I got a 1999, 2.2l cavalier. I want to make it go fast. I'm wonder what can be done to it with out blowing up the engine.... how much can my p.o.s engine take?
Might as well swap the motor out if you want power... Those motors don't get the power gains like the 2.4 or the 2.2 Eco.
If you think throwing 300 dollars at it is going to make it any faster you are sadly mistaken. The options you have are 1) Head work 2) Nitrous 3) Turbo 4) Motor Swap. All you options will end up costing the about same in the long run.
i'm working on swapping an ecotec into a pre-00 car without doing any major electrical alterations. keep an eye out
How hard is it to swap a 2.2 with a 2.4?.... cause I've helped a friend put a rebuild 5.0 stroker into his thunder bird and it was hell. oil ban didn't fit. had to cut out a part of the hood. And needed to customize all electronic cables.
It will fit just fine... you'll just have to change the tranny, ECU, mounts, and wiring harness from the firewall forward to name a few.... as far as anything else... IDK I'de never really needed to know.... but there's most likely more to it.
DaFlyinSkwirl (PJ) v2.0 wrote:i'm working on swapping an ecotec into a pre-00 car without doing any major electrical alterations. keep an eye out
watching
1997 Cavalier Z24 - 15.647 @ 88.02 MPH
Just sell the car and get one with the right motor.
Thomas Culler wrote:I got a 1999, 2.2l cavalier. I want to make it go fast. I'm wonder what can be done to it with out blowing up the engine.... how much can my p.o.s engine take?
the biggest bottle neck of that motor is the head, so i would suggest you get a spare at the junkyard give it to a machine shop get a port and polish 1mm oversize valves new springs retainers and lifters and nitrous and your set. Oh also a very important thing would be HPTuners, that would benefit you with the most gains.
Open the head, as mentioned, do all the boltons, intake, exhaust, rockers, mounts etc.
Then if its still not enough (and probably wont be), get some turbo parts and boost it.
If you want to swap a 2.4, it would be easier than the 5.0 swap you're talking about, the car is made with a 2.4, so you wont need to do any customizing of the car, it should (with all the parts, wiring, trans, and upper mount) drop in and bolt up. Swapping the ECO will be a bit harder since its a pre '02 car, as mentioned, although its been done.
