EDIT:
I bumped this back from the dead so that newbie's and other people can see this write up. It's very informative and proves that cooling mods are more than just support mods on blower cars. Read and be educated! [/edit]


Well, I know most of you have seen me posting in a lot of threads about how much I think I have improved my mods with nothing more than cooling mods and some ecu changes. Well, I've been waiting to make my own thread about this but with all the responsed I get everytime I post, I figured I'd just go ahead and make this thread so that people will understand what I'm trying to prove.

Now please try to keep the flaming or rediculous posts out of here since this is more of an informative thread. I just decided to take a different route modding my car than most people. I'm trying to make the car more effecient and do all of the supporting mods before adding the actual performance mods.

Ok, taking into consideration that everyplace you race at is different and every car is different. Around here, stock cobalts do not run what the mag says. I think we can all agree that most places are like that since not many people have the luxury of living at or near sea level in perfect conditions. The tracks around here are 1600-2300ft above sea level. So it definitely hinders performance. Plus, depending on how well the track preps, you never know what kind of 60ft. times you'll see. especially if your on street tires.

Ok, so stock I went 14.8@94mph. My 1/8th mile was 9.5@72mph. Not bad at all for where I'm at. I was disappointed but that day it was really hot and that's just all it could do.

ECU TUNING ONLY
I went back to the track after I changed some things in the ecu. I raised the rev limit to 7500 and disabled all tq management and boost limited 1st gear down to 40%. Well, it didn't result in the best e.t.'s, but I did trap higher. I went 14.6@96mph in the 1/4 and 9.4@77mph in the 1/8th. So I gained 5mph in the 1/8th but only 4mph in the 1/4. That clued me in that I was heat soaking up top. It was also really hard for me to take off the line fast. The car just bogged out real bad. So I knew that I had lowered the boost too much. That's why my 60ft's suffered and I couldn't run that much faster with my e.t.s.

COBRA H/E and CUTOUT
So my next mods where a cobra heat exchanger and I decided to go ahead and do an exhaust cutout. I know a cutout isn't technically a stock exhaust anymore, but I am still using stock exhaust manifold and downpipe. So technically if you unbolted your catback and ran open downpipe, you'd get the same results. I also raised the boost limiting to 70% in 1st gear. I ran a 14.4@101mph in the 1/4 and a 9.4@80mph. The track didn't prep at all and my 60ft's where horrible. Those were 13sec runs that I just couldn't achieve do to my stock wheels and tires and no track prep. But I did learn that this car is plagued with massive heat soak. I couldn't believe how much I gained with such minimal mods. I now have gained 8mph in the 1/8th and 7mph in the 1/4. But it tells me that I'm still heat soaking. You should gain more in the 1/4 than in the 1/8th.

METH INJECTION, TUNING, SLICKS
So I have now taken the next step and installed a water/meth kit. The result is insane! I didn't think I'd gain this much, but the car is even faster, especially 3rd gear. I also went ahead and installed 42.5lb injectors and got a custom tune from Sheek360. I'm running about a 12:1 a/f and 25 degrees advanced timing. I also have purchased a bigger front mount heat exchanger from CXRacing and picked up some Mickey Thompson ET Streets 26x10.5x16's.

So, with my current mods and a new tune, I have set a goal of trapping at least 105mph in the 1/4 and hopefully running low 13's. Keep in mind that I'm still stock motor down to the filter. Only an exhaust cutout is my only real power mod. I really think if I can run a low 13 with a 1.9/2.0 60ft. then if I launch harder, a 12sec slip will be achievable.

I know most people will probably get upset and tell me it's not possible, but I have already watched my car gain 7mph in the 1/4 from just supporting mods. I think meth and a good tune and traction will result in what I want. I'll update keep updating this thread as I mod and hit the track. Thanks for reading.

UPDATE: DYNO AND DRAG STRIP!
I made 222WHP and 201WTQ on the dyno. Tuning helped a ton as my tq curve is phenominal. I went to the drag strip in Kansas City and on my shakedown run I ran a 13.6@100mph. 1/8th mile was a 8.8@80mph and 60ft. was a 2.0. Not bad and I was excited cause I knew I was gonna run faster. Well unfortunately I experienced linkage problems that resulted in no gears and I had to be towed home. On that shakedown run I slipped the clutch off the line at 3Krpms and was shifting at 7Krpms. Plus I discovered, while fixing the linkages, that the slicks were rubbing a tad on the suspension mount. So I need to grind down on that some to make sure that doesn't happen again. Next time at the track will definitely be fun and I'm positive that I'll get into the low 13's with a trap speed near 105.

Direct Injection METH And TUNING!
So now I'm looking into changing my meth injection a little. I'm going to be injecting a 90cc nozzle before the throttle body and directly injecting 4 50cc injectors into the intake manifold runners (after the supercharger). This will put me at 290cc's instead of the 300cc that I was using but I'm not injecting some before the supercharger and the rest after. Before I was just injecting before. My IAT1 temps right now are 15 degrees and my IAT2 temps are 90-100degrees. The goal is to keep both IAT1 and IAT2 below 50 degrees. I'll keep you all updated with how it goes.

Currentlty DEPLOYED to KYRGYZSTAN!
I'm currently deployed to Manas AB Kyrgyzstan. I'll be back by the end of September and continue with my R&D for cooling mods and the Budget Builders like me. Hopefully, 12's will occur still on stock pulley. Also, before I deployed, I hit 8.7@80mph at my local 1/8th, previous there was 8.9@79, all I did was take some **** out of the back, like the seats, spare and any junk. That would have knocked me down below a 13.5 for sure had I been at KCIR again. The elevation is higher at the 1/8th I go to.

OK, new update, I found a product that is pretty amazing, I'm not gonna post much about it right now cause it hasn't been tested on a ss/sc and I don't want any flamers. But it's been proven on other supercharged cars. It should help me meet my goal of lowering IAT's below 50degrees and I won't even have to spray direct injection. I eventually want to do direct injection meth, but I'm gonna wait as that requires tapping into the intake manifold. So when I get back, I'm gonna add a pacesetter header, custom catless downpipe, dual pass with opt. B, and this new cooling method. IAT's should both be below 50degrees, power should be pretty high, something close to 250 +or-5. I'm not kidding at all. Top end should get pretty nasty even for stock pulley. This part ain't cheap though, this will be for the people that are desperate for cooling power potential. 12's will be had. Don't ask me what the product is, cause I'm not spilling until I dyno and track test it.

 

atleast you figured out that tuning and driving ability is more yielding than trying to make more power.

By the way, welcome to the world of roots type superchargers...Heat soaking is their nature lol

 

yes, this thing heat soaks worse than any car I've ever owned. The responses I get from the posts I make about it though are sometimes frustrating to read. I'm just trying to show that getting the stage 2 kit and i/h/e isn't necessarily the best route to go with these cars. I know it's the basic route to go with most cars, but not these. Once I pulley down and add an intake and header, this car is going to wake up real quick.

 

+ rep for trying something different. i always said that you should do traction mods before adding more power. there's plenty of people here that have way more mods than me, and i have zero traction in first unless i go less then half throttle. half throttle is violence in first.

keep it up, i'm curios to see how this turns out. if other people did this too, the people that trap 107 would actually be putting down good times, not mid 13's.

 

dude + rep much respect to you when i mod my car i want to go almost in the same approach you did by just seeing what you have accomplished your not like most people on here who think hey if i just get a stage 5 and be in the mid 13s with no problem your actually a guy seeing what this 2.0 lsj can really do! and i will give you much respect for it.

 

so if i am looking for cool mods now (my mods in my sig) to get rid of the heatsoak for the most part..what cooling mod would you reccommend first?/ which is most effective?

 

I haven't searched or anything,but I'd like to be able to turn my fans on and off manually.
I don't know if this would be a benefit but I'd like to try it.

 

Thanks for the comments, respect, and +rep! by far the most effective cooling mods is going to be water/meth injection, it provides a 50-70degree drop in iat's and you can tune more aggressively.

