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Four-cylinder Ford speed: the Esslinger story
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 18/10/2026
- 0 comments
Off-road trucks. Sprint cars. Midgets. Ministocks. Hydroplanes. Different tracks, different water, one thing in common: a four-cylinder Ford with an Esslinger part inside it. Some shops build one kind of engine and wait for the phone to ring. We have spent over forty years being a dominating force in four-cylinder Ford performance, and the phone keeps ringing because the parts keep working. Built to be raced Our engines and parts have powered off-road trucks, sprint cars, midgets, ministocks and hydroplanes. Along the way we have helped customers achieve countless wins and championships. That ..
How ordering works at Esslinger: fitment, shipping and insurance
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 17/10/2026
- 0 comments
A short guide to getting the right parts to you, safely. Esslinger Engineering is a working engine shop in Chino, California. These are the answers to the questions we hear most. Check your fitment first Product descriptions say what each part fits. If your engine is not an exact match, or you are mixing parts, call 909-539-0544 or email sales@esslingeracing.com before you order. A two-minute call costs less than a return. Stock changes fast Not every part is in stock at all times, even when the website shows it. For big orders, or when you need a part by a certain date, please confirm availab..
Head studs, oil pan gasket and rear main seal for the Ford SOHC
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 16/10/2026
- 0 comments
The small sealing parts that keep a rebuilt engine from leaking or lifting a head gasket. A rebuild is only as good as the sealing parts that go with it. These are the three we sell most for the Ford SOHC. ARP head studs The ARP head stud kit fits 1974 to 1997 Ford 2300 SOHC "Lima" engines and 1998 to 2001 Ford 2.5L SOHC "Lima" engines. Compared with the stock bolts it gives more consistent torque values, higher clamp load on the head gasket, improved cylinder head sealing and a lower chance of head gasket failure. One piece rubber oil pan gasket The 1pc. rubber oil pan gasket fits all OBD1 Fo..
Tri-metal Clevite bearings for the Ford 2300 SOHC: why we use them
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 15/10/2026
- 0 comments
Late-model engines use aluminum bearings. Our SOHC engines use tri-metal, and there is a good reason. Bearings do not get much attention until one fails. For the Ford 2300 SOHC we use Mahle Clevite tri-metal bearings. Why tri-metal The soft outer layer of a tri-metal bearing lets contaminants in the oil embed into the bearing instead of scoring the crank. That minimizes journal wear compared to the aluminum bearings used in late-model engines. What we offer Main bearings ("P" series), available for standard journals, .010" undersize or .020" undersize. They are also offered with a dry-film co..
Solid cam buckets and lash adjusters: when you need them
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 14/10/2026
- 0 comments
Set the lash wrong and a good cam makes bad power. These are the small parts you will order again and again. Our solid cam packages need valve lash set correctly, and that means having the right parts on the bench. 31mm solid cam buckets (EcoBoost and Duratec) The 31mm solid cam followers work with our EcoBoost and Duratec camshaft sets and come in thicknesses from 3.000 to 3.725mm. You need them any time the cam is changed or the lash needs adjusting. They are sold individually, and there are 16 cam buckets per engine. 14mm lash adjusters (Ford SOHC) The 14mm lash adjuster is an extra-long M1..
Swapping a Duratec or EcoBoost 4-cylinder into a rear-wheel-drive car
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 13/10/2026
- 0 comments
The engines are small and powerful. Getting them to bolt up to a common transmission is the hard part, and these two adapters are how we do it. Ford Duratec and EcoBoost 4-cylinder engines make big power in a light package, which is why they are popular swaps into rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks. The problem is the back of the engine: it does not line up with the transmissions you actually want to run. The bellhousing adapter Our Ecoboost / Duratec to SBF bellhousing adapter fits both EcoBoost and Duratec 2L, 2.3L and 2.5L engines. It lets you bolt a Small Block Ford bellhousing to the 4-cyli..
What goes into an Esslinger Ford 2300 SOHC shortblock
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 12/10/2026
- 0 comments
A shortblock is more than parts in a box. Here is how ours are built, and why we machine and assemble every one in our own shop. Our shortblocks are assembled by the same technicians that build our race and championship winning engines. That matters, because the biggest difference between engines is not the parts list, it is how carefully they are put together. How each block is prepared Every block starts as an OEM Ford block that is thoroughly inspected, magna-fluxed, de-rusted and cleaned. It is then fully machined to our specifications in our shop. Cylinder honing is done with our diamond..
Stopping broken distributor gear teeth on the Ford 2.3L SOHC
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 11/10/2026
- 0 comments
The OEM iron intermediate shaft with an iron/bronze gear is a known weak point. Here is the fix we use in our own engines. On the Ford 2300 SOHC the intermediate shaft drives the distributor and oil pump. The OEM iron shaft and its gear can break teeth, and when they do the engine loses spark and oil pressure at the same moment. The upgrade Our billet intermediate shaft kit is a heavy duty replacement for the OEM shaft and gear. It is made from heat treated 4340 chromoly and includes a bronze gear. A bronze gear must be used with the billet steel shaft. You cannot run an iron or steel distribu..
Adjustable cam pulley for a Ford 2300 SOHC: when you need one and what it does
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 10/10/2026
- 0 comments
Cam timing is free horsepower, but only if you can change it. Here is when an adjustable cam gear is required, and what advancing or retarding the cam actually does. A fixed cam gear puts the camshaft at one position and that is that. An adjustable gear lets you move the cam a few degrees either way, so you can set it where the engine makes the most useful power. When you need one Anytime an aftermarket cam is fitted, or if the block and/or head has been milled (resurfaced). Both change where the cam sits relative to the crank, and the only way to put it back is an adjustable gear. What the ad..
Why Ford 2.3L SOHC timing belts fail, and how to stop it
- By Esslinger Engineering
- 09/10/2026
- 0 comments
A timing belt that rides off the pulleys and destroys itself is one of the most common ways a Ford 2300 SOHC engine ends its day. The cause is usually the tensioner, not the belt. If you race, or just drive hard, a Ford 2300 SOHC "Lima" engine lives or dies by its timing belt. When the belt fails the cam stops, the valves stop, and the day is over. In our experience building these engines, the belt is rarely the root cause. The tensioner is. What goes wrong with the stock tensioner The two-piece bearing cover on the OEM tensioner can separate, and that lets the belt fail. The bearings are hel..