Author Topic: Looking for carb, intake and exhaust upgrades on lightly modified 2.3 motor (Read 17515 times)

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **on:** January 25, 2014, 01:23:23 AM »

I have searched a lot about all the different options out there for go fast bolt ons, but most are based on stock engines. I have a lightly build 2.3 in my original 77' Cruisewagon that we'd like to keep stock as it's been in the family for 37 years now. The motor has been bored .30 over, larger intake valves, port matched head and an rv cam (comp cams 244/415 with 219dur @ 50deg). I'd like to hear options on what header (ranger/mustang), intake and carb. Like I said, I know this has been beaten to death, but I figured my motor tweaks may call for more.

Thanks,
Eric

dick1172762 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2014, 09:50:55 AM »

First of all look at "horsepower curves" below your posting. If you are cheap like me, get a mid 90's 2.3L ranger header. Then get a Motorcraft / Autolite carb in the size 1.08 to 1.21. Size is stamped on the carb. They all are 2100 carbs that come in several CFM sizes. They will bolt right up to your intake after you remove the 32/38 adapter. The carbs are in every junk in the country as they were on Ford car until they went to EFI. Parts are easy to get also. Hope this helps.

waldo786 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2014, 08:48:33 PM »

I plan on running a holley 390 cfm, an offenhauser dual port intake, racer walsh stage 1 roller cam with stock stainless steel swirl port valves and the exhaust manifold from a late 80's ranger. (I'm told these flow better). You could use of the mid 90's ranger headers but I believe they need some modification. I'm excited to see how this setup works. I want a nice engine I could use as a daily driver tha is not overkill as I do not plan on racing it so I decided against larger valves and head work. I do also have a large open air cleaner assembly too.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2014, 11:06:36 AM »

Thanks for the replies.
On those 2100 carbs, what do they normally come on and where is the number stamped? Would doing anything to the stock intake help for flow too?
On the manifolds, I've heard that too. Does anyone have any say that has been running one? Did they notice an improvement?

dick1172762 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2014, 11:35:54 AM »

The # is cast onto the side of the carb. The carbs were used on 260 to 390 Fords. Go to http://www.carburetion.com/ford2v.htm Go down to the bottom of the page and it will show what the CFM is for each number. I've cut / welded / added to / taken from / and nothing helped on the intakes. When I did one of the mods, the engine idled so bad it sounded like a fuel dragester. But on the track it ran just like it did before the mod. If you use a 2100 carb you will be able to run a smaller jet for the two inside runners. 1.08 / 1.14 / 1.21 are the size carbs that should work out very nice. Go to 4m.net to read more. Go to mini stock tech at the bottom of the page. Those people love the 2100 carbs.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2014, 12:14:31 PM »

What about an efi intake, those supposedly flow better too right?

dick1172762 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2014, 12:25:29 PM »

To work they must be ported and you must use an adapter for the carb. Go to http://www.bo-port.com and look under intakes for a ported intake. With out the porting they are worse than the stock intake. You can make the stock intake work better by playing with the jets. Example is smaller jet for the center runners and bigger jet for the outside two runners.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2014, 12:44:50 PM »

Quote from: dick1172762 on January 26, 2014, 12:25:29 PM

To work they must be ported and you must use an adapter for the carb. Go to http://www.bo-port.com and look under intakes for a ported intake. With out the porting they are worse than the stock intake. You can make the stock intake work better by playing with the jets. Example is smaller jet for the center runners and bigger jet for the outside two runners.

Thanks for that info. I will look around to see what I can find. Being that I'm not savvy with carburetor, do you have a jet recommendation to start with? Are they easy to find at a parts store?

dick1172762 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2014, 01:14:07 PM »

Go to http://www.carburetion.com/ford2v.htm to see all

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2014, 10:57:56 PM »

Great site with lots of info. What size jet would you start with though? Figured I will have to rebuild anything I find. Any wisdom on the factory manifolds on mustang vs ranger headers?

dick1172762 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 27, 2014, 08:51:18 AM »

Quote from: CRUISEWAGON77 on January 26, 2014, 12:44:50 PM

Thanks for that info. I will look around to see what I can find. Being that I'm not savvy with carburetor, do you have a jet recommendation to start with? Are they easy to find at a parts store?

The ones that I know are running 57 size jets with a 4.5 power valve. Each set up will be different. What I have heard is they run good right out of the box.

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #11 on:** January 27, 2014, 09:54:09 AM »

If the carb is sized to the motor out of the box should be right there or very close to it., unless drastic changes have been done of course.

dick1172762 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 27, 2014, 10:15:38 AM »

Most people that do mods on a Pinto tend to run a carb of around 350 CFM. The biggest Pinto carb was 297 CFM so any of the Motorcraft / Autolite 2100 carbs (1.08 / 1.14 / 1.21) are right in that CFM range. Those three carbs were on 260 / 289 engines and I'm there were others too. The Pinto people that said "right out of the box" were racers so the carbs might need smaller jet. No big deal as all the parts are easy to find. The mileage should be better because the mixture of fuel and air will much more even due to the carb having an even fuel discharge.

