Hello, I'm In the beginning of a 2.2 Ecotec swap into my 88 formula. Got the engine for free along with the rest of the car (08 HHR) and plan on using as much of the stock parts as possible so this swap can be done by others. I'll probably be going pretty slow but I'm going to make sure to keep this updated as I go.
I love this car I really just want something that's a good driver's car and I think this should accomplish that.
Here is a picture of the engine that I pulled yesterday!
Next will be to remove the cradle from the fiero and start comparing stuff.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
I'm planning on retaining the stock ECU. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to keep the BCU. I think it's going to hinge around whether or not I decide to keep the cobalt gauges. I haven't finished my research yet, but I know they can be run standalone.
They have them for about 10 different Ecotec versions. If you need mounts Roger Thelin may be able to supply them.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
I'm planning on retaining the stock ECU. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to keep the BCU. I think it's going to hinge around whether or not I decide to keep the cobalt gauges. I haven't finished my research yet, but I know they can be run standalone.
in this link, there's a download for a DBW pedal adapter design, it allows the use of a ~06 Grand Prix accelerator pedal. you could send it to a laser cutter, or print the PDF version and trace it onto a piece of metal and drill/cut it yourself pretty easy. I can't confirm whether or not the grand prix pedal will work with the Ecotec pedal, but I suspect it would probably be fine.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
They have them for about 10 different Ecotec versions. If you need mounts Roger Thelin may be able to supply them.
I've seen all that. That's definitely the easy way to do it, but you're looking at $1800 in parts to get the engine mounted and running. I'm hoping to keep it below $300. My car isn't very nice and I got kinda screwed on it, looking to make it into a reliable daily beater. Hopefully someday a clean 88 formula will pop up in my area. I do have an 88 cradle in my garage, so that will probably go in the car. Not 100% sure on that yet though.
Being blunt, trying to keep a swap like this under $300 is a pipe dream. Even just things like your costs in supplies for harness work on both the ecotec and fiero harness, fuel pump and lines good for 3bar, and even home made mounts and brackets can be inexpensive but will be around $100. Axles. Shift cables/bracket. Not to mention dealing with the stock ECU in most cases is not free. Most people go HPtuners, unless you know someone with a bulk licenses, its around $400 for the dongle and license to tune the ECU. Even if they do the work for free a box of donuts and a case of beer still add up. Intake run, tho that can be made easier with a V6 air filter box. Exhaust.
The most basic ECO swap will be ballpark about $1k.
With good planning it can and the time to do things your self you can do a very nice eco swap on a budget. But it is more involved than doing older engines and has lots of little things that need to change and if you don't expect or plan for them, its east to get caught off guard or all of a sudden be wayyy off budget.
In the case of the original poster, he got his ecotec 2.2 for free including the car it came in from an 08 HHR. So he has everything he needs except mounts for the cradle. If this is a manual transmission HHR then he can use axles from any manual trans Fiero. Pull the wiring harnesses out of the car, get the ignition switch out of the donor car steering column and you can make the car run without any tuning. If you are planning running NA then you do not need anything else, except a good welder. If the HHR is automatic, there are axles that fit, but I have no further info than that. The guy that found them went threw a pile of axles at a wreckers until he found a set that fit.
There is a place that will tune your ECM in to a stand alone unit for I think 400.00 and it is called Phil's Bug Shop in Grayson KY. As the name implies he specialises in VW but he does a lot of sand rail and dune buggy stuff, including swapping all kinds of engines in to buggys, including ecotecs and LS motors. He does not have a website, you have to phone for info. Do a youtube search for Ecotec swap dune buggy and most people mention Phil's.
If you can make your own cable mounts for the transmission, you can save some money there too but you might need custom cables, adding to the cost. I modified my shifter and made some rods that push and pull on the cables and then go under the engine and join up to the F23 to the stock cavalier mounts. But I cant use the stock Fiero console. It is all in the early part of my swap thread https://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../HTML/000029-21.html
------------------ 86 GT built 2.2 ecotec turbo rear SLA suspension QA1 coilovers on tube arms
[This message has been edited by wftb (edited 05-04-2020).]
Exhaust Coolant Plumbing Fuel Plumbing Clutch Flywheel? Bolts Wiring supplies & tools Shifter mechanism or transmission (Do 2.4 Twin Cam Getrags bolt up to Ecotec engines? OP hasn't said whether either donor or recipient car are auto or stick, so no idea what those swap costs are) Tune
Yeah, there's a BUNCH of stuff that will add up to more than $300... especially if you want to be able to show it to people with pride and say "I built this".
The Eco's have their own bell housing pattern separate from the Quad 4 and its later TwinCam 2.2 variants. There are F23, F35 and F40 manuals and a few different 4 and 5 speed FWD autos available for the Eco's.
Last comment then done hijacking the OP's thread.
Don't get me wrong, the Eco's are awesome little engines. The 2.2's are super easy to get and have lots of parts available and are well documented. They just take a little more work because of the non-compatible ECU setup, mostly due to the ignition setup and no cam sensor basically requiring use of the stock computer. Alternatives are the Cobalt SS/SC LSJ engine which as a cam sensor, but those are more expensive and not everyone wants to deal with getting a possible well abused engine. Also super under rated and over looked is the Saab LK9. It is the same engine as the LSJ inside but with different cams suited more for its turbo setup. I am doing that engine swap in my car, using a lot of the LSJ parts, the intake with integrated water to air inter cooler and ignition system. Shameless plug for my own thread. Ive got lots of info there and will happily answer any questions. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/141093.html
Another option would be the more recent 2.2's, L61, LEP and LE8. They have cam sensors, are not direct injected, and don't have variable cam timing. I see no issue running one of those off of a megasquirt. 150-160hp. Good fuel economy, lots of new off the shelf parts availability and not having to contort your self or drop the engine to get to the firewall side spark plugs in a V6.
Don't take this as a "oh its too hard or too expensive don't do the swap" F'n go for it. Just be aware that if you want to do it quickly, there are lots of costs involved. But if you can take a more and really be cost conscience and save up for one step at a time you can do a very well done swap on a light budget.
I honestly believe that the Ecotec's are one most of the ideal engines for these cars if you want to put anything modern in it. The biggest hurdle in my eyes right now is the ECU. Once more people go for getting a mega squirt running and well documented, and have well done and documented patch harness for integrating as much of the factory Fiero, if not all of it, these swaps will be a lot more common.
I have to agree with everyone telling you to expect it to cost more than $300, it can be done CHEAP if you're resourceful enough, but it won't be easy, and will take huge amount of effort.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
Here is a video of a sandrail with a 2.2 ecotec. There is a lot of info about his swap and maybe some methods that can be adapted to Fiero-ecotec swaps as well. He has a stock ECM made stand alone from Phil's bug shop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHqnwrU972k&t=3s
------------------ 86 GT built 2.2 ecotec turbo rear SLA suspension QA1 coilovers on tube arms
