I have an 89 Amigo with a 2.6L 4ZE1. It is wimpy and I read a while back where someone used a 2.3L intake manifold on a 2.6L head and it fit perfectly. I have completely overhauled the entire engine and replaced the head which had multiple cracks when I bought it. I want to change my MFI and ECU controlled ignition to a carburated and stand alone distributor to allow for modifications to the engine and electrical system without interfering with the computer controlled ignition and timing. Any and all help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Will an intake manifold and distributor from a 2.3L carburated first generation Amigo fit on the 2.6L MFI 1st generation Amigo? Any special parts needed. Any other ideas? The ultimate goal will be more horses and versatility including the possible addition of an LP gas system in the future.

Personally, I'd stick with the fuel injection. You're a lot better off with it. Lots more reliability. Lots better fuel economy.

Richard <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Let's break this down:

I have an 89 Amigo with a 2.6L 4ZE1. It is wimpy

Yup, it is. To some degree, it will always be no matter what you do with it. It is a truck engine and will never be a speed demon. Step one is to accept this.

I read a while back where someone used a 2.3L intake manifold on a 2.6L head and it fit perfectly. I have completely overhauled the entire engine and replaced the head which had multiple cracks when I bought it. I want to change my MFI and ECU controlled ignition to a carburated and stand alone distributor to allow for modifications to the engine and electrical system without interfering with the computer controlled ignition and timing.

Richard covered this already. It is a bad idea and you will get more out of the EFI than you ever could with a carb setup.

Any and all help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

You should have done some research and replaced the head with the smaller combustion chamber'd head that comes on the 93 and up 2.6 engines. This bumps your compression by about 10 points. You can throw all the other tricks at it, but upping the CR makes a huge deal.

In short, the easy recipe is:
1) Post '93 head on a pre-'93 block and pistons
2) Decked block and head for flatness
3) Bored 0.040 over.
4) Balanced
5) Post-'93 upper intake and throttle body (one big throttle body vs. the two small plates in yours)
6) Post-'93 MAF (again, bigger)
7) Header, free flowing exhaust ect.
8) Port/polish and port-match, but only if you have it apart and have access to a flow bench. In general, the 2.6 seems to be pretty good in this aspect.

That is about where the easy stops. About the only thing left is to go to the post-'93 injectors, but it requires wiring for the ECU, the later distributor and in the end, I am not sure how much you would gain. They went from batch fire to SEFI between old/new and that requires the ecu/dizzy change.

The ultimate goal will be more horses and versatility including the possible addition of an LP gas system in the future.

LP is not a power building system. You will actually get less power out of a converted engine and on the 2.6 you will be unhappy.

Good Luck,
Michael

Uh.... I think you mean it bumps it up TO about 10 points, not up by about 10 points.

Thanks. I think I will leave that engine in as is for now and begin from scratch on a new one. I have another old 89 amigo with a good engine in it. I will just start over and use it to try to get the right mix instead of fighting the one in the car now

Uh.... I think you mean it bumps it up TO about 10 points, not up by about 10 points.

Nope, I meant what I wrote. 8.3:1 to 9.3:1 is an increase of 10 points.

Michael

That's not 10 points, that's one point.

8:1 to 9:1 is one point.
eight "point" 5:1 to nine "point" 5:1 is one point in compression.
You are talking tenths of a point, not points.

If you raise a 8.0:1 ratio by 10 points, it's now 18.0:1.

Not hard written, but in a static model, for every
point increase, the power output will change by approx. 2%, until you get upwards of the 13 point mark, then it drops
to approx. 1.5% change.

Yeah, I was mistaken.

Michael

OK. I have another engine, same as this one currently sitting in a wrecked Amigo. If I do the port and polish and change the head as you suggested along with changing the intake and throtle body, then all the wiring, will that buy enough power to make all that effort worth while? Not to mention the time and money invested. Also will a chip modofication and / or a cam change help any or is that a waste of time for this vehicle? Right now I have a running engine. It isn't great and it leaks oil; at the seals, but it runs good. My problem is I can't get the timeing adjusted on it. It is at 8 degrees now and is suppose to be at 15 according to the book, but with the distributor turned completely one way 8 is the farthest I can get. If I move the distributor 1 tooth over the least I can get is 20. Any suggestions here. I have changed and moved it numerous times thinking I was missing the gear, but have concluded that it just isn't going to hit the right spot no matter how many times I try.

That sounds to me like the harmonic balancer has slipped. Common problem as they get older. Cure is to buy a new balancer. Should be less than or around $100. Make sure to get a new one because another used one more than likely has the same problem.

Richard <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />