2.3T in econoline?

had a crazy thought while looking at a svo mustang... how do you all think a turboed 2.3 liter 4 cylinder would do in 1961 econoline or would i be better off with the 200 its got.

It would probably work. Enough room (probably), more HP, less weight, Shorter for easier packaging.
Remember that the fuel system and computer will have to be integrated into the swap. If you have any smog inspections, they will be very interested in your work, not in a good way!

i have a 2.3t looked into it the wiring is a nightmare to work with no simple wiring harness and no aftermarket ones

ya i haven't looked into it much but i think it'd be cool. good to hear i'm not the only one whose thought of it zvan61, i'm assuming yours is efi right? is it a manual as well? i'm not very experianced and was hoping to transfer the ecu and as much wiring to keep it simple.

The wiring will be a major part of the build. You will probably want to use the instrument cluster, if it "talks" to the PCM. Every wire will have to be shortened or lengthened to fit. Many will have to be removed. The engine will only run well if it goes into closed loop, which means at least 190 degrees. Cooling will be the second most difficult.

Just my opinion but forget about it and keep the 200. You can easily build it to get up to 300 HP without all the headaches of doing that swap

the 200 looks expensive to build. i'm 17 working as a dishwasher so moneys tight. the 2.3 has good aftermarket support and it would just be cool. the next best i can think of is swapping in a 300 i6.

A 300 in a 61 isnt a bolt in. In fact its a major ordeal. Many things have to be changed. It is a bolt in for most 65-67 models however. In your case,a 61,a 200 is the largest bolt in.

i heard the doghouse would have to be modified for a 300 what else would cause problems?

With money tight and experience limited, almost ANY swap is more time and money than a build. Some tried and true swaps and something where you have a complete donor, a full shop and experienced help may be cheaper, but a wild "What If" that has not been done will tend to die a quiet death.

Good advice here. Stick with the 200, especially with your tight budget. It's a good motor and you can do a lot with it for a reasonable amount of money, a little bit at a time if need be.

HotrodSmurf wrote:i heard the doghouse would have to be modified for a 300 what else would cause problems?

Why do you want a larger motor? They will use more gas, cost more to install and the other mods would eat you up. If you want more power build the 200. You can get more power out of a 200 than a stock 302 has. It sounds like you want a lot of speed, if so you bought the wrong vehicle, Sell it and get a Mustang.

ok i also have been podering this. i have a merkur xr4ti that has the same motor . one question that i have is bellhousings. do the sixes and the 2.3 have the same bolt patterns ? shifter would be a prob with a manual as these trannys the shifter sits in top of the trans no linkage but would be doable and cool .would it be easier to change trannys too? and then theres the rear end.in a merkur it is the same type as a corvette. and no the comp doesn't talk to the instrument panel. and the main fuel pump is outside the tank. now you guys have got me dreamin again . now if a van would drop in my lap !!!

hotrodsmurf i have a 87 turbo coupe 5 speed- let me tell you the wiring in this car is nuts to track down you have the ecu +the ircm -its fun lol talked to a cuple of shops they want minumum of $5000 to do the work and thats with me installing the motor in the van

actually the van has been for sale for months with no interest on here or local. i've had one email and was told its only worth $200 so he got told to f*** off. i do want something fast but mustangs are overrated and i want something different. Mr. Hillbilly if your interested i'll send you a link for the ad. thanks for all the help. i'll probably just sell it if i'm stuck with a dog.

RodStRace wrote:It would probably work. Enough room (probably), more HP, less weight, Shorter for easier packaging.
Remember that the fuel system and computer will have to be integrated into the swap. If you have any smog inspections, they will be very interested in your work, not in a good way!

Interesting... I would think that if you could transplant a more efficient and cleaner powertrain into these things, they wouldn't fuss... particularly if your system had more emissions equipment than from the factory... for example many 1st gen engines had draft tubes rather than PCV valves.

Other than performing major surgery on the wiring harness, what do you think might be a factor in a smog inspection (if a person was to do this correctly)?

Thanks for fuelling my curiosity!

Each state is different in how they approach smog, but the laws are federal.
Federal law is that you can't remove or modify smog equipment on your vehicle. They don't have agents running around lifting hoods. What happens is that an area like the Los Angeles basin has smog that exceeds federal air quality guidelines (non-attainment area is the official name). The State (CA) has to try to make changes to clear the air, and have proof that the programs they put into place make a difference. That's the start of the whole smog check program. I could write a book

Now, the agency (California Air Resources Board - CARB) that was put into place wrote a rule on engine changes. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is also involved. How it works is that if the original engine or a direct replacement is installed, the same equipment must be installed. That's a replacement.
If you change the engine (different configuration than an original possible engine) It must not be an emissions package downgrade (no 1966 engine in a 1980, truck engine in a car) only even or better, and it must have ALL the equipment for the upgrade. In this example (Mustang SVO 2.3L Turbo into a 196X Ford van) the van is old enough to be exempt from inspection, but if it were to follow the rules or be put into a 76 van, it would require the computer, all engine equipment, filler neck restrictor (even though you can't buy leaded anymore), the EVAP system, exhaust system with convertors, even the Check Engine light. You can also use approved aftermarket parts, but you better make sure they are on the list and you have the paperwork to back it up.

