I'm more than likely going to be getting myself a Cobalt LS next week, and seeing as how it's saving me around $5,000+ off of the price of a SS/SC, I was wondering how receptive this engine is to tuning? I'm more than likely not going to drop 5k into it, but out of curiositys sake, how much would one have to drop into it in order to put up numbers similar to the SS/SC?

Thanks.

 

prolly around 3k for a turbo set up, then u'd be right up there with the SS/SC boys.

 

A turbo setup @ 8# should give you similar numbers.

You could probably ask the same question at JBO since they have they have experience with the same motor.

GM is also releasing a supercharger kit for the 2.2L Cobalt(I believe) but it won't produce that great of an impovement (or so I hear).

 

it respond quite well if you get a chance do a serch for the gm build book that can get you a good idea

 

Turbo setup kills..this is not to **** off any ss owners like my last post about me beating an ss. I AM NOT A TROLL..JUST STATING THE FACTS! You could get it done for prolly about 2 - 3 grand if Frankies offer is still open. If not prolly under 5 gs..

 

Awesome. I'm more preferable to turbos myself anyways, rather than SC'ers. I'm just not a fan of the lag on some of the more powerful ones. Do you think there would have to be any other mod's done to the car to support the addition of a turbo giving it so much more HP, or would GM's OEM stuff be able to withstand the punishment?

 

considering the build book allows you to take the motor to any stage HP you want, you could make a sleeper with a stock look for about $3k-5k and get up to about 350-500 HP.

 

On of my friends got the Cavalier Connection turbo kit for his Ecotec... the car is sinister. It's not a Z24 or LS Sport, so he just suckers them in. Cost him $2000 for the kit and he put it in... I was green! Other folks I've talked to when I was over on J-body.org had ordered from them. They seemed like good peoples. Another good, but pricey, supplier was RSM Racing in Missassauga Ontario. They KNOW FWD GM!
www.cavalierconnection.com
www.rsmracing.com

The car is stout... problem he's having is the speed limiter and he are having issues... Let's just 108 comes a tad soon!

Scott

 

it is the official race motor for gm right now so im sure its very tunable but i think the 2.4 has it beat so if you can go for that its not much more than the 2.2 and its worth it

 

you get allot more than just more power by upgrading in trim level ...you may want to think about going 2.4 or 2.0 if you plan on even sinking 3 grand in upgrades. the suspension jump alone is worth it.

something to conisder

 

Um, no. I will tell you from experience, since I'm doing it right now, you will have to spend much more then 5 grand to work in that horsepower range.

You can spend $3K on a turbo, stay stock with the rest of the powertrain, and make around 240 HP.

If you want to cross the 300 HP threshold, you will have to upgrade your engine internals at a minimum. The parts alone for that (rods and bearings, pistons, head gasket and bolt set) will cost you a grand. Then you have to install it. If you do it yourself, and don't remove the engine from the car, then you save there. If you have a shop do it, there's another grand at least.

The next weak link in the engine is the head gasket. It starts to blow at around 450 HP. So you will want to stay under that. Upgrading the head gasket requires machining the block, which means removing and dissassembling the engine. Then reassembling it with ARP stud hardware instead of bolts. That's very expensive, and that only gets you up to 500 HP. Then you run into ignition system problems and crank shaft limitations, and the car can no longer be kept emissions street legal.

I haven't even addressed the transmission yet. Manual or Auto? You will probably be OK with a manual. Got an auto? Now you have to upgrade that too. Big bucks.

In summary, with a manual trans, you could do the Build Book engine internals upgrade, do the labor yourself, buy a turbo kit, do that labor (the install and tune) yourself, and you could probably keep it just under $5K and make around 400 HP safely.

 

2 intake and 2 exhaust mods will get you to 190 for less than $1000. Another $500 for a wet kit, and you'll have 265. That's the way to go if you want to add power without adding something that, if it breaks, everything breaks. It's cheaper to replace, and when not spraying at the track, you have 190 daily. That's pretty close to 205 for $4000 cheaper. Although I've heard conflicting storys on whether ot not a ss has 205.

 

an ss has more than 205 if you look at the dyno's 205 to the wheels and higher

 

Why does gm say 205 then for crank power? That sounds like a bad business decision to me if they are trying to bring in "tuner" type enthusists.

 

and intake and exhaust will not give you 190 hp on a 2.2 .

