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Does the 2.3 in the new Rangers have a timing chain or belt ? How does the 2.3 compare to the 3.0 V6 in terms of gas mileage or reliability. My current ranger has the 3.0 which I am very happy with. All I have done is change the plugs, oil/filter, air filter and fuel filter with this 3.0 - no problem at 150,000 miles. My next Ranger may be the 2.3. Mostly highway driving at about 70 to 80 mph getting about 24 to 25 mpg.
I am very curious to know if the 2.3 would be as trouble free and economical.
The 2.3 from my experience, and what I've heard, is a very reliable and strong motor, just not REALLY powerful. in terms of fuel economy, it is pretty good. my carbed 2.3 seems to be getting around 20-26mpg or more doing around 50-60mph. I kinda like it.
Mazda has been cranking out pretty good 4 cylinders for quite a while, so they have a wee bit of practice.
I believe the 2.3L only has 4 spark plugs on it, so that can't be a bad thing...though I like my 8 plug setup.
I believe the D-tec 2.3L is a belt setup as well. The mpgs blow away most 3.slows, and the peak hp is similar, but it takes a little longer to get to it, since the 2.3L is very "peaky".
My old school 2.3L gets about 30mpg's doing anywhere near a normal speed limit, but still gets ~25ish doing 80ish on the highway.
The Duratec 2.3L has a cam chain and as far as I can tell from searching this site and the internet it is very reliable. The best mileage I have gotten, ( at least when I checked ), was 29mpg and that was with a light load in the back. Mine is an '04 reg cab with auto. I have heard of some with the stick getting over 30mph on the highway.
Since we're allready talking about timing belts, how often are they supposed to be changed? I've got fifty thousand miles on my 96 ranger with a 2.3L.
EDIT: Holy crap this is an old thread... lol
__________________ Paul - OFF of the farm, now on a ranch.
2002 F-350 Powerstroke - AFE "Big Boost" BHAF filter element, Stancor GPR, DB Electrical 4KV starter
76 F-250 CamperSpecial - Hoping for a DT360 and a Spicer 6+1 trans
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