anyone done a 2200 swap? Would anybody do a 2200 swap?
I just got a shop and am going to be buying/fixing or buying/parting cars. As of right now i am looking at a 98 sunfire with a 2.2L and manual trans. Figured I would see if there was any interest. Probably look for around $800 for the engine/trans/harness/ECM.
Also wondering if there are any sunfire interior swaps around or if that would be an option...
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04:11 PM
PFF
System Bot
Mar 11th, 2007
SLOWnSTEADY Member
Posts: 1706 From: Hiawatha, IA Registered: Jul 2005
The motors are workhorses for sure, I had a 2200 5spd and I beat the hell outta it. I had that thing at its rev limits everyday if not multiple times everyday.
Bad thing about the motor, its pretty much horsepower proof, at 120hp and 130tq. it isnt going to go much higher without some good money. One thing to point out is the torque curve on the motor is almost a horizontal line, like crazy flat. I had mine dyno'ed at my college and it was odd seeing such a little curve from a 4cylinder. Not much (130) but it was almost 130 all the way across.
And yes there is one guy on here that has it in his fiero.
Recently replaced by the all-new Ecotec 2.2, this pre-Ecotec inliner was a disaster. Lacking in power, unreliable, and hungry for head gaskets, the anemic four was offered in many GM front-drivers (like the Beretta and Cavalier), and the popular line of Chevy S-10/GMC S-15 pickups. Press reviews at the time recommended against backing these engines with automatic transmissions, especially in the pickups. With pathetic power and unreliable durability, what could be worse? A series of steel freeze plugs were also known to corrode, providing a messy time bomb that could go off at almost any mileage reading past 50,000. It's no wonder GM used absolutely no engineering or design from this engine when developing the Ecotec. We think GM should offer Ecotec upgrades to all owners of these pathetic mills, but alas, the designs have so much variance between them, swaps are no easy task. Too bad.
Recently replaced by the all-new Ecotec 2.2, this pre-Ecotec inliner was a disaster. Lacking in power, unreliable, and hungry for head gaskets, the anemic four was offered in many GM front-drivers (like the Beretta and Cavalier), and the popular line of Chevy S-10/GMC S-15 pickups. Press reviews at the time recommended against backing these engines with automatic transmissions, especially in the pickups. With pathetic power and unreliable durability, what could be worse? A series of steel freeze plugs were also known to corrode, providing a messy time bomb that could go off at almost any mileage reading past 50,000. It's no wonder GM used absolutely no engineering or design from this engine when developing the Ecotec. We think GM should offer Ecotec upgrades to all owners of these pathetic mills, but alas, the designs have so much variance between them, swaps are no easy task. Too bad.
Different motor, thats the older 2.2 (the 2200 replace it in '98) The 2.2 sucks I agree, I traded my 98 cavy for a 96 with half the miles (59k) and its runs worse than my 2200 did. The 2200 fixed the headgasket problem and charging problem that was bad with the eariler ones. Basic design is the same but the 2200 is a much better motor than the 2.2. I have no clue why they would put them in a pickup truck....
BTW easiest way to tell the difference between the two, the 2.2 has the big T like throttle body like the one pictured on that site. the 2200 says 2200 on a big plastic intake right before the TB.
Good reading tho lol
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12:33 PM
AquaHusky Member
Posts: 1234 From: Sedalia, Mo Registered: Dec 2006
I had the 2200 in my 98 S-10. It's not a bad motor. But it is a but underpowered for a 2.2 L. Other than that, for a daily driver, I'd say the 2200 wouldn't be bad at all. I'd do it if I could. It has a higher redline than a Duke and is a bit more stable on the bottom end. Not really prone to fragging. I used to race mine every saturday night at the street drags when I had it.
I have a '98 Sunfire with the 2200 and 5-speed. It's quick enough for me (spins the tires in second gear), gets 35mpg or more at times, and has 200k on it. K&N air filter is all I've done to it. I really am happy with that setup and think it would make a good economy swap into the Fiero.
I had a 94 Cavalier with the 2.2 and an automatic. It did everything it was supposed to with zero problems. I did have to have the head reworked after the water pump went out and the car overheated, but that never happened again. I found it to be a very good engine.
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09:04 PM
PFF
System Bot
Dec 10th, 2007
Erik Member
Posts: 5628 From: Des Moines, Iowa Registered: Jul 2002
they are bad headgasket, head warpage, cracked cylinder wall prone ..trust me, I know from experience with several customers bad luck and costly repair for me to fix
I have heard a lot of bad things about its predecessor, the 2.2, but the 2200, as I said above, has been great for me, and I know of a few other Sunfires and a Cavy with the same motor that are at 170-210k whose owners are happy with them.
I have Formulagators old 84 and drive it everyday, the intake dosnt look the same as his pictures so he may have updated the motor but I have not been able to verify that. Its not a race car but it does have more pickup than the Duke and almost as much pickup as my 2.8 had. It makes power up in the upper RPMs and dosent have the TQ the 2.8 has but it does get great MPG.