I've seen where people do the manual fans but I'm not quite sure it helps at all. One other think i might try is an intercooler sprayer on the heat exchanger. Maybe cry 02 or just spraying it with c02 to chill it. I'll be sure to update the orginal post on whatever I do.

 

I'm pretty sure my next mod will be a cobra heat exchanger.... cheap and easy from what i understand....

 

Pretty informative, and definately a different approach to modding. I'm going to look into a meth kit seriously now. I'm pretty much where I'd like to be without a tune, just need a meth kit and i'll be happy.

 

When you say that you raised the rev limit to 7500 and disabled all tourque management ans boost limit to 70%, is this something that anyone can do? Or does it require a tune of some sort to do this.

 

Nice approach people have gone mid 13's on stock pulley and injectors so i don't doubt it just good driving and tuning is all. Meth is your power mods btw all that extra timing and cooling is goona do good for you

 

Hey man i like your approach! It looks interesting! I am somewhat doing the same with my neon. I have only stage 2 which is only 15 pounds of boost which isnt much but i have the largest intercooler that i could find (agp race intercooler) and some exhaust work to help with egts. And i think i will try a w/i soon. and i run 95 octane always. It feels way stronger up top and my temps always stay real low.

 

Very informative. I'm guessing HP Tuners and a Laptop is what you used? Did you just tune it on the street or do you have access to a dyno?

 

tuning on the street is better than a dyno that way you actually have air blowing on everything not a fan

 

Nice read, nice approach!

+1 REP

 

But you always always need a wideband!

It is very good to do a tune on a dyno using the wideband, and then perfecting it even more on the street. Possibly strapping it back down to see the difference.

What I would do if I knew how to tune.

 

waste some money on the dyno i would believe going back and forth like that.

 

That's why I left the 'possibly' in there. It would all come down to the person tuning it, and the dyno operator.

 

Perfect example of how staged modifications *should* be done. Prep the car for power - THEN add the power - once you get the power into the mix, you should only have to do slight adjustments because eveything else is in place to support / manage the extra power and torque. Smart way to work - thumbs up

 

great job. i am thinking my next modd is gonna be cooling. i need to run things alot cooler. another cheap modd for you to do would be watter wetter in your intercooler and your radiator... also what about a dual pass along with it all

 

Excellent post, congrats too on a great write up! I think you have impressed many of us here and convinced even more. I have been looking and saving up for the LFP cooler mod myself and a wideband next. I have way too much trouble as it is hooking this thing up. However, are you really pulling to your 7500 redline? or is it starting to fall off, just curious.

 

sorry I haven't posted back today. I have been watching my gamecocks whoop up on UGA!!!!! GO *****!!!

ok, now that I got that out. I was supposed to tune the car today but my usb cable doesn't work. So I'm just going to have to buy a gauge. I do have a wideband, that's part of my 600 in mods, but I was just going to plug it into my laptop. I use hptuners on a laptop also, cbyellowss has the hptuners and he is the one helping me tune and do the ecu adjustments. We are street tuning. I will try and hit the dyno up soon, but I gotta get that tune on first. thanks again for all the compliments and plus rep! I know a lot of people were questioning my mods and stuff but now that I actually have this thread, I think everyone understands what I'm talking about.

btw, Our shifters and linkages to the tranny are garbage, this is the 2nd time my shifter has fallen apart. What the crap?!

 

i dont know your creditbility, but being differnt is not always good. Maybe i read things wrong, but your are simply playing with ecu mods and adding timing based on the fact that you have added a heat exhanger and meth injection? I would get it on the dyno asap, monitor everything from timing curves to a/f ratios. Imho what you are doing, 90% of the people would blow up. Your pretty much being a test dummy with your own car. Its the best way to learn, but def not the least expensive when something goes wrong. Im not familiar with tuning options for the cobalt, but i sure hope you know what your are using. Good luck buddy

 

Those times are pretty damn nice, and I applaud you for doing the cooling mods first. I will have to slightly agree with laloosh though. Be VERY careful that you are not leaning her out too much. Our cars need that extra fatness of fuel curve not only for temp drops, but also for the fact that we are F/I. NA cars do not need to be as rich in the fuel department as we are. Good luck man