2.3 L ecoboost mustang engine swap

[WINDI]

Hi, everyone.

I'm considering swap the engine in my Markur xr4ti with a new Mustang 2.3l ecoboost engine.

In my country there is no legal option to put in a 4 cylinder engine CAR a- V8 engine, but a modern 4 cylinder engine and the same size is definitely an option
Has anyone here done anything like this before?
Does the engine fit or need special engine mounts and gear adapter
Do I need to produce the mounts and Adapter by myself or can I buy them?
Is it complicated swap?
Is the vehicle going well with this engine?
What else can you tell me about the glare?
What else can you tell me about the process?
What was the total cost of the entire project? I saw that motorists are selling at 2000 dollars. What other expenses should I take into account?
Was it worth it?

Thanks

[hbar]

Nothing will fit without custom fabrication of many parts. If you don't have your own shop and experience in doing custom automotive fabrication, then you will be taking on more than you can handle.

Getting the engine physically installed and oriented properly will be an enormous task, by itself, but after that, adapting the electronic engine controls and other system electronics will be even more difficult.

If you have money to burn, you could pay someone else to do the job, but the expense would be enormous.



Just curious, but why do you want to install a different engine when it's so easy and economical to make tons of power with the stock Lima 2.3 turbo motor?

[merkurdriver]

It will be a big and expensive project. I think it would cost less money and be easier to install a Sierra Cosworth YB 2.0 engine.

[WINDI]

ן thank you for your answers

I thought there would be no problem adapting this engine to the car
, in terms of the electrical system I do not worry, I buy the wire harness of the Mustang and use stands alone ECU

But if the adjustment to the gearbox and frame is problematic then that is another story .
Ecoboost engine is modern and not very expensive, the Cosworth engine is at least 25 years old and very expensive and not the most reliable.

In what way can you improve the original XR4 engine and maintain reliability and usability?
What can you do except stand alone ECU and InterCollar?

[Xr4MerkurMike]

I know ford sells a 2.3 EB engine and wiring harness setup from ford performance. Would be a very cool project and car when its complete, good luck if you decide to go down that road!

[TMitch]

I am doing the 2.0YB swap and just bought the transmission and driveshaft to go with it. The motor mounts are in the same spot and the transmission and driveline work just fine.

I have had to do some minor custom work with the intercooler and rad combo the exhaust requires a bit of work and there are some wiring changes but they are straight forward.

If you go with the Ecoboost swap, which I think would be cool, get the transmission and driveshaft to go with it. The issue would just be making sure the extra components for the Ecoboost could be fit in somewhere, your power steering setup will be different and the A/C etc.

Any project you want to build go for it and enjoy it. That's what having a project car is about. That being said you can make good power with the original motor, you just have to find a reputable shop to do it.

All the best with your project!

TMitch

[timxr8]

WINDI, where are you located? That will help in knowing what options you have for Engines.

I'm currently doing a 2.3L Duratec into mine, which is the predecessor to the Ecoboost engines, Mounting points and physically the engine block are similar. The problem with the 4cyl Ecoboost engines (and the predecessor the Mazdaspeed engines) is the location of the high pressure Direct Injection pump. It's on the rear of the cylinder head, which places it in the firewall. So, if you want to use the Ecoboost, substantial modification to the firewall is required. Also, the vent fan and A/C evaporator (if you have Air Conditioning) will need to be either deleted, or have substantial modifications/custom fabrication to work.

Oil pan: this is going to be the biggest physical hurdle (motor mounts are pretty easy IMHO) since even the Mustang had a very deep pan with the engine located almost entirely behind the front subframe. In the Sierra/Merkur, it's nearly in the middle of the oil pan. A few places like SBD, Raceline, Burton Power make or sell a RWD oil pan for the Duratec (same as the EB if I'm not mistaken) that is for the early Escorts, and will work in the Sierra/Merkur. Raceline makes a low profile Dry Sump setup that I was debating.

Motor Mounts: There are not direct motor mounts because there are no mass produced oil pans for the Sierra/Merkur. The aforementioned companies make a DIY engine mount kit, which has pieces to frame mount the engine using barrel bushings.

Transmission: No idea what the MT-82 looks like, but I know the gear ratios absolutely suck. 4.2xx 1st gear with a 1:1 5th and a .7 6th. Why even bother using 1st? The shifter position on those I don't think works well for the engine position, but I could be wrong. The engine bolt pattern is carried over from the Duratec, so there are a few options to connect a different transmission. Most are for the Type 9, which I wouldn't mess with. RWD Motorsports makes one to fit the Toyota W-series (W57 or W58) that have decent gearing. The Sierra Cosworth T5 is very good as well, but have not seen anyone that makes a bellhousing specifically for it. The other option is from Quicktime here in the US. They make spun steel SFI (Serious Drag Racing Inspection people) bellhousings to fit the Ecoboost to a few transmissions: Ford T5 (same as Sierra Cosworth), Tremec TKO, and Tremec T-56.