 

https://www.cobaltss.net/gallery/sho...php?i=2574&c=3

 

i think they did it for insurnce purposes fro the younger buyers

 

Insurance is based mostly on crash tests ratings since the highest insurance pay outs are medial expensises. Why would 25 lower horses make a difference? Is it possible that the companies believe that the body is more stable with less power? I don't see how, but maybe they think that way.

 

medial expensises???? I can spell

 

it could be for insurance. they did it in the 60s and 70s, but i dont think it helps. insurance is based on safety and how much it would take to repair or replace the car. and how it will likely be driven. best bet is to wait though, cuz mods for these cars will just keep getting better and cheaper.

 

more HP = driven more aggressively therefore putting you at a higher risk. Plus its a performance oriented car so that is going to make rates be higher as well. I'm sure there are many high HP cars out there that are plenty safe but they are still on the high end of insurance rates.

Also I'm curious as to what 2 intake and 2 exhaust mods you do that get you to 190HP?

 

aem cai, airaid tb spacer, dc sport ceramic header, NOPI 3" Carbon Fiber Exhaust.....191.8 crank, 150.4 wheel. 2005 cavalier.

 

This would all depend on what kind of car you want to build. I'm sure everyone here isn't looking to build the next Pro FWD car and many here would be content with a Cobalt getting a bit under 300 HP.
They reason I say under 300 HP is because you need to take into consideration the practicality of driving a FWD Cobalt with that kind of HP for daily use. Of course it would vary from tuner to tuner, but I'm betting it's safe to say that a daily driven 300 HP 2.2L Cobalt would satisfy most tuners here. This would give them decent power to beat an SS/SC Cobalt (since that seems to be their main desire) and many other cars on the road or at the strip.

If you go by the build book (and what you say as well), getting the car to about 300 HP or less would just require new rods (new stock gasket and studs as well).
You can pick up a set of 4 Eagle rods, a new gasket, and new studs for easily under a grand. The rods themselves should cost no more than $400 depending where you order them (plus S&H). That keeps you limited to under 300 but that's good for most people. A custom turbo kit could be built and honestly it would cost less than going with a complete kit from a vendor.

Going above 300 would cost you more being that you must replace the pistons and past 350 a new intake manifold is required (per GM build book). Adjustable cam gears might be needed as well and then you take into consideration the need to monitor what's going on with a type of engine and fuel managment system. You state a "weak link" is the head gasket that blows at 450HP, but let's be honest, do you really see yourself getting your daily driven Cobalt up to or past that HP number?

So for a 250 HP Cobalt? Stock internals. 300? New rods, new stock gasket and studs. Custom make your own turbo kit, get an SC from GM or go with nitrous. Instalation of all these parts depends if you trust yourself or a shop. I wouldn't discourage people here by implying the cost is way too much. Obtaining a powerful Cobalt is within a lot of people's grasp here, provided they have some spare cash (cuz they won't need 10 grand or so to get there).

Again, the cost varies from tuner to tuner and I'm not sure what exactly you yourself are going for. Getting 300 HP in a Cobalt would probably satisfy most of us. Getting up to about 400 would definatly keep us happy. I honestly do not see anyone here getting past the 400 HP mark anytime soon.

 

Your price on the rods is correct. A GM head gasket and bolt set is about 100. Then another 500 for piston, which you did not include since they wouldn't be necessary. You didn't include installation either, so I assume you are doing the job yourself and have the facilities available to do so. If you are going to tear your engine apart to put in rods, it would be plainly silly to not put in pistons at the same time. I can not support the idea of changing just the rods without doing the pistons at the same time. It just doesn't make sense.

A new manifold is actually not required per the book. The book states that the stock manifold was tested to 350 without problems. There is no data for use of the manifold above that number, but also no data saying you shouldn't do it.

However, the Hahn Race Craft kit does replace the stock manifold with one very similar to the GM Performance parts racing manifold (with the welded aluminum plenum and runner tubes). Their manifold elimates that problem, and it doubles as the Port Fueler system used by Hahn.

Not required, but it provides an easy way to address a tuning issue you have at those horsepower levels.

No, I don't. I understand the practicality of it. I was simply addressing what would have to be done if someone wanted to go that far. If you read, you will see that I make of point of how much trouble and expense would be involved.

 

a cometic mls head gasket and a set of arp head studs can be picked up for about $200 bucks. in my opinon the added insurance is worth the price sure u may never get to the limits of the stock one but if ur ripping apart the engine anyways u might as well.