Hello everyone,
I am looking into getting a turbo kit. I have a 2007 2.4l cobalt ss with 65k miles on it. its my daily driver and i love the car to death but i want to have just a little more fun with it. for now lets just say im looking at the zzp turbo kit with the stage 2 option. linked here . I am really interested in getting this set up sometime this summer i do however have the following questions I couldnt find answers for by searching, I would ask the vendor themselves but as im not yet a serious customer I dont want to waste there time. I will repost the answers I get with more detail especially after I install the kit.

1. could i do it? I am a mechanical engineering student so i have some degree of knowledge in cars but lets just say for now im a newcomer to the modding community, I have access to standard tools at my house, with the option of a full garage with lift if need be ( I really dont want to have to rely on this if I can help it).

2. will I pass emissions? I am running all stock with the exception of the turbo kit and a new clutch (not that the clutch matters). and for future reference would a new exhaust change that?

3. is 8psi boost a good goal for a daily driver looking to have some more fun? I drive 60miles total a day to work.

5. Does the kit include everything I need? I cannot find this answer with a yes or no answer the intention of splurging on the kit is that I will not have to make a second purchase after buying it to make my car run with the turbo.

here I come 200+ hp!

 

Doubt it would pass smog. Installation is somewhat simple. It's always helpful though if you have a friend that works on cars a lot. Pretty sure the kit comes with everything but you will need gauges, a tune, need your oil pan tapped for the turbo. Probably some other stuff as well but I'm to tired right now lol

 

Just let them know you want a cat on it. ZZP does great work.

 

I like zzp's setup and I would like them to install and tune it, the travel however to MI for them to install it is almost a day and a half away from where i live. and by the first reply im guessing I would not be able to install the zzp kit (because of the process involved in tapping the oil pan) with just standard tools (for clarification standard as in sockets, screwdrivers, wrenches....). would just the new pcm core be good enough to have the car run without a tune?

 

It will get the car running but i wouldn't beat on it too badly until you get it tuned by hp or trifecta and do some data logging. You can take the oil pan off and bring it to a welding shop and have them weld the bung in for pretty cheap. I've had the zzp stage 2 kit on my 2.2 for a year now and it's great quality!

 

thanks for the reply, I know that 2.4 is well tricky to tune (I have been reading a lot and thats kind of the jist i get). and the bung comes with the kit? and how hard is the oil pan removal will i need to heat the bolts do i risk stripping or breaking the bolts the car has 65k on it and rising at about 6k every 3 months. I have access to a MIG and TIG welder does the installation require more than just that? is there a pic of a installed bung to oil pan you could show? Is there an estimate of installation time from your build I was thinking of taking like 3 days off work to screw with it?

 

My oil pan is off the car and getting a bung welded in! hoping to pick it up tomorrow ill post a pic on my build thread tomorrow!

 

I'll take a pic of mine this morning and post it up whenever i get a chance. You're better off just buying the pan from zzp tho makes things easy.

 

 

The oil pan is easy to take off. you will need some black rtv to put it back on tho... here is a pic of my bung welded on. yes the bung comes with the kit. You could also have them send you a new oil pan with it already welded on like 05slowline said.

 

Thanks for the pictures guys! and I didnt know zzp had prefab oil pans thats awesome!. quick question about the tune, if I put the kit on and then drove it about an hour to get tuned would that be ok? the trifecta tune shop is about an hour - two hours away...

 

NO! have him drive to you!

 

^ lol yeah you should be good they should have pretty good base maps just don't go crazy on the way. nothing that should blow up just won't run to its potential.

 

ok well i wasnt planning on beating on it and they dont offer service to you they do this... send you the tuner kit have you log driving for 5min of normal stop and go traffic like driving then some harder stuff. send the file in and then they send the file to the tuner it programs the chip then you detatch the tuner and return it.

 

ya just tune it urself..its simple

 

Oh yeah. I forgot zzp sends out a pcm for the 2.4. then you should be able to get to the dyno off that...

 

Before you decide to spend thousands of dollars on a turbo setup, it is essential to understand what these components do, how fuel injection works and what exactly you're getting into. Converting a factory naturally aspirated car to forced induction is a challenge by itself even if you had a "kit".

I have a few write ups that I think you should check out that I can PM you and I feel that if you read them it will give you more clarity than you may have now.

 

I know how it all works and what everything does, I actually helped design turbos in school haha... that being said I know theory not actual real life stuff my biggest concern is the engine blowing up in my face and being fucked... there is a pcm shipped. im not going to be racing this car the only reason im going stage 2 is for the intercooler as to ensure the turbo last longer.

pm sent thank you I am interested in your write ups.

again thank you everyone for your responses.

 

Keep in touch if you need any help.

 

Adam knows his stuff

 

Thank you good sir.

 

from a fellow to 07 2.4 to another.... i will say do it. ::
For me at 7psi with an OK tune, i dyno at 234whp 222wtq on stage 2 kit
now im at 10-11psi and i keep up with a tune ss/tc. of course clutch burnt away lol
i still have stock exhaust.....
when i bought mine, zzp didn't have the option of the cat'ed downpipe so im catless.
so order a cat'ed downpipe and with an extra bung for O2 sensor for the afr, if adding one. also order the oil pan with the oil line bung welded (all this wasn't available when i bought mine).
oh btw the pcm it might be no good lol (mine was no good, because it had a tune from a different vehicle, and send it back and worked with mine, asked them to email me the tune again)
Like Adam said is not easy, specially when it comes down to tune the car.

also is my DD. and at 22-23mpg on city with some hard acceleration in between. i cant complain. but is all in the tune....

 

where in NH are you im currently getting all my parts together for a turbo build and if you would like when i start installing you can come to my shop and give me a hand. that way you will know what your up against.