Ecotec le5 Turbo 2.4 Build (Page 4/28)
thesameguy JUL 17, 04:23 PM
Unless you are aiming for ginormous power, there really isn't a reason to 3" or 4" IC piping. 2.5" should be plenty for 300+hp. Not that losing a half inch fixes the problem of running under the car. Smaller intake volume will improve throttle response.

Intercooling is the big ***** of mid engine turbo cars. I'd probably try and do a top mount with a duct from over the cabin, or maybe one in the trunk area with a scoop from underneath, I'll bet an air:water in the trunk would be the best/cleanest solution.
dobey JUL 17, 04:39 PM

quote
Originally posted by thesameguy:
Intercooling is the big ***** of mid engine turbo cars. I'd probably try and do a top mount with a duct from over the cabin, or maybe one in the trunk area with a scoop from underneath, I'll bet an air:water in the trunk would be the best/cleanest solution.



Given that it's a "sealed" system, and the pressure and airflow will remain high enough, I'd just cheat.

Basically build a solid state A/C exchanger into a tube, using a few small peltiers to pump the heat out to a heatsink. Position it in some way that enough air will flow over the heatsink and get it out of the engine bay and/or add a fan to the heatsink side, controlled by a temp sensor on the heatsink. It might even work.
wftb JUL 17, 11:58 PM
the v6 fuel pump is not adequate for the ecotec .you need 55 PSI at idle and the 2.8 fp would not do that on my car anyway .get an aftermrket pump or a cavalier / sunbird ecotec pump .go to my ecotec swap thread in the construction zone and see how easy air to water intercooling is. the only place air to air IC can be placed is where the cat converter is .works not bad , but not as well as air to water .The 06 07 LE5 ecotecs have forged cranks and the same type of rods as the LSJ .all other LE5 have cast iron and sintered rods .even though my gm build book says not , it is true i found out later .

[This message has been edited by wftb (edited 10-23-2017).]

wftb JUL 18, 12:19 AM

the turbo will hit the trunk bulkhead if you dont tilt it between- 5 to 0 degrees from the vertical .Tilt it straight up , use a Hahn or similar manifold and you wont have a problem .
Will JUL 18, 02:48 PM

quote
Originally posted by dobey:


Are extra oil passages for VVT actually not in the non-VVT Ecotecs though? Or are they like the passages for AFM/DoD on the Gen IV LS blocks, and are there but blocked if unused? Or are there any extra galleys at all for VVT?

In fact, I think the Ecotec VVT is all controlled using cam phasers with an electronic solenoid in the timing cover, and the VVT cam has a hole in the cam journal, which delivers oil to the hydraulic valve through the center of the cam. so no extra oil galleys are required in the block. It's just different cams, the phasers, and electronics. At least, this is what I can tell from the info I've found, and is how the VVT on the Vortec V8s works, and the VVT on the Vortec engines can be retrofitted to at least any Gen IV LS engine, except maybe the LS4 with the stock water manifold. Though, now I'm tempted to buy the VVT gear and just use an electronic water pump or something on my LS4, so I can get VVT.



The VVT Northstars use a bigger oil pump and reworked oil feeds to the heads compared to the non-VVT engines.
Will JUL 18, 02:52 PM

quote
Originally posted by wftb:
The 06 07 LE5 ecotecs have forged cranks and the same type of rods as the LSJ .all other LE5 have cast iron and sintered rods .even though my gm build book says not , it is true i found out later .



How many did you take apart to figure this out?

If I had a dollar for every time I heard about "special" versions of engines with forged internals...
thesameguy JUL 18, 04:53 PM

quote
Originally posted by dobey:

Basically build a solid state A/C exchanger into a tube, using a few small peltiers to pump the heat out to a heatsink. Position it in some way that enough air will flow over the heatsink and get it out of the engine bay and/or add a fan to the heatsink side, controlled by a temp sensor on the heatsink. It might even work.



Not for any useful period of time, I don't think. TEC coolers are huge power consumers (ie, highly inefficient - <5%) which is why every plan to use them on any scale always fails. A modern car-sized intercooler will dump around 50k or 60k btu/hr, and a computer-sized TEC will draw around 3a and dump about 100btu/hr. To mimic the function of a car intercooler you'd need an 1800a TEC. Obviously, an intercooler doesn't need to be at 100% all the time, but assuming you had a 160a alternator dedicated to powering your TEC it would still be totally heat soaked and worthless in a few seconds at any moderate boost pressure.

IMHO, you'd be much better off with a modest air:water cooler. A small 12v pump & radiator & core can fit almost anywhere, and will be substantially more efficient. Such pumps can be found cheaply on Mercedes, Jaguar, and VAG products - Bosch aux cabin heater pumps. A tiny evaporator (the core from a supercharged Jag would work), and someone's a:w core. People seal up Ford SVO/TurboCoupe intercoolers with good results.

My $0.02, YMMV.
wftb JUL 19, 01:23 AM

quote
Originally posted by Will:


How many did you take apart to figure this out?

If I had a dollar for every time I heard about "special" versions of engines with forged internals...



i did not take any apart .there are different GM part #s from those years for the crank and rods of the 06 07 years .i did not believe it until it was pointed out to me and various sites said the same thing .
4thfiero JUL 19, 01:32 AM
So ive been reading up on air to water intercoolers...from what i see yeah they require a lot more parts to make work, but if i went down that route....would I be able to mount that type of intercooler to the front of my car (my front bumper has been modded, there's a lot of room for an intercooler there) and solve my "turbo lag" issue as well as the piping? I understand getting big piping to the front of the car is gonna be hell..do air to water intercoolers require the same piping? or no.

Okay i'll get a different fuel pump, any recommendations for a good aftermarket one that will work in the Fiero gas tank?
wftb JUL 19, 02:09 AM
if you look at the pic the intercooler is in the left upper corner .there is a small rad that goes in the front of the car that fits in front of the radiator .all that runs to the back of the car are two 1/2" ID hoses .put the pump in the back or the front trunk , use a fan mounted on the front rad and add an ice box if you want .really not that complicated .go to frozenboost.com for kits and info .