I see lots of posts on swapping different engines for power or ease of swap but in terms of being reliable what engine is better. The ln2 or the l61?. Also, what engine has more acess to performance parts?
ReD RaiN
They are both very reliable engines.
Ecotec has more performance parts/options.
FU Tuning
Yea my ln2 has been great thus far. Just picked up a cav with the l61 but dont have anything yet to base it on lol. Good to hear theres aftermarket parts tho. Any insight to which engine handles more hp/boost?
ReD RaiN
T!M8!T wrote:Yea my ln2 has been great thus far. Just picked up a cav with the l61 but dont have anything yet to base it on lol. Good to hear theres aftermarket parts tho. Any insight to which engine handles more hp/boost?
Ecotec likes boost. I have tuned a bone stock internal ecotec to 405whp on 24psi. It was on the ragged edge. 275whp is safe on stock motor which is also around the safe limit of a LN2.
If i was picking which to boost I would boost the Ecotec.
FU Tuning
Thanks, that helps with some decision making. 405whp? Craziness lol. Hadn't put much thought into boost on account of my budget situation but Deff want to. Don't know much about it so trying to do my research first. Thinking end goal around 250-300whp.
ReD RaiN
250-300whp is right at the point where you'll have to put forged rods/pistons in it. You will spend less money if you boosted it then stayed N/A. Trying to make power N/A with these small 4-cylinders gets expensive quickly, plus you will never hit your power goal.
Alright. Thinking this thread might be heading into a diff directing but how bout the top end? Able to hold that kind of power? Aside from like exhaust and injectors, what else would have to be upgraded? Sorry not to educated when it comes to modifying engines.
ReD RaiN
You modify the bottom end to hold power and you modify the top end to make power is the general rule. Yes boring and stoking the bottom end along with higher compression pistons will help the bottom end make more power but you will gain more power off of modding the top end. The stock head/valve train will get by just fine at ~250whp. The only area of concern for me are the valvesprings. Too much boost and too much RPMs will cause the valves to float(not completely close). Some cars will float the valves with just too much RPMs. This hurts power. I am pretty sure that I am floating the valves in my car with 17psi at 7000rpm redline.
An engine is just an air pump and the more air you move the more power you will make. Also allowing the air to more easier will gain you power. There are a few little things that also will help make power, but get expensive. As an example my built engine looks like this:
Bottom end:
10:1cr Forged pistons(same compression ratio as stock)
Forged connecting rods(stock specs)
Forged crankshaft(stock specs)
Ductile iron cylinder liners(stronger than stock)
My bottom end is built just to hold the power. I might pick up a little gain because it isn't as worn out as the engine that is currently in the car.
Top end:
Ported head(allows more air to flow into the cylinders easier)
Larger valves(again allows more air to flow into the cylinders easier)
Upgraded camshafts(more air and also changes what RPMs the car makes power at)
Better valvesprings(keeps the valves from floating)
Big ass supercharger(shoves more air into the engine wither it wants it or not)
I do have other little things going on to help gain a few hp here and there, but those are the basics. The goal is 400whp in a supercharged cavalier.
Wow thanks for the help. Deff learned a few things. Sounds like u really know a thing or two bout performance. Im sure there will be alot more questions eventually lol
ReD RaiN
I have spent years researching and studying other people's builds to learn what to do.
