Ford 2.3L Engine Information
by Charles Green
The Ford Motor Company introduced a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine in 1974 to power its compact Ford Pinto model. That engine outlasted the model, was modified in the 1980s and placed in the compact truck, the Ford Ranger.
History
Ford's 2.3-liter engine was based on a German designed 2.0-liter engine, which found its way into early 1970s editions of the Mercury Capri. When introduced in 1974, the overhead cam engine used a two-barrel carburetor. Built in Lima, Ohio, the 2.3-liter was part of Ford's Lima engine line, which also included 2.0- and 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines.
Specifications
In 1983, the 2.3-liter engine was placed in the Ford Ranger and in 1985 Ford added multiport fuel injection. In the Ford Ranger, horsepower increased from 79 to 112 before the engine was retired in 1997. Torque also increased going from 124 pound-feet to 135 pound-feet in that time.
Replacement
In 1998, after a 24-year run, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine replaced the 2.3-liter powerplant. The newer engine offered more power and reduced emissions than the outgoing model.
References
Writer Bio
Charles Green is a freelance writer in North Carolina who has been writing since 1992 and freelancing since 2002. His work appears in "435 South Magazine," "Wisconsin Golfer" and for various websites. Green earned a Bacheler of Science in business administration from Ramapo College of New Jersey.
