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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - GM Eco Tec engine

Has anyone thought about a GM eco tec engine in a MGB , I like the idea of a 4 cly with 240 HP , that’s with a supercharger, the same engine that in the Saturn sky. Just though I would put this out there to see if anyone has done any research if this would be feasible.
SWS Stephens

I can tell you that the answer is "yes", but since I was sworn to secrecy I can't say WHO is planning or working-on an Eco-Tec MGB.

Hopefully you can guess where you'll be able to read all about it when the car is complete!

I think you should go for it too.
Curtis

Curtis,
I am trying to decide on a 3.4 V6 or the Eco-Tec, there is a lot of info to support the V6 convertion in fact a member of our club is doing one now. But I can find no info on the Eco-Tec in regard to size, weight ect, and most of all if one could convert a FWD Eco-Tec to a RWD configuation. Could you point me in the right direction. Steve
SWS Stephens

Steve, I'm not up to date on the latest engines and what the bell housing patterns are. I would suspect that GM hasn't changed the pattern on its FWD transaxles too much, so the adaptor for one of the older Quad 4s might work. There's a shop in Colorado that specializes in Quad4 performance parts and they have bellhousings to adapt that engine to RWD use, might work on the Eco-Tec. I couldn't find that link but here's another one that might be of help. http://www.mantapart.com/q4rwd.html
Bill Young

http://rs584.securehostserver.com/~quad4rod/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1

Here's the link that Bill referred to in his post. Good luck!
Ryan Reis

Bill & Ryan,
Thanks for the links, some guys may be interested in that bell housing that Quad Four Rods has that will hang a ford T9 on the back of a B series engine. They do have a bell housing for a Eco-Tec to GM T5 also. Thanks again.
SWS Stephens

Check out Hahn Racecraft. They have bolt-on turbo kits in various stages that go up to 400+ HP for the Ecotec. I've ridden in my friend's 06 Cobalt SS (200 HP supercharged) and it is quite fast for a production car.
Robert Fish

Robert , thanks for the link. The more I see the more I like the idea of one of these 4 cly in a B.
SWS Stephens

What size is the Eco Tek?
JM Morris

I think a 2.2 would be more available ?
SWS Stephens

Ecotec Bell housing from GM $247 for RWD same as the Solstice.
Bill Guzman

FYI The ecotec can produce as much as 1400 hp 1150 lb of torque with 50+ psi of turbonetics class turbo or a Garret. Necessary parts?
GM racing head, H beam rods, forge pistons, High velocity header (home made)for Trubo, GM cams, GM manifold, Ford Injectors, aftermarket ECU. All of this in a production engine block and at 7800 rpm
The stock 2.2 is good for 300 hp 260 lb of torque and a max of boost of 9 psi.The rods will not take the extra boost and pistons are limited to 12 psi, rpm 6200.

Keep in mind that not all boost is the same, it all depends on the turbo maping. Tubonetics and Garret have the best maping turbos.

Bill Guzman

Just found out that Lotus was part of the design team for the Eco tec, a Brit connection.
SWS Stephens

Hello guys,

I have a rust free early 74 BGT that has not been on the road since 1985. The ecotec is an engine I have been considering for some time as a transplant. It started seeming more possible when I found that the mantapart bell housing was available for the T-5 trans. Good to know that quad4rod has them too.

Bill, do you know what transmissions the GM Solstice bell housing will accept? That price is pretty attractive compared to the others.

Also, has anyone gotten to the point that they have figured out the stumbling blocks that would be involved with all the electronics and computers? I am under the impression that some new car systems are tied in with speed sensors on the wheels, or are tied into the factory instrument panel. My automotive knowledge base sort of ends at about the time cars got computers.

Charley
C R Huff

This is internal info. Info only for those with the need to know. LOL :-)

Prize on bell hosuing went down this week $211.00
The bolt pattern is the new GM trans, it may be the same as the Vette six speed or the late model T5
New, I mean brand new trans from GM is $1400 for one and second choice is $1326. I would much rather buy a new one with the correct gear ratios and warranty.
This transmissions are without the sport package, not a big deal.

Yes, I think the late model T5 will fit, but the gear ratios are not the ones you want for this swap.
This swap is not as easy as you may think.
Bill Guzman

Yeah, Bill, I know what you mean. I always think I can do things faster than I really can. I'm not sure I'll ever try it, but if I did, I think I am better prepared to do the metal fabrication part of the job than the electronic part.

