Ecotec out of 04 Cavalier?

[coruptedone]

About a year ago I pulled an ecotec out of a wrecked 04 cavalier and decided to do a build up out of it, well some of the parts are on their way when I realized I don’t know what to put the motor in... then by a stroke of luck I saw my first opel gt on the freeway and now I am in love with the little car, so I decided to do some research on it and... well to make a long story short (too late) I searched and can't find exactly what I need to know. Can the opel gt chassis handle the hp and torque of this motor?

[BQS4]

I think your motor is similar to the 2.0 16V motor in the Opel Calibra, and even though it is a fwd application, it is a popular conversion to swap in these motors into not only GTs, but, Mantas and Asconas. It would be better to look on German Opel Club sites. But, in a technical answer to your question, yes, the GT can handle it.

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by BQS4 I think your motor is similar to the 2.0 16V motor in the Opel Calibra, and even though it is a fwd application, it is a popular conversion to swap in these motors into not only GTs, but, Mantas and Asconas. It would be better to look on German Opel Club sites. But, in a technical answer to your question, yes, the GT can handle it.

Gene, different engine entirely! The US-spec Ecotec is all aluminum, the European spec Ecotec (except for the new Opel GT) has a cast iron block. Different engine family, regardless of the naming game.

Bob

[wrench459]

Welcome to the site coruptdone.

[blancojp]

I have done this conversion before and it will set you back a few $$$$$.

You need to start by purchasing a bell housing adapter and use a chevy V-8 type tranny. You will lose part of the driver's foot well and you will need to relocate steering shaft, brake and accelerator pedals.

The end result is very mean, powerfull and very sweet to say the least.

[coruptedone]

thanks for the welcome wrench, and blancojp thanks but I already know its going to be up there in price I got a friend that works at a machine shop that is making the adapter and am going to try to use a rebuilt 4speed from the opel gt, even with the opel trans will I still have to move my pedals, and steering... but the even bigger question is supercharged, turbocharged, or all motor??? also wrench good question why round pizza in a square box it makes no sense just like round bologna and square bread

[namba209]

JB, curiosity got to me here. Is this engine wider than mine, specificly at the block, below the head? I didn't have to move my clutch, brake pedals, or move the steering shaft, but, as you know, had to mod the gas pedal.

BTW, coruptedone, welcome to the site. If you want to see how much fun an engine swap can be, check out the Articles/Projects forum and check out my engine swap in Phases I-VII.

[GTJIM]

Originally Posted by coruptedone ... am going to try to use a rebuilt 4speed from the opel gt, even with the opel trans will I still have to move my pedals, and steering... but the even bigger question is supercharged, turbocharged, or all motor??? .... also wrench good question why round pizza in a square box it makes no sense just like round bologna and square bread

Welcome to this site - you have arrived at the right place for Opel GTs.

Don't even consider using the original GT 4-speed for this conversion as they are fragile wee things that even stock motors can kill - you need a much stronger trans and also rearend if you turbo/s-charge.

BTW: The pizza is round because the delivery boy has chewed off the corners!

[blancojp]

Ron:
The fuel injection is what nails you on this conversion since it is all on the driver's side. Other than that, everything else is quite compact, including the ignition items located in the rear of the engine.

I would use a Ford tranny with this setup, the GM works well for automatics however for a 5-sp, the Ford unit is more compact. As an example, we used the bellhousing adapter from Keisler with a TH700R tranny, a balanced flywheel and a 2200 stall converter. The car was a rocket to say the least and at 25mpg you can't beat that.

[azopelnut]

Hello blancojp
I am amazed by some of the things you have done with our "old school" Opels but I cannot find any photos in the members gallery
Can you post some of these.....???

[blancojp]

Not to promote havoc on this thread but I have posted over 100 pics.
Are they gone????

I will be starting next month a rebuild of a 1972 Opel GT which has been standing quite a while. If the engine is in bad shape, I will be installing a crate 3.4 with a 5-sp. If the engine is good then I will make a few performance mods adding about 30HP which I will be more than happy to post.

But in all, I will check the picture stats on the site.

