This is not for the challenge but I get all kinds of conflicting or outdated information on the line.
The goal is good HP. Motor will run in a hydroplane so think circle track. 5-7000 rpm range and would like 150hp. With a single carb.
I know there are some Lima nerds on here. What's the bare minimum if we start with a 90s ranger motor as a base? Can we do it with valve springs and a cam? Are rod bolts going to be needed ?
School me wise and powerful GRM.
150hp N/A should be achievable following basic circle track principles. Port the head, upgrade the valves and springs, pick a cam that makes power in your RPM range, good aftermarket intake manifold and header. I would say yes to rod bolts with sustained higher RPMs since you are in there already, but I am turning my junkyard bottom end 2.3T to 7500 regularly....ymmv
I just can't get past the way they ran in Pintos. I'm sure they are lovely, but it's a bit like how I don't drink tequila anymore, since a Saturday in 1981...
Streetwiseguy,
If it were up to me we would put a duratec in the boat on megasquirt. But its a boat from the 80's that is being restored by the former racers son. This son is rebuilding my hydro currently so the least I can do it help him with the motor for his next project. This boat ran in a class that was dominated by ford 2.3l motors with a single Holley 4bbl.
I tried to suggest quad bike carbs and velocity stacks. But he wants it "as raced" either way at the end of the day it will still probably be knocking on the door of 100mph.
I have a Pinto manifold with a mostly complete 390 Holley on it. Give me an address and pay the freight, and it's yours.
We stole a bit af choke linkage off it a while ago. It's been sitting for decades...
Mr. Streetwiseguy that's super generous I'll pm you an address.
This is the boat in its former glory.
And at its current point in the restoration.
Many SCCA Formula Continentals using a 2L overhead cam pinto making 155 HP at 6800 using just a 2 barrel weber. Stock valves and very mild cam. They basically run between 6000 and 7000 their whole life.
There is a piston kit for using 5.7" rods readily available. They last road racing for 30 hours between refreshing rings etc.
Major engine builders with parts:
Quicksilver - Frederick MD
Elite - Plymouth WI
Cricket Farm Motors - Greenville SC
I'll be following along. Not sure I'll ever own another Lima, they're not as common as they used to be. But it's always been one of my favorite engines. I wish mine had been able to spin 7k, but the tach stopped at 6 and I didn't want to splode anything.
In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :
Wasn't aware these had an SCCA following, most of what I found was circle track. Although I know they are still used in hydro's this will be a pretty mild build....I think. I will do some further reading.
Speaking to my buddy again tonight he informed me that with 150 hp it should be a 100mph capable boat...er plain.. uh machine.
A few years back Roush built 2.3L Fords for trophy off road race trucks. Should be lots of parts around.
Look at Esslinger Engineering in Chino California
I've played around with these engine and there is one thing about them I've wanted to try but haven't got the chance. There are various heads that are all 2.3L OHC heads but have differences in porting, combustion chamber, etc. The later heads went to a slimmer valve stem on the valves. I believe it was the dual plug heads. They also increased the rocker ratio but then reduced the cam lift so you ended up with the same basic cam timing as the earlier single plug heads. If you used the later valves in a single plug head (You would need new valve guides.) and the matching roller rockers, but the early roller cam you would end up with more valve lift using stock parts. The early and late roller rockers are not interchangeable as the slot in the rocker is a close fit to the valve stem.
I prefer the early single plug heads for performance and that's why I suggest the above mod in theory.
I just remembered this video from years ago. It should have some hi dollar tips
As people have mentioned these motors in 2.0 form were/are used in SCCA Formula Continental and Sports 2000. The motors are very mildly tuned so it shouldn't take much to hit the target goal of 150
Tom1200 said:As people have mentioned these motors in 2.0 form were/are used in SCCA Formula Content ale and Sports 2000. The motors are very mildy tuned so it shouldn't take much to hit the target goal of 150
The original 2.0L EAO engine is known as the "Pinto engine" and was the engine used by SCCA. The Lima 2.3L OHC and it brothers, the 2.0L & 2.5L were never used in SCCA racing fomula cars. They look similar but nothing really interchanges with the 2.0L EAO. It was this engine that was/is used in S2000 and FC race cars. The "Pinto" engine was a better engine for hopping up for many years. But as time has gone by the 2.3L has many high performance options developed for it.
Jack Roush using an aluminum racing head and a turbo built Trans Am race engine back in the 80's that could make 800 HP on the dyno. Due to intake restrictors that SCCA made them use power was cut down to around 600 HP.
The EAO engine was used in the Pinto's and Capri's from 1971-1974 when Ford dropped it from it's car line and went only with the 2.3L OHC in the US. In Europe the 2.0L EAO continued for many more years, there it even got a twin cam 4V head and a turbo.
The Mustang II introduced in 1974 never got the 2.0L EAO, only the 2.3L OHC and the 2.8L V6 as options. Ford later added the 302 V8 to the Mustang II line.
Something I forgot to mention. If you plan on spinning a 2.3L over 6K on a regular basis be prepared have to replace the pistons on a regular basis. None of the pistons Ford used, with the exception of the "Turbo" pistons take kindly to being spun over 6K rpms for very long. One engine I pulled apart had one odd piston in it. The ring groove for the top ring was wider than the other pistons. It took me a while but I finally figured it out. The top of the pistons was trying to separate itself from the lower half due to high rev's.
There are aftermarket pistons that will hold up to a performance build but not OEM or OEM replacement pistons!
A high rev built, say anything over 6.5K should get forged pistons just so everything stays together.
If you do run stock pistons and keep the rev's in check you can even win your class in Lemons, twice!
The Pinto was a smaller engine all around than the Lima. It also had a different number of cam journals.
Just to make things confusing, in the 80s, Ford had a 2.0 version of the Lima in some Rangers. Debored, not destroked.
Streetwiseguy said:We stole a bit af choke linkage off it a while ago. It's been sitting for decades...
You forgot, "ran when parked".
What gumby said.
I had a former Roush racing tech port the single plug late 80s head of my dirt track car. Huge improvement in power and torque. Upgraded cam, valve springs and rod bolts. We had to use OEM carb during season. However, I used a Holley 2 barrel for races after the season with excellent results.
Jinbbski thanks for the history lesson.............I always thought all the 2.0 motors were the same.
Can you bolt an old single plug head to a 2.5 duratec bottom end ?
The 2.0L motor does not have enough cam bearings for a proper high rpm high lift cam.
The 2.3L motor will spin 9500 easily.
Also for a boat raise the compression ratio as high as you can reasonably.
I would look for a used motor from a Midget most are an Esslinger aluminum block and ported head and dry sump oiling
If I remember correctly the 2.3 was used a lot in mid engine dune buggy racing and recreational off-road buggy/sand rails.
The stock 2.3 turbo rotating assembly will have no problem with 7,000.
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