Bought two 2.3 LX's (92 & 93) with auto transmissions. Each in the 100k range. Both run cool and well with firm shifting transmissions. what is a good oil pressure? what basic improvement works best, timing, air intakes? any advice on these transmissions? will exhaust mods help and what to do? Thanks for any help --- these are for good all around performance and peak gas mileage. Our other cars are for fun and HPower.
1. Going by the factory gauge? Because they're not really very accurate. 2. None really... 3. Be careful with it...they're pretty fragile. The A4LD is known to grenade behind a stock 2.3L. 4. See 2. A cat back will make more noise, but won't help much in the power department.
2: Remove the baffles on the air silencer on the intake. Remove the snorkel at the bottom of the airbox. K&N 4: Get a mid-90's Ranger tubular header. That'll gain you a total of maybe 10-20 HP, tops. Anything past that, and you're looking into diminishing returns. Unless you're going to make a high revving, unstreetable track engine. For a real power upgrade, go for the turbo swap, but you'd have to lose the automatics.
Please, don't go getting his hopes up. Doing the above MIGHT get you 5 hp, and even that would be a stretch. On my old car I did a longtube header, cat-back, full cold air intake, even had underdrive pulleys at one point...I never felt any appreciable difference except that it revved easier. It was still slower than dog ****.
Get transmission coolers on both cars. That's first and foremost. After that, tune up. Then K&N filters, gut the air silencer, and remove the airbox restrictor inlet. Did that to my 88 and it seems to run much better. Not like wheel-smokin' better, but it does run a lot better and my fuel mileage went up about 4-6mpgs around town.
reply ... Thanks! It seems trans coolers get a major . I will order K&N's --- 25% discount sale on now at Advance Auto. The baffle and silencer gutting ... an easy task???
