Description And Operation: Engine: Notes

The 2.3L (140 CID) 4-cylinder engine has the following features:

• DOHC
• Four valves per cylinder
• Sequential Multi-Port Fuel Injection (SFI)
• Aluminum cylinder head
• Aluminum cylinder block
• Electronic ignition system with coil-on-plug 4 ignition coils

The 2.3L engine is a 4 valve-per-cylinder, DOHC engine. The engine uses a coil-on-plug ignition system. The cylinder block is made of aluminum and the bearing caps are integrated into the ladder assembly. An aluminum oil pan bolts to the bottom of the lower cylinder block and to the transmission to provide greater strength. The camshafts are mounted in the cylinder heads and act against valve tappets to open and close the valves. The camshafts are driven off the front of the cylinder head by one timing chain. The chain is driven by a sprocket that is located on the crankshaft. The piston assembly is an aluminum piston with a cast iron connecting rod. The oil pump is driven by the crankshaft via a dedicated chain that is driven by the same sprocket that drives the timing chain.

Identification -   Always refer to these labels when installation of new parts is necessary or when checking engine calibrations. The engine parts often differ within a CID family. Verification of the identification codes will make sure that the correct parts are obtained. These codes contain all the pertinent information relating to the dates, optional equipment and revisions. The Ford Master Parts Catalog contains a complete listing of the codes and their applications.

Code Information -   The engine code information label, located on the side of the valve cover and the front side of the valve cover, contains the following:

• Engine build date
• Engine plant code
• Engine code

Exhaust Emission Control System -   Operation and necessary maintenance of the exhaust emission control devices used on this engine are covered in the Introduction - Gasoline Engines article.

Induction System -   The SFI provides the fuel/air mixture needed for combustion in the cylinders. The 4 solenoid-operated fuel injectors:

• are mounted in the intake manifold.
• meter fuel into the air intake stream in accordance with engine demand.
• are positioned so that their tips direct fuel just ahead of the engine intake valves.
• are connected in series with the fuel pressure sensor.
• supply fuel from the fuel tank with a fuel pump mounted in the fuel tank.

A constant fuel pressure is maintained across the fuel injectors by the fuel pressure sensor. The fuel pressure sensor is positioned upstream from the fuel injectors on the fuel injection supply manifold.

PCV System -   All engines are equipped with a closed-type PCV system recycling the crankcase vapors to the intake manifold.

Lubrication System -   The engine lubrication system operates as follows:

• Oil is drawn into the oil pump through the oil pump screen cover and tube in the sump of the oil pan.
• Oil is pumped through the oil filter on the left front side of the cylinder block.
• Oil enters the main gallery where it is distributed to the crankshaft main journals and to the cylinder head.
• From the main journals, the oil is routed through cross-drilled passages in the crankshaft to lubricate the connecting rod bearings. Controlled leakage through the crankshaft main bearings and connecting rod bearings is slung radially outward to cool and lubricate the cylinder walls as well as the entire connecting rod, piston and piston ring assembly.