Ecotec Swap Questions (LE5 Engine Management) (Page 3/3)
Will JUN 15, 06:22 PM

quote
Originally posted by zkhennings:

I think the F23s are pretty common, at least from a quick search at car-parts.com which will search the local junkyards for you. Not sure about Ecotec specific f23s though but you can swap bellhousings easily enough. There is also the f35 I believe, which is from the Cobalt SS cars.

Also I decided against the Ecotec in the end and I am going with the LZ9 3900 V6 motor, I did not want to be forced to have forced induction to make good power, and the Ecotec's light weight is moot when you add all the components for a turbo setup. If I was going to do an Ecotec I think it would be the LSJ motor as it makes good power, is compact, and has less ancillary needs than a turbo setup. If you can find an LSJ/F35 with LSD combo being sold for a good price, that would be the way to go IMO.



The LSJ should still have an air/water intercooler. I don't think it would be any lighter than an LNF and might even be heavier. There's a lot of metal in a blower. LNF or a newer version of the DI turbo Ecotec is the choice for making power, but the naturally aspirated engine will always be lighter.
zkhennings JUN 16, 10:28 AM

quote
Originally posted by Will:


The LSJ should still have an air/water intercooler. I don't think it would be any lighter than an LNF and might even be heavier. There's a lot of metal in a blower. LNF or a newer version of the DI turbo Ecotec is the choice for making power, but the naturally aspirated engine will always be lighter.



I'm not really saying the LSJ is lighter than the LNF, just that if any Ecotec is going to make power to rival the 3900, it is going to take some forced induction which will bring the weight of the Ecotec to a similar value as the 3900.

I recall from my time researching in the Cobalt SS forums that a lot of them hit 300hp with the LSJ without an intercooler setup, I think GM sells all the parts needed to get there. I don't disagree that an intercooler would be required as you make more power, but 300 aint too shabby.

The preference for supercharger over turbo is more for the simplicity aspect. You have less piping in general which is nice for multiple reasons, it's a more compact setup, the weight is in a more ideal location for handling than with LNF since the supercharger is against the firewall, and DI injector upgrades are expensive and limited in comparison to standard injectors. Turbo engine bays get complicated quick, the exhaust is more likely to leak (not referring to LNF specifically but turbo Ecotecs/in general), the charge piping can leak, and just from my experience with my WRX vs my friend's Mini Cooper S, I am constantly finding and fixing little leaks and whatnot in comparison to his supercharger setup. Turbo engines need oil feed and coolant feed, which leads to even more lines snaking around vs no coolant feed and self contained oil for supercharger, and turbo engine bays make a lot of heat that needs to be managed in comparison to supercharger setup. All these details add up even though the supercharger itself is heavy.

Just my opinions, I like the LNF a lot as well and it is very well packaged in stock form for a turbo setup.

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 06-16-2021).]

Raydar JUN 18, 10:02 PM
I'm a little bit late to this particular party, but I have also considered an LE5 / F23 swap. The only reason I'm not doing it now is because something else a little more interesting became available.
The things that I like about the LE5 are that
1. It's the largest displacement Ecotec out there.
2. It's port injection only. DI is nice, but there is a measure of complexity added.
3. It's almost identical to the Polaris Slingshot engine (except the Polaris is E85 compatible). There are a bunch of go-fast parts available for the Polaris, that I would suspect are adaptable to the Fiero.