Links:
http://www.rwdmotorsport.com/duratec-to ... using.html
http://www.raceline.co.uk/products/part ... tegoryID=1
http://www.sbdev.co.uk/Duratec/Wet_Sump_Systems.htm
https://www.holley.com/brands/quicktime ... lhousings/

If you are simply set on a good 4 cyl engine. I would source a 2.0L YB and Sierra T5. It's the most economical way to get a DOHC 4 cylinder with great power potential and reliable. John Vanlandingham (AKA JVAB) on here has done a bit with them and may be able to help source an engine overseas, or simply ship you one. They go in with the Lucas ECU and connect 3 wires. They bolt in since they came in the car. I'm confused where you find that the YB is not reliable. Comparatively speaking, it's far more reliable than the Lima engine. Especially at the same power levels.

Which XR4 do you have? Is it the American XR4ti with the Pinto 2.3L turbo?

[merkurdriver]

Tim, I think he's in Israel and has a Merkur XR4Ti
(I think he mentioned that in another post somewhere.)

WINDI, 2.3 ecoboost would be a cool swap for sure, but the stock 2.3T in the Merkur XR4Ti can make good power cheap.
How much power do you want to make, intercooler, exhaust, bigger turbo, bigger fuel injectors, bigger air meter, many mods can be done to make good horsepower

[Spaldino]

someone is in the process of or has already swapped a 2.0 ecoboost into one of our cars.

http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/viewt ... 0+ecoboost

whoever this is would probably be your best bet for advice and whatnot for doing the 2.3 swap if you still felt inclined to do so.

I've thought about it quite a bit as a "what if my engine turns into complete junk in the future" scenario. But since there isn't any restrictions on what I can put under my hood here I would most likely go with an LS V8 or a 5.0 as those are way cheaper to come by... but I still look for wrecked ecoboost Mustangs online every now and then. Some are pretty cheap... like 7k-8k USD for a car that is totaled in the rear!

[WINDI]

Thanks to all the answers, I am indeed located in Israel.
I have not yet bought XR4TI, I have been in contact with some sellers but they have sold to someone else in the end, still looking for the one for me that will be reasonable price and good condition (to any price I have to add the shipping and taxes that triple the price)
In my country there is a legal problem to put a V-8 in a 4-cylinder car, but 2.3 Eco Boost seems to me like something that can pass.
This of course will not be my daily car, it's a car for driving trips, track days and drifting.
Not looking for too much power - something like 250 horses in the wheel is fine for me.
But l do look for a reliable unit, such that you can turn the key and enjoy driving and do not have to tune and fix all day

Btw. What cheep lsd diff can fit the XR4TI? , does the ford sierra xr4 4X4 diff fit? Does any mustang lsd fit?

[thesameguy]

If you are only looking for 250hp and want to keep it a four cylinder, I would strongly consider looking at the Duratec engine, available in displacements up to 2.5l and plenty of factory turbo options made by Mazda (for use in the Mazdaspeed 3 and 6). It's a port-injected engine rather than direct-injected, which will make running it easier, and there are plenty of options for RWD mounting, either by using Ford Ranger parts or aftermarket parts. A variety of transmissions are available as well. It's a pretty well understood motor with lots of options - way more aftermarket development than the Ecoboost at this point.

(Or, you could do like I'm trying to do and put a Saab engine in it... easy 250hp)

[merkurdriver]

Not looking for too much power - something like 250 horses in the wheel is fine for me.


Btw. What cheep lsd diff can fit the XR4TI? , does the ford sierra xr4 4X4 diff fit? Does any mustang lsd fit?

Easy for the stock 2.3T engine to make 250+ horses - no need to do an engine swap.
3" downpipe + full 3" exhaust alone will bring you up over 200 horses
http://merkur.50megs.com/photo2_4.html
Then air meter upgrade, ECU upgrade, intercooler, and manual boost controller

LSD diff, yes, the Sierra XR4x4 7" LSD will be the lowest cost, but it is a 7" and our cars have a 7.5" so you will just need a small spacer on one bolt and it bolts right in very easy. Also the 7.5" Granada LSD is a direct bolt in. Those will be the 2 lowest cost LSD.

[popimpracer]

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE A GRANADA LSD?

[merkurdriver]

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE A GRANADA LSD?

7.5" Granada / Scorpio LSD needs sourced from Europe

[popimpracer]

THANKS