Originally Posted By: WylieCoyote
Thanks, researcher. The good news is it fires off right away when stone cold, and will happily climb to around 2200 rpms on the choke as it 'wakes up'. Not sure how fast or slow it should feel, as I don't have anything to compare it to, but if any engine could benefit from more cogs in the transmission, it's this one. It really catches it stride on the highway and has no trouble keeping up at 75mph, but it is turning 3000 rpm. It doesn't seem too perky in town and refuses to kick down until you stab it hard. (Probably a kick-down rod adjustment needed here).
It certainly sucks the gas, but nothing unexpected considering the comments I've read about this engine, such as "puts out the power of the 2.3, sucks gas like the 5.0". It doesn't care for being prodded before it's totally warmed up. Try to get too much out of it before it's hot, and it dies out for a moment before catching its breath. But every carbureted car I've ever driven did that. Is this a symptom of a bad EGR? I put on a new cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and fuel & air filters, but that behavior remains.
you have described that engine perfectly! 2200rpms is about right for the cold idle. Yes you should probably adjust the kickdown linkage. I do remember entering the "kickdown" a lot on that engine, but it could take that and never complain. Yes at highway speed it cruises without a problem. I think that engine came with very tall gears in the axle hence the better highway driving. They did it for fuel economy! Also, the best mpg's that I ever achieved was 22.5mpg. I dont think I could ever hit 23 or 24. If you're around there, it's tuned up as good as it gets. I think it was 3.73 gears I had, and it was 3000rpms at 75mph+, these cars had speedometers that stopped at 85. Then the needle would just bounce.. lol..
Yup I had to find out. Cop stopped me and said "son.. do you know how fast you were going?" yup called me son, I knew I was in for a ticket! I said "no sir".. He said "you don't know how fast you were going??" I said again "no sir".. cop said "does your speedometer work, son?" I said "yes sir".. He said "so then how do you NOT know your speed?" I said "Well sir.. the speedometer only goes to 85 and the needle was just bouncing" He smiled at me.. trying not to laugh! I said "I have to know, how fast was I going?!" He said "clocked you at 89mph".. I thought "awesome".. yeah until I got that ticket, and that was the beginning of me buying a radar detector!
Oh it doesn't like to be asked to do anything when its cold. There is one thing that helps it warm up, there was a heat riser by the exhaust manifold that connected directly to the air cleaner housing. It helped things warm up quicker. My heat rise rusted off, so I just mounted some metal flex tubing down towards the manifold. It really did help. Once I got the accelerator pump diaphragm fixed, it didn't bog down too much at all when cold. Might want to check the carb make sure it's not eroded from ethanol-gas.
I believe it is similar to the truck series engine, but this one was from the Falcon and from what I remember it has its roots in the 60's. Lima, Ohio is the engine plant. It also, if you can believe it, shares some heritage with the 460, which shares a heritage with the 429 cobra. Crazy but true. One more piece of trivia. The lima plant needed something to make Ford keep them open and they chopped two cylinders off this 200ci engine, added a high-swirl combustion chamber, ohc.. it then became a 2.3L engine, put into use under the hood of the Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz!
You just can't kill this thing! It will outlast the rest of the car (if it rusts). It's probably why this car is still around and the others like the 3.8 V-6 are in a junkyard somewhere.
The power I believe was 88-90hp, but the real nice part is the torque! 160 ft/lb at like 1600rpms. That's its saving grace! The torque! If someone has the exact specs, please speak up. But this is what I remember.
hope that helps!