Thread: 4 Bangers

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I guess I lost track of the engine since they first announced the 700 HP version in the Drag-Caravan the first year they came out. My impression from the first drag engines was that they were special for factory-supported racing but I guess after the initial wringout they are now in production. I also have a 2003 Saturn but that seems to be a slightly different engine? Thanks for the link, Bob. What I would be interested in would be a bolt-in upgrade for my '98 Sunfire. It is a nice car but now the 2.2 has 78,000 miles on it so maybe with a little planning, a replacement-upgrade could be justified.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Here is the link to the tuner engine Bob referred to:

ECOtec Drag Engine Specs — GM Tuner Source

1450 HP at over 9000 rpm! Does anybody recall the corresponding numbers for the Offenhauser midget version?

Hey, I just realized my '98 Sunfire is ten years old! You know what, here is a link to a swap for an ECOtec engine!

an independent disney cast portal - ProteinSpill.com » 2004 Pontiac Sunfire Engine Swap

I bookmarked that site!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

1450 HP at over 9000 rpm! Does anybody recall the corresponding numbers for the Offenhouser midget version?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

DAMN,excuse my french......Thats a bad mutha!!!

General Motors showed an awesome 34 Chevy Hot Rod this year at SEMA. It was built by the performance Division to show-off the capabilities of E85 Ethanol. The engine was a 2.4L Turbocharged EcoTec making over 550HP.
I will try to attach pictures.

I already drive a 4 banger, a ACVW trike! When I feel like some rice, I put my wheelie bars on! I can hold the front up into 3rd, and thats with the shifter on the left side, with the "H" pattern turned on its side.

Pat

I guess when you are thinking about 1929 body parts with a 1976 engine it is easy to get out of touch and frankly I assumed the 700 HP Drag Caravan was just factory supported racing but now the new GM cars have an answer to all the Hondas with thiis engine. I missed out on the factory handbook when the Buick V6 came out so I made sure I downloaded all six chapters of this race-prep book for the Ecotec engine. You can get it too by downloading from

ECOtec LSJ Build Book — GM Tuner Source

So the pathetic 2.2 in my '98 Sunfire has been greatly improved with this later engine but I still do not know whether it is difficult to replace the '98 2.2 engine with a later ECOtec engine. I suspect the space is there but as I recall I was turned off by the instructions in a '73 Vega I bought that one could easily replace the oil filter in your driveway by removing the inner fender panel! The removal/installation of this new engine looks to be a lot more difficult than the four bolt removal of a VW 1500 cc engine, but the link I gave in an earlier message shows a replacement from the top of a 2004 2.2 engine so there must be a drop-in-from-the-top way to retrofit an ECOtec engine. After all this, the SBC I have already invested in will probably crank out an easy 250 HP at 4500 rpm so the main difference is the weight difference in the two engines. Then again the older turbocharged Thunderbird 2300 Pinto engines might be cheaper for a Model-A Ford-in-Ford adaptation. This new engine is very interesting but only applies to my '98 Sunfire for me and it is too late in the game to set up my Model-A in terms of a turbocharged engine.

For those inclined to get into ECOtec racing here is another good link:

http://tunersource.gmblogs.com/Racer...mplete-web.pdf

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by TOW'D

I like the turbocharged Volvo 4 cylinders motors and would like to stick one in our 48 Thames panel--one of these days
hank

The Volvo was where I was leaning. Mid-'80's are real cheap, with turbochargers. I have a '87 donor car. I was also leaning toward either a speedster or lakes modifided. I was'nt looking for tire fryer, just a daily driver. I build hot rods to drive, not to take-up space in my shop. As far as tires and wheels, I was going to run stock '35 Ford wires, skinny tall tires, fuel
mileage.
It is true if you only drive your hot rod once or twice a month, then $3.00+ a gal. is fine, I guess, but for a daily driver you want as many miles per gallon you can get. Ecotec's look neat, but I'm a poor boy that has to do with what I have. I'm not saying bad things about V-8's, I have a SBC, a BBC, and BBF, and SBF engines waiting for future projects. What they don't tell you about ANWAR is the animals live around the pipe-lines, because when the oil comes out of the ground it is boiling hot! It keeps their babies warm, God forbid we should keep the animals warm! And if there is a leak, they'll move somewhere else, Duh.

I hear you, we each have our own situations so if you already have a turboed VOLVO that is a strong inducement to use it. I guess I had my head in 1929/1976/1998 sand regarding the ECOtec. I ignored them after they first came out as the 700 HP Hot Rod Drag Caravan but now they seem to have made it to large scale production street status. Thus my only interest is in maybe figuring out an upgrade replacement for my '98 Sunfire. There sure were a lot of the 2.2L 115 HP I4 Sunfires and Cavalier J-Body cars. Somebody out there must be figuring out how to put a "mild" 205 HP supercharged ECOtec engine into an earlier J-body car, although the convertible model I have weighs about 2900 pounds and so is not light, just small. Anybody out there know of a J-body car with an ECOtec transplant?
Hey, so far nobody mentioned a Riley OHV for a Model-A/B/C block, hah! How about a CRAGAR? The SBC 350 may someday be just as rare as a Riley or a CRAGAR but just for discussion is there any midget racer out there who remembers the HP for the Offenhauser INDY 4-bangers or even the Frontenac OHV conversion for the T-block? It looks to me that there are a lot of similarities between the Offy and the current ECOtec, but maybe this thread should just revert to TinLizard's build up with lots of pictures.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Now this right here is a sweet lookin' ride!



Very cool!

Cool car!

But, I'm anti E85, I think it's going to cost alot of us working class money, and help nothing! If it has to do with corn, we're not going to be able to afford it! The small breweries already been told they won't be able to get hops to make their beer with, because their going to plant corn to sell to make E85, milk & eggs already started to go up.

But the car looks nice.

Pat

the best 4 banger i had was my winter beater a 1980 front wheel drive olds omega with a 2.5 iron duke an 4spd. i beat the piss out it and it kept on ticking i hated it cause it was so ugly but if you guys only knew the abuse i did to it you'd be amazed i bought it for $250.00 and sold it for $80.00 and it drove away not towed a kid bought it from me for an enduro race. the car was very reliable an never left me stranded i wish i could say the same for my other vehicles that look nicer and are newer lol.

Originally Posted by YNOT

Now this right here is a sweet lookin' ride!



Very cool!

i agree and its light enough to drop in a 4 banger plus added power of a turbo NICE

this is my fiero i love to drive this car. it has the 2.5L 4 banger it wont snap your neck on take off but since i put the line lock on the front brakes it does killer burn outs. and on the e-way i get 42-43 mpg and 35mpg in town.
wow i cant wait for spring so i can get it back on the road


i do have a old duke im trying to find the right car for. its a stroked 2.5L runs ford pistons, gm 250-6 rods, boat head w/ 202 160 valves, custom 4 barrel intake. id like to find a short r.e.d. for this motor