SayHiToYourMom4Me

This week I'm looking at a few 2010 SS Cobalts and I'm pretty sure I'll find one i like. After reading and reading here's what I've come up with.

Daily driver reliability is the goal with a bit of extra pep.
1. New catted downpipe for sure. I'm going catted because I don't want my car to smell and attract unwanted attention.
2. HPT tune for sure. I've read terminator2 is good at what he does but doesn't seem to be active anymore. Who is the current go to person? Also for just flashing a mail order tune (not actually creating a tune) what cables do I need?

3. CAI, charge pipes and even a cat back don't offer much as far as gains in hp. True or False? I don't want to spend money where I don't need it and $$$ for an extra 10hp isn't worth it to me.

So a new tune and a catted dp. Seem solid? On 94 octane and a SAFE tune what hp should I expect?

SayHiToYourMom4Me

Oh ya and maybe a 3bar gm sensor? Helpful or not for my needs. I'm trying to be budget conscious.

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

I don't know much about the TC Cobalt's but do know enough to tell you it sounds like you are on the right track. I would ditch the idea of a mail order tune in favor of a custom configuration fine tuned to your vehicle. Also if the Cobalt is higher mileage consider making an appointment or plans to walnut blast your intake valves as they are probably coked up. Also consider a Powell air/oil separator to help keep the valves from coking as again going forward.

royce777

iTrader: (29)

intake, downpipe, tune and your set for a great DD

user 72239

iTrader: (4)

Intake for noise. else, the stock intake works fine and paper filters filter better than aftermarket ones.

keep catted downpipe. OEM is fine.

for DD purpose, why not just get GM stage 1 with the 3 Bar + tune and be done with it? you will be ~280 whp ~320ish wtq and GM designed it so its pretty safe.

Get Powells AOS to reduce carbon buildup on your intake valves. Might want to scope them with a boroscope through the brake booster on the intake manifold to see how bad they are.

califcarm

I wanted the same as you and bought HP tuners and tuned it myself. Not for everyone I know.

So I would not worry about adding HP through parts, just reliability. Just get a good HP custom tune with every thing stock and you will be at about 300-305whp if the engine is healthy.

I tuned for 23-24psi max and found that the upper charge pipe (hot pipe from turbo to IC) did not hold more than about 4 months (cracked and blew open). Replaced with ZZP part. Before that, the plastic IC end tank exploded so I got a ZZP all aluminum IC.

Stock clutch with 135K on it did not last long on the tune before it started slipping more and more (I kept lowering low end boost to help, but got to the point that it slipped at even 5K rpm). New GMPP clutch and all is good (was due for one anyway at that mileage).

So I would not get any parts for the sake of making more HP. Just look at those three components for reliability, and get a good custom tune with the stock intake and exhaust in tact (except mentioned parts). If I did add anything myself it would be a catted DP (might pick up 10-15HP with a retune by adding some ignition advance and might pick up a psi of boost).

For walnut blasting, I am sure it is a good idea. But a well cared for engine seems it can go a while. I am at 170K miles and have not done it. It just has not been abused during it's lifetime (so less likely it has ingested a lot of oil from the likes of a worn out turbo seal, etc...).

exninja

iTrader: (1)

^califcarm, you may be in a slowly-boiling-the-frog situation. I'm surprised you haven't had any serious issues like idling, but if you cleaned your valves I bet you'll surprise yourself on how much livelier your car got.

Your HPTuners-buying options are thus:
1. Swap the ECU to get a "canned" tune through someone like ZZP
2. Find a local tuner that has the 2010 Cobalt unlocked and does your tune
3. Buy HPTuners with at least 2 credits. If you do an email tune with someone, you're still going to need to write it to your car which will require the cable and 2 credits.

What I did recently:
Bought the 3bar MAP sensors, then put the GM tune. The cost was about $330 ($80 or so for the sensors used, $250 for HPTuners because I split the cost with my uncle). You can do the tune without the sensors, but I don't like being close to the sensors' limit. I use A/S tires, and I spun all the way through second gear with it. With guidance, I then used HPT to dial back 2nd gear (and a few other tweaks). There is still plenty to tune though.

I also wanted to remove DoD from my Tahoe so that pushed me to get HPT.

Snail_SS

iTrader: (3)

I helped with those cheap sensors

63 Nova SS

iTrader: (3)

Honestly if you aren't gonna want tons of power and do want driveablity with pep, I would do what leemanfor suggested and just go with the Gms1 setup. Comes with 3 bar sensors, wiring for them, and will give you a boost in hp/torque. If you go that route and want to add boltons it won't do you any good though because it has a learn down feature.
Now if you are possibly wanting to get higher hp down the road, I would buy hp tuners instead and get remote tuned by someone reliable. Especially if you want to use the extra potential a good downpipe will give you. It's all up to you in what you want now, and more importantly down the road. I started slow with the gms1, and a cai. But just like giving candy to a baby, once I got a taste I wanted more. Currently at 370whp on a custom remote tune, full bolt on and slightly bigger wheel in the turbo, on e47.

Dutchman

The gms1 tune got me to 290 HP/300 TQ and was great until I got bored and got a custom tune installed.
Highly recommend you blast the intake valves and install Powells air/oil separator, if I had extra $ I'd be upgrading to the newest version of it now.
May want think about other Powell goodies like CABs, a rear sway bar, engine/trans mounts and lowering springs

07MetallicSC

iTrader: (16)

got any videos? didnt realize you had that much power!

Kolt

For DD gms1, clean valves, powell aos.
Intake and exhaust for sound, charge piping with ic for reliability. The bolt ons wont increase the max hp/tq due to the "learndown" but it will help some at other rpms. Probably not enough to notice though.

For power get the intake and exhaust setup you want before a/m tune to get the most out of them but I would stick with a 93 tune for dd simplicity.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Lol

63 Nova SS

iTrader: (3)

Guy next to me red lighted, I didn't care because I was just focusing on getting off the line and still spun. This was the last pass I made on slicks a year and a half ago. Had I not spun and cut a 1.85 light I would have ran a corrected 12.45. Oh well.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

You have a lot more faint in the transmission than I do

63 Nova SS

iTrader: (3)

Trying to post link. I'm running a 4.45, wouldn't have faith in the 3.82

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Yeah I was happy with a 2.2 60' but that was a few years ago before and I didn't have a second car

ProfDNS

Best bang for buck? Buy as much as you can used or from the US. Despite the 21% exchange rate, you'll still save a lot of money.