From: nataraja@rtsg.mot.com (Kumaravel Natarajan)
Subject: Re: Ford Probe GT specs & questions
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 11:57:57 GMT

r4s@icf.hrb.com (Robert M. Sanders) writes:

>Hi y'all,
>  I've been reading with interest the discussion going on in rec.autos
>about the Ford Probe and various engines.  The questions I had though I 
>thought belonged here, so here goes.....
>  1)  I've got a 1992 GT with the 2.2L 4cyl turbo engine.  All the ratings
>      I've seen give it around 145 hp.  Is this accurate?  My roommate 
>      thinks it should be closer to 180 or so after being in it.

I think it should be higher too.  They claim 195ft-lb of torque which I
believe, but the HP rating seems too low.  Maybe it's for insurance
purposes or something?  Heck, the speedometer only goes to 120 when the
car will do more.  Does anyone have the real story on that?

>  2)  Being new to sticks, and not having a racetrack handy, I've never
>      really pushed the car to top speed, or really floored it.  What
>      is the top speed and accelerations for this beastie?

It will do 135 (calculated by Max rpm in 5th gear) This was discovered while
the car was on a flat, empty (except for a Buick Regal GN which was passed
at 125 or so) stretch of highway somewhere in the midwest.

Car & Driver says 7.0 seconds to 60.  I tend to believe their numbers more
than something like Motor Trend because C&D specifically states that their
tests are standardized whereas I don't think the other magazines are.  Or
at least they don't mention that they standardize their performance tests.

>  3)  Another novice question regarding the turbo.  I haven't played 
>      around with it enough to find this out yet (deliberate experimentation
>      I mean, I've had the car 8 months and have put 14.5K on it already), but
>      what are the conditions for it to engaged, and what things can seriously
>      damaged it?  Excessive overboost, long duration low-to-mid boost, etc.
>
>  Any answers to the above would be appreciated, thanks......

I think you can start to get boost as low as 2500, but 3000 is where you
really start to notice it.  The engine can stand short periods of over-
boost before the computer shuts the fuel delivery off, (or does the wast-
gate open, I forget) so that shouldn't be a worry.  One time, when the
Probe was in the process of handily out-accelerating a Beretta GTZ, the
engine was over-revved in 2nd gear (50-some MPH) and the computer promptly
shut off the fuel pump.  A little embarrassing, but not harmful to the
engine.

To keep the turbo healthy, always let it idle before shutting it off after
driving it hard.  Change the oil early and often.  (Just like how you
should vote. :)

Snow tires on separate rims are good in the winter.  The Gatorbacks just plain
suck in bad weather.  They were eventually replaced with Dunlop D40's for
summer driving, and the snows still come on in the fall.

Drive slo.. uh, I mean safely.  Enjoy.

>					Rob
>-- 
>Robert M. Sanders                             Internet: R4S@ICF.HRB.COM
>HRB Systems, Inc.                             Bitnet  : R4S%HRB@PSUECL.BITNET
>State College, PA  USA                        UUCP    : ...!psuvax1!hrbicf!r4s
>(814)-238-4311
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vel Natarajan                    Motorola, Inc.
nataraja@rtsg.mot.com            Cellular Infrastructure Group
                                 Arlington Heights, IL
Xref: sparky rec.autos.tech:12444 sci.environment:11227 sci.chem:3475