Hi does anyone know if i can put a 4 barrel carb on my 1997 2.3L ranger? If so where can i get one. i was told you can do it but i havnt been able to find one.
But if you want to run a Holley 2bbl carb (350 or 500 cfm which is more than what you need), try checking out the carb adapters at www.powerbyace.com but you will need a D port intake head and not the straight round port head.
There are no carb manifolds or manifolds that can adapt a carb for the late heads. Hence you would need to go to either an oval port or D port head and intake.
Actually, the 95-later 2.X engines are quite a bit different from the previous incarnation, so just trying to slap a carb on the engine is the tip of the iceberg for you.
Yup, there's no provision for a distributor, which will require you to keep the computer around to handle the ignition duties.
My biggest question would be why you'd want to go to a carb anyway? EFI is SOO much nicer on a street vehicle. Unless the vehicle was originally equipped with a carb, I don't see why some people are so hell bent on converting fuel injected vehicles back to an antiquated and rather outdated fuel delivery system.
Probably because us old dudes understand carburetors, but have little clue (or equipment) about dealing with computer-controlled fuel systems; dumb, eh? Except that my sister has a dead TBird 3.8 because she can't find a Ford tech that understands carbs! They are all young guys and have no foggy idea of where to even start.
So, I, too, am looking for a way to install a carb on my 2.3. I know I can't find a manifold to run my pair of 1 3/4" SUs, but that is another story...
Hi 2.3Lranger and TLyttle, and Welcome to FTE! Please take a moment to check out the Guidelines as they contain important info you'll need when posting on the site:
Unfortunately, it's just not a matter of slapping a carb on a modern EFI engine. As previously stated, the computer that controls the engine does a lot more than just run the EFI. A '97 is OBD-II which is a very sophisticated (not to mention complicated) system that doesn't like to be screwed with. I really don't know how you'd go about swapping in a carb and still making it work short of ripping all the wiring out and starting over.
But never fear, it's really not all that bad to work with and us old dogs can learn new tricks! I've always been a carb-and-points kind of guy, but with the help of the Internet and some great books I'm learning about EFI, and it's not a scary as you'd think. I'm even swapping a 5.0 into my '89 Ranger and keeping it EFI, so I had to learn about the systems and how they work together to make the swap. A simple little device called a Code Scanner makes things a lot easier as well.
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
So, I, too, am looking for a way to install a carb on my 2.3. I know I can't find a manifold to run my pair of 1 3/4" SUs, but that is another story...
First, welcome to FTE!!!!
Be careful with the diameter of the SUs you are trying to adapt. The way they work, they are very sensitive to air flow volume, and air flow velocity.
This would also hold true for the side draft Zenith Strombergs, they work
off the same principle as the SUs.......
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Thanks for the replies. I am aware of the amount of control a computer has over an engine (see "old dude" remark), and I often resent that amount of control, ie, telling me about seatbelts, locking my doors, to check the engine, and all the other stuff. I haven't forgotten my seatbelt in 46 years, and I find that automatically locking doors is a real hazard. If a light comes on telling me the check the engine, it should at least be smart enough to tell me what the specific problem is!
Bolting on a carb and using an old Ford igniter block should be all I need for this, realizing that the igniter isn't exactly points & condenser...
As far as carb sizes are concerned, I have a pair of 1 3/4 SUs, as well as a pair of 2"ers which came off a 3L motor; should be adequate. I know I will have to cast my own manifold, but I've done that before too.
Just got back from a holiday trip in my old 80 Mustang, 3.3l six, with single barrel carb. Got ~ 27mpg US for the trip, city & mountain driving, no idea what we would get on the flatlands.
Kinda happy with the mileage and performance (no speed loss on 8% grades), and I am not sure that fuel injection would be that big an advantage. Not to say that my auto is stock, I did some cleanup on the head, and drove the exhaust diameter up to 2 1/4".
My 2.3 is nearly ready to run in stock form; we will see what it delivers...
Hmmm, seems after all the yodelling that went on about EFI and carburetors, someone at one of the magazines (Modified Fords or somesuch) was in the midst of writing an article about the subject. Turns out that carbs aren't really that archaic after all, and that switching over from EFI can actually solve some problems that can't be solved with EFI.
It runs, but an injector must be plugged/busted/whatever, but it runs. I am looking for a suitable carb before I rip it apart again, and I have a Holley/Weber off a 2.2 Ominous that is close to fitting on the original manifold with a simple adapter. Failing that, I have a proper Italian-made Weber that IS plenty big enough.
In the fullness of time I will get into some sandpounding and cast my own manifold for a pair of 1 3/4 or 2" SUs; one way or another, that EFI is coming out of there...
Last edited by TLyttle : 09-04-2006 at 08:59 PM.
Reason: spelling
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