You seasoned Ford Guys: your opinion on the 2.3 Turbo?

[BroncOcotillo]

The combination of low end torque, 4.7 gearing and lighter weight should make the 2.3L engine the best available option for technical/rock crawling off-roading(if that’s what you’ll be using the Bronco for). The engine has been used successfully in multiple Ford vehicles and the manual transmission has been improved.

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[BroncOcotillo]

@TN Wheeler said:
I keep hearing about the lighter weight, but no one actually has posted the weight of the 2.3 vs the 2.7, I know they aren't just pulling this out of their A^%%, as that would be foolish, can you please post the weights/ and or where you are obtaining this Ford spec?
Regarding the improvement made on this manual transmission, what other vehicle was this transmission installed in, what were the problem, and what are the improvements?


RE transmission: There were lawsuits about the M82 transmission.
https://fordauthority.com/2020/06/mustang-mt82-transmission-woes-lead-to-new-class-action-lawsuit/
The issues with the Getrag MT 82 Mustang manual transmission were corrected. The MT 88 used in the Bronco was improved by moving more driven gears to the input shaft. https://www.tomorrowstechnician.com...onco-with-7-speed-getrag-manual-transmission/

There’s more info online about this. These were the first links that popped up.

RE Weight: Weight is the name of the game in serious off-roading and is a big factor why Jeep has excelled in the off road market. A 2.7L, 6 cylinder engine is larger and weighs more than a 2.3L, 4 cylinder engine. Common sense. You could probably search and find the actual weights of these specific engines to compare. There is some difference in the materials used to manufacture the engines but not enough to make the 6cylinder weigh less than the 4cylinder.

 

[BroncOcotillo]

Here’s what I found with a quick search

Ford EcoBoost engine
Dimensions
Dry weight	V6 2.7: 440 lbs (200 kg)

According to Racer Walsh's website ( www.racerwalsh.com ) the 2.3 shortblock weighs in at 185 lbs. for shipping purposes, My best-guess on the cylinder head would be about 50 lbs inluding cam, valves, springs, etc. So roughly 235 lbs. .......should be similar for the I4 2.3L ecoboost in the Bronco.

 

[Bmadda]

Who is cummings?

 

[Broncocito]

Who is cummings?

American poet Edward Estlin Cummings, better known as simply ‘E.E’, was famous for the many poems that he wrote but at the same time he was also a playwright and painter of great repute. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and studied at Harvard University before embarking on a career as a prolific poet. He produced close to 3000 poems in his long career.

Just kidding. I do not know who is Cummings...

 

[Bmadda]

American poet Edward Estlin Cummings, better known as simply ‘E.E’, was famous for the many poems that he wrote but at the same time he was also a playwright and painter of great repute. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and studied at Harvard University before embarking on a career as a prolific poet. He produced close to 3000 poems in his long career.

And then built diesels for jeeps? Thats so european I want no part of it! God bless America!

 

[Broncocito]

And then built diesels for jeeps? Thats so european I want no part of it! God bless America!

Roger that...

 

[MaverickMan]

Ecoboom's aren't common, so unless you're adjusting the boost yourself and going past the limits of the internals, should be fine.

Unless you meant that as you're just gonna purposely blow it the fuck up

No just more of a statement that I will use like I do every motor. I will drive it hard ( more after i pay it off). And if it does start to protest one day, I will look at my swap options, get prepared for it, then live the last of its days at the redline. I expect it to last a long time but not forever.

 

[MaverickMan]

why exactly is the 2.3 not good for off-road use? Plenty of 4cyls, 6cyls and even V8 4x4s with less horse power and torque than the 2.3 are great off-road. Ford has posted vids of the manual(badlands) 2.3 Bronco rock crawling.... I don’t think they would use the 2.3 if it weren’t capable.

For real, Plenty of (crazy toyota type) people think the 22re is a great offroad motor. It has like 1/3rd of the power of the 2.3. I was just looking at 2.3 mustangs with tuner, intercooler, and some intake bits was making 365hp, 430 lbft. Thats 60s big block power. I think we will be fine with that.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

No just more of a statement that I will use like I do every motor. I will drive it hard ( more after i pay it off). And if it does start to protest one day, I will look at my swap options, get prepared for it, then live the last of its days at the redline. I expect it to last a long time but not forever.

True true. Always a Barra Swap as well

 

[MaverickMan]

True true. Always a Barra Swap as well

I wont be swapping modern though. Windsors and 385 series BBFs are just too easy to make power cheap with. Inline 6s, while long are cool though. Im currently struggling with swapping a 5.2 magnum(that I have) in my eagle or keeping the stock trans and going with a stroker amc 6. The V8 and all the mods to mount its(SFA swap) will forever change it into a beast in all ways. And the stroker will give it beast power but keep its comfy and fairly capable IFS. Decisions and empty pockets.

 

[MaverickMan]

Not as often as I should be, unfortunately alot of info on it has disappeared before I got my eagle. I am having a whole lot of rust issues with it right now. But I do have plans to save it. The worst is the whole wiper cowl area is very rusty but I got a replacement cut out from a Nest member sent to me. There is only 3 eagles on maui and only 1 is a driver. My motor has alot of blow by but was still strong enough to go over 3000 miles and through the Rockies when I bought it and did some easy trails at Moab. I have a beater 93 ZJ full time 4x4 with the non electronic trans and the 5.2. I want to swap the whole drivetrain on it and axles with a long arm kit for the front. But first I gotta get this rust under control. Also I am figuring out how to replace the rockers with 2x6 tube like xjs and zjs. Then tie it into the unibody rails. However my wifes cancer and my covid unemployment has slowed that progress. But I do love the car and one day hope to basically have a kind of lifted AWD muscle car. 4 wheel burnouts, 13 second quarter mile times, an driving right out onto the deep sand at the beach is the goal.

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