[wrench459]

Originally Posted by GTJIM BTW: The pizza is round because the delivery boy has chewed off the corners!

Another one of lifes questions has been answered..now I'll
need to change my sig

[coruptedone]

those delivery boy jerks ate the corners off my pizza oh now I am angry... my dad is building a 79 mustang with a 4speed but he is going to get a 5speed will his old 4speed work or does it suck (engines are my thing I don’t do much with transmissions), plus the cnc machine at my friends shop might not be able to do something as big as an adapter plate??? any ideas... this forum kicks the members at most of the other forums I go to for the ecotec, j-bodys, and ford probes are morons and losers but you guys are awesome and actually know what you are talking about

[coruptedone]

Originally Posted by namba209 JB, curiosity got to me here. Is this engine wider than mine, specificly at the block, below the head? I didn't have to move my clutch, brake pedals, or move the steering shaft, but, as you know, had to mod the gas pedal. BTW, coruptedone, welcome to the site. If you want to see how much fun an engine swap can be, check out the Articles/Projects forum and check out my engine swap in Phases I-VII.

yes this motor is wider at the oil pan than yours (ha ha you have a smaller block ha hajk)

[oldopelguy]

Originally Posted by blancojp You need to start by purchasing a bell housing adapter and use a chevy V-8 type tranny. .

Why do you need to adapt it to a v-8 transmission? I have a Solstice transmission and extra bell housing here that should bolt right up and make it RWD. It uses the familiar Toyota/Jeep/Isuzu/Ax-series bell-housing to tranny bolt pattern, so there are hundreds of transmissions that will bolt to the bell housing, though input shaft is pretty long making the Solstice and Colorado/Canyon 5-speeds the only direct drop-ins.

With a Solstice/Sky transmission selling pretty regularly for @$600 these days it doesn't seem cost effective to by an adapter. Besides, the engine to bell housing bolt pattern on the Ecotec motor is more compact than even Ron's 60-degree Chevy, so if you used the Solstice stuff you should be able to cut away a lot less firewall.

[Sparky73]

Originally Posted by wrench459 Is the glass half full or half empty?

Depends on if you're Optimistic or Pessimistic

[coruptedone]

Originally Posted by wrench459 is the glass half empty or half full

...if you throw the glass across the room it will become half of a problem (I am out of paper towels) and half a solution (hmmm I should paint that wall white)... and I would go with the sky, Colorado, solstice trans but I can't find one around here plus I am trying for a relatively cheap thing so if everything goes fubar I aint stuck with something expensive and useless... I just want to use the v8 tranny because they are everywhere around here

[blancojp]

Maybe I propose to use a V-8 tranny because I know that it will handle the HP generated if you rework the engine. The other fact might be that I have 18 of them on the second floor of my shop.

The adapter also moves the starter up from the stock location which crates a small amount of space and less cutting. But you can use whatever you find and like for that matter as long as the end result is proper.

[bigben]

Originally Posted by oldopelguy Why do you need to adapt it to a v-8 transmission? I have a Solstice transmission and extra bell housing here that should bolt right up and make it RWD. With a Solstice/Sky transmission selling pretty regularly for @$600 these days it doesn't seem cost effective to by an adapter.

Hmmm.... Ecotec with a $600 Solstice transmission, maybe I was a bit hasty turning Japanese. Oh well, I guess I'll need to find another Opel to drop an Ecotec motor in once I'm finished with this SR20 swap.

[GT/M]

corrupted,

I'm in North Salt Lake. Perhaps we could round a few local folks up who want to try the swap and give it a stab. I'd be glad to volunteer my car as the guinea pig.

My current ride is an '03 Saturn Ion with the 2.2 Ecotec and I'm loving it for economy and pep.

[coruptedone]

Originally Posted by GT/M corrupted, I'm in North Salt Lake. Perhaps we could round a few local folks up who want to try the swap and give it a stab. I'd be glad to volunteer my car as the guinea pig. My current ride is an '03 Saturn Ion with the 2.2 Ecotec and I'm loving it for economy and pep.

that would be great all i would need at this point is measurements... where in north salt lake?