2.5l head on 2.3l engine
03-19-2013, 12:42 AM
#1
2.5l head on 2.3l engine
If this topic has already been covered, I'd be more than happy to be directed towards that discussion. I am new to Fox-body Mustangs, but not mustangs overall. (My 1st car was a '66 Mustang that originally came with a 200ci. I-6. Of course for a 16 year old that wasn't nearly enough power. So with the help of my mechanically-gifted 17 year old brother, we swapped that puppy out for a 351w from a junkyard F-250 along with a junkyard c4 and an 8.8" rear-end that my brother narrowed for me.)
But lets leave the happy memories for another time. My question concerns my current ride- a 1991 LX with a 2.3l. The engine feels tired and I planned to rebuild it before giving it to my 17 year old daughter. In the little bit of research I have done, I've read that the head from a 1998-up 2.5l flows better than the previous-year heads, excluding the turbo head.
I live in California, as you already know we have the strictest smog laws in the country. Is it smog-legal for me to swap to a 2.5l head and is it worth my trouble? While this is my 1st modern Mustang, I have experience wrenching on cars and do not consider myself a nube. A turbo set up is out of the question (I'm on a tight budget) and was offered a complete engine from a rolled Ranger for only $100. The 2.5l Ranger engine has 59k miles on it, so I'm assuming the head to be in good shape. I do know that in order to swap an engine into a car, it had to have been an option from the factory. So swapping the entire engine into the 'Stang and remaining smog-legal is out of the question.
Should I just have the stock head rebuilt? Or can I pick up a few horses by bolting the 2.5l head on? Is it a direct bolt-on? Or will I run into problems with a few bolt-holes not lining up? I also planned on a set of headers and a hot exhaust to put a smile on her face. I appreciate any help you guys can provide in advance. I was going to paint this car either a shade of pink, or pearl white for my girl on her 18th birthday :-)
P.S.- what is the hottest stock cam for these engines? I need to keep it smog-legal, but want her to have a little power when she mashes on the gas. This is a 1991, so it has a roller-cam.
But lets leave the happy memories for another time. My question concerns my current ride- a 1991 LX with a 2.3l. The engine feels tired and I planned to rebuild it before giving it to my 17 year old daughter. In the little bit of research I have done, I've read that the head from a 1998-up 2.5l flows better than the previous-year heads, excluding the turbo head.
I live in California, as you already know we have the strictest smog laws in the country. Is it smog-legal for me to swap to a 2.5l head and is it worth my trouble? While this is my 1st modern Mustang, I have experience wrenching on cars and do not consider myself a nube. A turbo set up is out of the question (I'm on a tight budget) and was offered a complete engine from a rolled Ranger for only $100. The 2.5l Ranger engine has 59k miles on it, so I'm assuming the head to be in good shape. I do know that in order to swap an engine into a car, it had to have been an option from the factory. So swapping the entire engine into the 'Stang and remaining smog-legal is out of the question.
Should I just have the stock head rebuilt? Or can I pick up a few horses by bolting the 2.5l head on? Is it a direct bolt-on? Or will I run into problems with a few bolt-holes not lining up? I also planned on a set of headers and a hot exhaust to put a smile on her face. I appreciate any help you guys can provide in advance. I was going to paint this car either a shade of pink, or pearl white for my girl on her 18th birthday :-)
P.S.- what is the hottest stock cam for these engines? I need to keep it smog-legal, but want her to have a little power when she mashes on the gas. This is a 1991, so it has a roller-cam.
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