That's not a bad price for a brand new trans.

Charley
C R Huff

Well, that is not all Charley, also the 2.2 and 2.4 have different bolt pattern on the crank than the Solstice, so....a custom made flywheel is needed. Also if you are going to get any significant torque from this engine and planning to use a turbo (factory supercharger will not fit)the PCM is just barely adeaquate, is best to run an aftermarket PCM such as Haltec, Fast etc. to get the most out of the engine.
The new Haltec is the easiest to tune, click and drag on your lap top.300 hp is very possible with the stock crank and rods with 10-13 psi

I am not trying to discourage you, just letting you know that you need to explore this swap very closely before you jump into the pan.

The simplest would be to find a wrecked Solstice GXP 260 hp and about the same of amount of torque. this engine is capable of producing 500 + hp This cars are so new that is hard to find a wrecked one.
GM does not have a RPO engine for the GPX, perhaps they will in the future.
Bill Guzman

Bill,

I agree that the Solstice would likely be easier since it is already a RWD car, but like you say they are a bit rare.

Since I am not really looking for huge HP, I was thinking of the 2.2, which I think is about 140 HP in stock trim. I think that engine is in Cavalier, Cobalt, Saab, Saturn, and a few others. So, it is common as dirt, which makes it affordable initially and makes either stock or hop up parts easy to find and affordable as well.

I don't know what the real fuel mileage would be, but the 2004 Cavalier was rated at 37 mpg hwy with the 5-speed. Since the MG weighs less, it could probably use taller gears than the Cavalier, so I think it should get better mileage.

Having a clean burning BGT with cheap easily obtainable parts, somewhat more HP, and good fuel economy would be my goals if I decide to go for it.

On the other hand, I might decide it's too much work, in which case I could transfer the fresh engine and the rest of the running gear from my rusty 68 GT to the rust free 74 GT.

Charley
C R Huff

Charley,
I'm looking at it the same way, as for as I can Tell the 2.2 out of a cobalt FWD can be turned and mounted as a RWD with the right bell housing.
SWS Stephens

SWS,

I think you are right about turning it with a different bell housing. Do you know if you can take all the silly plastic covers off and have it look like an engine again? The Cavalier didn't have the plastic covers.

Charley
C R Huff

All of the plastic stuff can be removed and that includes some of the sheet metal covers too.

The only issue left is the flywheel. I am not sure of the after market bell housing if it has the correct depth to align the starter to flywheel, it may have. The Solstice has a different offset plus the bolt pattern is different than the front wheel engines.

There are other minor issues, but easy to resolve.
Bill Guzman

Bill,

I can't quite tell which dimensions you mean.

Is offset the distance between rear engine plate and the face of the bell housing where the transmission bolts up? I don't actually know if the Ecotec uses a rear plate, but if not then I mean the rear face of the block.

When you say the bolt pattern is different between the Solstice and the other Ecotec engines, do you mean at the point where the bell housing meets rear engine plate/face?

Charley
C R Huff

The offset I ma refering to is how far the flywheel is from the block so that it alings with the starter.
The bolt pattern I ma refering to is the crank bolt pattern where the flywheel bolts to the crank.
This bolt pattern is different from the FWD and the RWD Solstice.
Bill Guzman

Thanks Bill,

Now I get what you mean. It is these kind of details that make conversions so hard (and expensive). It is tempting, but I'm sure it's a long tough road to get there.

Charley
C R Huff

Not as bad once you get a flywheel made for about $400 to 600, the good news is that the flywheel is neutral balance.

NOW! here is what GM did in the 1934 Chevrolet Ethanol E85 coupe GM project.
They use a base production 2.2 with turbonetics turbo
The engine produces 525+ hp and 435 lb of torque at 64K rpm Hard to believe, but true.
They use an automatic trans 5L50E and a Solstice torque converter. This set up can take the torque.
The T5 is not strong enough.

I fell in love with the car when I saw it at the SEMA show, the car atracted the most people at the GM displays and they had a few.
http://www.zercustoms.com/photos/34-Chevrolet-Coupe-E85/34-Chevrolet-Coupe-E85-1.jpg.html

This coupe is going to see lots of miles in 2008 According to GM.
Bill Guzman

Bill,
thanks for the link to the coupe that looks like a realy cool ride. After I finish my restore on my 80 roadster, I'm going to find a GT and go for the Ecotec conversion using the 2.2
SWS Stephens

This thread was discussed between 22/01/2008 and 16/02/2008

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