous systems if needed

methanol/water injection system

75mm tb

24x12x3 fmic (don't know how it survived. the car was BAD!!!)

Spec stage III clutch

custom built t5 trans. 3.35 first with a .68 OD double syncro 1st and 2nd

Pro 5.0 shifter (huge difference no more missing 3rd)

 

Things I'm going to do.

decide if I want to run the ford harness or get megasquirt

mount engine as far back and low as possible(by by firewall)

get a different IC (18x11x4.5 core) and buy a aluminum rad the do a V mount setup. vent the hood to take advantage of this. build a under engine

air guide to further promote better cooling.

build a header for the turbo

build at least 3" turboback exhaust (i'd like to run 4" but I don't see that

happening)

build a custom intake manifold with a large plenum 9" runners velocity stacks 75mm throttle body

3" charge pipes

custom drive shaft

cross member

then lots of suspension, chassis, and brake work.

 

I've been hanging out with a freind of mine who started working for a guy that imports jdm cars into the states so a little of that is rubbing off on me. after riding in his bosses R34 gtr I'm just amazed so i'd like to have the quest at least a 1/4 of what that car felt like. it was stock so it really wasn't that fast but talk about go-cart handeling. absolutely unreal!!! he hit a 90 degree turn at 100km/hr and the car didn't slide, sway, pitch or anything. and it didn't take but a few seconds to hit the stock 180km governor.

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  • 4 years later...
DUDE! I almost did this a few months ago! I built a turbo charge 95 ford ranger with this same motor and i have about 450 hp in it right now. I almost built another motor and put it in the conquest, but decided to go with the 4g63. Good luck!
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Holy thread revival.

 

On the same basic note though, these Lima engines are very stout. I thought long and hard about swapping one into an older Volvo sedan, but going all-motor 2.8 stroker,crazy cam and pistons, with ITBs. The hard part at that point is finding a properly-geared trans that doesn't cost more than the engine build.

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  • 2 weeks later...

DOHC volvo head on ford 2.3

http://www.merkurtech.com/merkurtech/techarticles/item045.php

sounds like alot of work but very cool.

video

twin turbo?

Edited by joey_crandall
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  • 2 weeks later...

DOHC volvo head on ford 2.3

http://www.merkurtech.com/merkurtech/techarticles/item045.php

sounds like alot of work but very cool.

video

twin turbo?

MY buddy is doing the volvo head swap on his turboed 2.3 ranger right now!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Omg yes yes yes! I've thought about doing this so much. Mainly because swapped over from 2.3 turbos to the conquest I'm excited to see how this goes. Seeing as how my 2jz swap keeps getting put on hold. I got like 3 2.3 turbo engines laying around haha and enough s*** to the swap but never tried because I want more power than the 2.3 will handle.
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BTW the Volvo head is more work than its actually worth. I've actually met the guy with the svo in that video and he said he wouldnt do the swap again and has actually went back to the single cam head. Checkout boport racing. He is awesome and he will help you with damn near anything you need to know. If you need some help check out turboford.org or pm me this is actually a motor I know a good deal about and have been messing with for years.
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BTW the Volvo head is more work than its actually worth. I've actually met the guy with the svo in that video and he said he wouldnt do the swap again and has actually went back to the single cam head.

tell him auction it off to masses of "dohc g54 dreamers" on SQC. Let 'em learn the hard way too $$$$$$$

 

my thunderbird 2.3 had the starter low.... around base pan level. Which would place it right in the middle of the starquest steering link and crossmember

I like turbofords (cast iron block and head), but not enough to replace the 54. Hard to look beyond the tried and proven, cheap and available, DSM motor.... it's such a 'natural'

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  • 4 months later...
  • 1 month later...

It's funny for me to read my comment from earlier in this thread ... Knowing what I know now about Volvo's Redblock engines (both 8v and 16v), I'd yank the 2.3 Ford out and toss the 16v B234 (or even better, a 16v swapped B230) in. Two companies that I know of off the cuff have Volvo bellhousing to Mustang T5 adapters for under $200. Uses a Volvo pressure plate and flywheel, and a King Cobra friction disc & throwout bearing and clutch fork.

 

I'm building a hot 16v B230 for my '79 Volvo 242DL currently, but it may find its way into my Starion if I get a wild hair. In either case, its gonna be a riot. A good friend of mine here in Albuquerque built an 8v B230 with a Holset HX35, and on a stock head, intake mani and exhaust mani, makes 600+ torque at 29psi on 93 octane and water meth. It's clocked 60 consecutive laps at Sandia Speedway without a single issue, starts every morning, and drives like a stock car with a warranty. Completely awesome.

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