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2014, 10:54:24 AM »

And not to mention way easier to tune than the Holley/Weber.

Srt · « **Reply #14 on:** January 28, 2014, 03:57:45 AM »

Quote from: dick1172762 on January 27, 2014, 10:15:38 AM

Most people that do mods on a Pinto tend to run a carb of around 350 CFM. The biggest Pinto carb was 297 CFM so any of the Motorcraft / Autolite 2100 carbs (1.08 / 1.14 / 1.21) are right in that CFM range. Those three carbs were on 260 / 289 engines and I'm there were others too. The Pinto people that said "right out of the box" were racers so the carbs might need smaller jet. No big deal as all the parts are easy to find. The mileage should be better because the mixture of fuel and air will much more even due to the carb having an even fuel discharge.

i used one of these off a / 360" ford truck motor on my '71 with a turbo. worked great and REAL easy to attend to if the need arose.

amc49 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 28, 2014, 06:46:59 PM »

The bigger 1.21 carbs easier to find on 352-360-390 engines. 429 and bigger probably got the 1.23 and one bigger, I forget the size.

The 1.08 commonly used on AMC V-8s too.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 01, 2014, 07:30:19 PM »

Well I went to the U Pull it yard today and found a 79' Ranchero with a 351 in it. Snagged the 1.21 carb off of it, hope it's the right one =). The carb sheet from above showed the number as a 79 aftermarket (motorcraft) carb so I went for it. Thanks for all the help guys, and please chime in if I screwed up on this one.

amc49 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2014, 10:47:13 AM »

The 1.21 is just the venturi size, they commonly change everything else in the carb. Things like emulsion tube holes and power valve restrictions along with 15 other things are done separately for every model and engine carb is used on. No one except a factory master carb rebuilder could ever have an all-encompassing list of every single difference even in say all the 1.21s they made. Why they all come with ID tags, to sort them out.

In other words just like everyone else, you will be the test guinea pig here. With a little luck it should do fine.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:48:00 PM »

Does anyone have a picture of how they adapted the throttle cable on their 2100/2150 carb?

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2014, 08:16:48 PM »

I have an idea how I'm gonna do mine but right now it's just a visual, it would be nice to see some setups to get some other ideas.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2014, 08:43:07 PM »

Also, what do you do with the PCV valve that goes into the egr base if that's removed?

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2014, 06:52:52 AM »

I believe some of the later carbs have a port on the back?, but the early ones used a spacer for PCV.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 04, 2014, 12:53:55 AM »

Is that an adapter? I was test fitting my last night and noticed I'm going to need more than just the stock spacer to have the base pump on the carb clear one of the runners. Also realized I won't be running a choke on the Autolite as it hits the valve cover, so I'll be wiring that open too. Do you know what cars those adapters came on? Anyone have one?

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #23 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:23:22 AM »

That is a factory spacer from the 60's and 70's, the junk yards should be full of them or just make one, I got the pic from E-Gay.

Just got my intake and header yesterday, gotta clean them up today. Now to find the carb.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/eBay-Motors-/6000/i.html?_nkw=Autolite+2100+pcv+spacer&_sop=15

amc49 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2014, 01:29:13 PM »

Seems like I may have been looking at a Mustang II V-6 carb spacer that may have had possibilities of cable mounting in the dark past at some time. FYI, the ATX kickdown rod must change shape a bit too if you've got one.

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #25 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:17:25 AM »

Got my intake and header finally, now to get the carb.

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #26 on:** February 06, 2014, 10:44:56 AM »

Quote from: 74 PintoWagon on February 06, 2014, 08:17:25 AM

Got my intake and header finally, now to get the carb.

Which carb setup are you going to go with? I was looking at one of those myself too, or the turbo efi intake.

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #27 on:** February 06, 2014, 11:12:41 AM »

I'm planning on the Autolite 2100, probably make my own adapter..

CRUISEWAGON77 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:35:53 PM »

Quote from: 74 PintoWagon on February 06, 2014, 11:12:41 AM

I'm planning on the Autolite 2100, probably make my own adapter..

I almost pulled the trigger on an Offenhauser intake today but wasn't sure, read mixed reviews. I'm still debating the adapter, don't know if I'm going to go stock, offy or efi turbo. Any opinions? Same thing on the header. I just bought a T5 out of a 89 mustang and got the cast manifold for free. I have a lead on the Ranger tubular manifold...whi ch one is better? (I don't really care about weight)

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #29 on:** February 07, 2014, 07:45:03 AM »

I'm just gonna make an adapter out Phenolic so it'll serve as a heat shield at the same time, not sure about the height yet though?, never looked at the cast one but I'm sure they're better than the stock Pinto manifold, I bought mine mainly for the weight but if I would have gotten a cast one for free I surely would use it.

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Author Topic: Looking for carb, intake and exhaust upgrades on lightly modified 2.3 motor (Read 17515 times)