What's the good and bad about a 1980 Ford L4 turbo engine and four speed.

I have an opportunity, or possibly a curse, to pick up an L4 turbo engine and 4 speed trans out of a 1980 Mustang. The good is that it runs well and is a complete drive train, everything right out of the car and running. The bad is that it came out of a four speed Fox body, it's a small turbo engine, and was no doubt beat to crap in attempts to show the guys with the V6s and V8s just how fast a small turbo engine could be.

I know that this year is carbed, has severe turbo lag, and the turbos are a smidge fragile. Anything else that I ought to know before considering this package? I'm hoping to trade a built up air cooled VW engine for it, or sell the VW engine and use the cash to buy the L4 so there isn't a big "out of pocket" expense to consider, just wondering about the problems or pluses with this mill?

Thanks for any info that you may have !

TC

IIRC that would be an SROD, a gearbox that is definitely not known for it's durability. I wouldn't put the gearbox in a heavy car. There are parts a-plenty for the 2.3 thanks to roundy-rounders.

Draw thru carb. Garbage.

"IIRC that would be an SROD"

Translation?

It would be going into a '58 Austin A35, weighs about 1,500 pounds fully loaded.

Single rail overdrive trans. Garbage.

you would have a better starting point with an n/a 87-92 2.3 lima.

Absolutely nothing good.

original owner to a 1980 turbo capri....

trans was junk... pistons are "undersized"(leads to piston slap)....

happy I didn't stick with it

If I'm sticking with an L4 engine, what year should I be looking for? I would rather it be carbed as I don't really want to contend with a twenty-five year old injection set-up and don't want to invest in an aftermarket system for this project either. Looking to go cheap and simple.

What year did the four speed transmissions improve? Wondering if I'd be better off finding a newer one or looking for something from an earlier Mustang instead? Lots of Ford guys around here have parts and pieces for sale, so I might be able to scare up what I need locally if I know what to ask for.

i would go with a fuel injected lima 2.3 The harness and parts to make it work in the 87-92 form are really simple for a fuel injected set up. if you can clear a small i6 theres that route. i know the carb'd 2.3 in both n/a and turbo form was a dissapointment from almost all performance standpoints.

"the carb'd 2.3 in both n/a and turbo form was a dissapointment from almost all performance standpoints."

Is this engine for the '80 Mustang similar to the one that in the turbo Thunderbird?

TeamEvil wrote: "the carb'd 2.3 in both n/a and turbo form was a dissapointment from almost all performance standpoints." Is this engine for the '80 Mustang similar to the one that in the turbo Thunderbird?

The turbocoupe thunderbirds were fuel injected. 85/86 was a hot air non ic set up with a t3, the 87/88 cars were intercooled with the ihi.

Thanks !

You do not want a carb'd turbo setup, a MegaSquirt will run one of those just fine. Definitely want an intercooler.

I'd pass on that package.

Got a buddy that put a 2.0L Duratec/T5 into his Midget. MegaSquirt - a really, really nice combination. Weighs about 1700 lbs. - 140 ish HP. Very entertaining. Our cruise down to the Mitty last year he got 38 mpg (top down) on the Interstate run from Charlotte down to Road Atlanta. This is the same basic motor that came turbocharged in a 2.3L version in the Mazda 3.

While the right L4 should go pretty easily, you could always squeeze a six in there... [URL=http://s937.photobucket.com/user/MichaelYount/media/Various%20Other%20Cars/AaronCouper-B.jpg.html][/URL]

I probably ought to pass, but the $500 buy-in is tugging at me. It's a complete stock low buck package that runs well and needs nothing at all right now. Honestly, I like a carbed turbo and am very familiar with the little Holley/Weber on top of it. Doesn't smoke or whine so I imagine that the carbon seal is still good. Sounds nice and all. A Mega Squirt and the rest of the "package" isn't in the budget for this project. Strictly a low dollar what Detroit built is good enough for now kinda thing.

Low end Challenge Friendly would be a good budget description.