Sure it makes sense to allow a cleaner engine into an old vehicle, but their arguement is that you must install complete, rather than downgrade that cleaner engine package. This is similar to the logic behind not doing simple tailpipe tests. They know the stock stuff will work for XX,XXX miles because it has been tested. The approved aftermarket parts have to do this too. If someone has a different set-up (removed parts, swapped parts), they do not know how long that vehicle will run as clean as tested.

It's annoying and political, run by some dummys as well as some pretty darn smart people. What it all boils down to is a bunch of (state) bureaucrats writing stuff to appeal to a bunch of (federal) bureaucrats. They do not answer to the public, they do not (for the most part) offer exceptions for how much of an impact the individual is, and are guided by laws written by the feds.

http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARResources/07_AutoRepair/Engine_Change_Guidelines.html

Thanks Rod!

If a person had a donor vehicle, the time and the desire, it's feasible to take on a project like this, right? To put a 21st century drivetrain into a 1st gen? I guess if you can figure out where to put all the computers and stuff!

Hot rodding is all about upgrading old stuff with newer stuff.

Check this out for a great old van/newer engine swap.
https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/between-the-seats-g-f17/dyno-van-cam-t13221.htm

Do some searches on the 'net for swaps, there is enough to keep you reading for a year and only scratch the surface! B-16 into CRX, small block chevys into everything, V8s into pre-55 cars and econo cars.

http://www.engineswapdepot.com/

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/113_0705_engine_swap/index.html

http://www.engineswaptech.com/forums/default.aspx

Here's one that just blew me away, goes to show what tools, skill and effort can acheive!
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2004368

thats the stuff i love. making something insane from the mundane! i've looked at many v8 econolines and have heard the overheating nightmares so i've shied away from that as well as i like things that are different. if i go on with this van it'll probably end up with independant front and rear suspension just for fun. i don't much like the van for what it is but for it being very much a blank canvas. any other ideas for swaps cause i'm having a hard time staying interested in this lately.

So ive been lurking on here for a year or two, and had to join to give my 2 cents on this topic. Ive got a 64 econo camper that needs an engine. The 2.3t swap is really the only one im seriously considering next to a toyota tacoma 2.7 for a while now. Im VERY familiar with the 2.3s, and believe it or not, the EEC system that 80s fords use is one of the most simple swaps ive done. In highschool, i swapped a 2.3t into a 74 pinto, and one into an 85 mazda rx7. And if i can come up with the engine and trans, I wouldnt hesitate one bit to throw it in the econoline. Basicly theres like 4 or 5 power wires a couple grounds, and a fuel pump circuit that need wired to the harness. No swapping insturment clusters, or anything from the donor car. Just the module and engine harness.


I have been debating on building a 200 six, but Im having a hard time justifying the cost of a mild performance build, and Im a huge fan of fuel injection. My only concern is getting the correct turbo and gearing setup to let the 2.3 not work its ass off maintaining 70mph.

i knew it couldn't be that hard! the idea started forming while looking at a van on yahoo groups with a chevy s10 4 banger swap but i like keeping a ford a ford and didn't think of the 2.3t till i saw a svo for sale thanks for some support i might actually get the ball rolling on this yet.

I actually bought a Turbo Coupe with the intentions of doing this swap. I had plans to put it in my 61. There is no way it will fit in the stock doghouse. Turbo sticks out too far. I decided if I was going to cut the floor and install a larger doghouse I would just go with a 302. Not as much work and easy horse power. I don't know but I got to thinking about that high winding turbo sitting under the passenger seat making more noise that I didn't need. Not to mention the added heat. Talked myself out of it. Sold the T-bird and bought a 302.
Duane in Tennessee.

I wondered about the width with the turbo. However, there is an option to get around that. One may be able to get an aftermarket manifold that relocates the turbo. I believe a guy on the turboford forums was making them custom for reasonably cheap. And the heat problems can be lessend by a heat wrap on the turbo and pipes. Im not by any means saying its an easy fit, or be a flawless setup, but I do think its very possible to get it to fit without cutting the doghouse.

csturboz you may just have me attempting this. i just need a good turbo coupe or merkur to use as a donor. the other problem associated with this is the trans. auto would be fairly simple to set up but a little less fun. i have seen a t5 put into a econoline that was even column shift but it didn't look like much fun to hook up.