Timing Chain or Belt
 

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.

Here is a little more info on it...

http://www.escortfocus.com/html/2_3_duratec.html

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