i'm buying a ranger p/u for a project. its a 83 with a 85 2.3 lima it is smoking out the exhaust and breather white smoke are the 2.3 engine's known for blowing head gastets? or cracking heads. i think it was over heated. i don't have it home yet it's 2oo mi away so i have not checked the compression. sound like a head gasket to you ? i have never owned a ford 4 cyl

 

Yeah, I'm curious about that as well. My 2.3 lets fly with a real smokescreen when I am going through a right-hand bend on the highway (???), I've never seen that before.

 

White smoke is usually a sign of burning coolant, but you really do need to get it where you can work on it and do a compression check. Be sure to check for water in the oil and do not drive it if there's any sign as that will quickly eat up the bearings.

The 2.3 is a pretty tough engine, but get anything hot enough and you can blow a gasket or crack a head. You'll also wan't to check for hydrocarbon traces in the coolant (a radiator shop can do this) which would indicate exhaust gasses are getting into the cooling system.

Sounds like a good candidate for a turbo 2.3 swap...!

 

been talking to the past owner .it is at his place now. he said that he can not find any oil in the radiator or traces of water on the oil dip stick. he said he needed to replace the radiator there was a hole in it, that makes me think it was over heated good.
i would like to put a turbo motor in it. but i think the cost is more than i can afford. but a NA motor don't have the power to snap axles,etc.