The 2.3 is one of Ford's better motors. I have a 2.9 that sounded like it was going to knock and rattle to pieces when I drove it. It has 141k on it(?). It also has a cracked head but the antifreeze was not getting into the oil. I just purchased a short block and a new pair of heads. I decided to dump some cash into it and keep it awhile longer. If I can keep the rust off of it I'll be happy.