1970 Cortina, Ford Lima 2.3. Anyone with swap experience?

Ok, here's the skinny. 

We're building a MkII Cortina for a customer and he has requested a 2.3L Pinto engine and a T5 transmission.

Engine is currently being built, transmission is ready to go and car is arriving soon. 

I'm having a hard time making sense of information on the interwebs, because it's the internet. I'm looking for the easy button because even though we can fabricate everything we need to do this, if there are off-the-shelf solutions that I can simply buy and install, it will save the customer some money.

Problem is, the Pinto engine in Europe is not the Pinto engine here. Forums say the "pinto" engine is a bolt-in. As I understand it, the Kent and EAO (what Europe calls the pinto) engines are a bolt-in but I'm not sure if the 2.3 Lima engine will bolt up.

So, to put a 2.3 Lima in to a MkII Cortina, does anyone know what I need to use for:

Engine mounts.

Oil pan and pump.

Exhaust header.

Transmission crossmember and mount.

Driveshaft.

If there's nothing that is a direct bolt-in, then we will make what we need. I'm just trying not to spend all the money.

Surely this swap has been done before.

Thanks in advance guys.

This is what we in the US call a 2.3L Lima, It has a larger Squarish Valve cover compared to a 2.0L which has a rounded VC and only 3 cam bearings. The 2.3L Lima is a SOHC 2 valve motor with an auxilary shaft in the block for distributor, fuel pump, and oil pump drive. I believe they can be had with front or rear sump and various Auto and manual trans combo's. Some also came with EDIS 36-1 crank trigger setups.

https://sxdrv.com/images/5e1dc627cd569.jpg

It was used in the Pinto, Bobcat, Mustang, Ranger, Crapi, and TBird

I used to run one in a USAC Midget 95-9800rpm.  :^)  (But there was not much Ford left at that point)

I lost interest in it a few months ago, but there seemed to be a fairly decent series of YouTube videos about putting a " Pinto " engine in a Capri.

I am a bit puzzled as to why your customer wants a 2.3 Lima engine in a Mk 2 Cortina.  In Britain, folks are transplanting the Duratec 2.3 into Cortinas.  The only reason, I guess, is that Ford offered this combo in its U.S. products?

Unfortunately, I cleaned out several years of the British magazines Performance Ford (not to be confused with the American magazine of the same name) and Retro Ford that featured articles and ads by folks that did this kind of swap.   Both these magazines disappeared (at least in my local Barnes and Nobles) soon after the start of the pandemic.  

And yes, it is confusing that the U.K. calls a whole family of engines " Pinto ".

Customer asked for a 2.3 Pinto engine and 5-speed. That's what we're putting in. Following the golden rule: "He who has the gold makes the rules".

I know what a 2.3 Lima is, we have one already, I've played with them before but usually in the Ranger / Pinto / Mustang they were installed in.

What I need to know is, are there "easy button" parts to put this engine into a MkII Cortina or am I going to be fabricating everything?

I would consult with Retroford or Burtons, both in jolly old.  Though I second the comments on why your customer wanted the Lima.  The Duratec is the go to these days, while the Zetec is a close second.  But, as they say the customer is always right (or is it sometimes right?).

The Duratec motor would be my choice DOHC and 4 valves and a lighter block, that motor was not available til later (and I think became the spec motor for the feeder series). Aluminum block a big plus for a lighter more nimble chassis.

Guys, I don't care about the Duratec.

The customer isn't always right, the customer should always be satisfied.

Burtons

They're probably your best bet,  i had a quick look at retro Ford and they don't seem to cater to anything other than the "other" motors.   

The Duratec 2.3 is the Jag V12 of this thread.

Good luck, nothing useful to add, unless snark is helping.

The Pinto engine WAS sold here in Pintos until 1973 or 74, when the Lima took over in the Pinto.

Yeah, it sounds like a bad Police Squad! skit.

I wouldn't think that there are any bolt in able swap parts for Cortinas.  I have heard about some certain engine mounts advertised as being for the 2.3 but don't actually fit anything, so you'd end up fabricating regardless.

I should use the Jag V12.

The Duratec was probably an evolution of the Jag V12. After all, it has the same number of camshafts but only 1/3rd the number of cylinders. Probably a weight saving measure.

So here's a question- 

In terms of the Pinto car- did it change at all when it went from the earlier pinto 2.0 to the Lima version??  The reason I ask is that it seems kind of unreasonable that the car would change that much.  

And then comparing the Cortina to the Pinto- how different are the basic structures of the car?  This part, I would expect to have differences- while it would have been smart to copy what Ford of England was doing- that was very, very, very much not what was done in the US back in that era.

The other thing- that motor was used in so many different products- one would think that between the Pinto, Mustang (two versions),  it's cousin T-Bird, and the Merkurs (among others)- there would be one cross memeber that would be close enough to use it's pan.

(since everyone else has submitted unsolicited and unwanted advice, I would find a 2.0l Duratec....  Although the ZETEC has parts to look more like a 60's motor- which would be cool under that hood.  Let alone a 300hp 2.3 GTDI swap... that would be cool)

alfadriver said:

So here's a question- 

In terms of the Pinto car- did it change at all when it went from the earlier pinto 2.0 to the Lima version??  The reason I ask is that it seems kind of unreasonable that the car would change that much.  

 

That's what I'm hoping for.

I believe both engines were used in the Sierra / Merkur twins as well so hopefully some combination of Pinto / Merkur / Cortina / Ranger / Mustang mounts will let this thing drop in.

In reply to ShawnG :

The Sierra was sold with both.  The Cossie engine was a Pinto block with a DOHC head, the XR4Ti had Lima engines shipped to Germany from the US so they could be re-exported...