Lone Ranger

Bit dated, circa 2005 I think, but base info still applies. Italic emphasis added by me

source:
http://tunersource.gmblogs.com/Racer...troduction.pdf

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GM’s ECOTEC engine has proven to be a reliable and
competitive engine for use in the Sport Compact Drag
Racing Series. It has also proven it’s superior durability in
grueling five mile runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats with
speeds over 300 MPH and in showroom stock endurance
road racing competition. The number of stock components
utilized in the race engine demonstrates the robust design
of the ECOTEC engine.

The ECOTEC’s outstanding feature to performance
enthusiasts is it’s impressive strength. GM Racing
dynamometer tests confirm that major horsepower gains
are possible with minimal modifications. For instance, when
building an ECOTEC engine to the 400 hp power level, no
modifications to the cylinder head, block, main girdle or
crankshaft are required.

The production ECOTEC engine block is manufactured out
of aluminum using a lost-foam casting process. This
process allows for both a stronger and lighter part. Flanged,
thin-wall iron cylinder sleeves are press-fit into a
semi-floating aluminum support structure. The ECOTEC
block is supported by a massive die-cast aluminum girdle/
main cap assembly and structural oil pan for noise and
vibration suppression. The main-cap structures are each
supported with six fasteners. Extra-thick main bearings
resist the differential thermal expansion of the nodular iron
crank and aluminum block.

All ECOTEC blocks are cast with passages for
piston-cooling jets and an oil cooler for high-output
turbocharged applications. The fully-boxed block requires
no windage tray, even on applications up to 600
horsepower. An auxiliary chain drives the water pump and
balance shafts from the crank.

To reduce the risk of hot spots, pressure-cast, non-squish
dished pistons are manufactured without valve reliefs. The
symmetrical, barrel-faced moly-coated top ring fits in an
anodized ring-groove below a super-thin 3mm top ring land,
creating a low crevice volume for reduced emissions. The
pistons deliver power through full-floating piston pins and
powder-metal or forged steel connecting rods.

The ECOTEC twin-cam cylinder head uses low-friction
hydraulic roller finger-followers, which have been proven
reliable and effective up to 11,000 rpm. Head fastener
placement permits cylinder head removal and installation
without removing the camshafts. The camshafts are driven
directly off the crank by a chain. The design includes
provisions for future upgrading to variable cam phasing. The
finger-follower design permits a light-weight narrow profile
and reduced valve angles(the intake valve is 18 degrees
from vertical and the exhaust valve 16 degrees).

hhrcrafty

The Gen II upgrades made the engine even stronger and more reliable as well. The first Gen IIs were the 2.4 VVT and the 2.0 DI Turbo, now the 2007-up 2.2 non-VVT uses the new block and ignition system.

MOTRV8D

sounds like a good environment for turbocharging!

Lone Ranger

http://www.atpturbo.com/Merchant2/me...egory_Code=BCS

rick

The 143 HP Ecotec in my 2004 Saturn Vue worked like a champ the entire time I had the car...52k miles without a problem.

Lone Ranger

There was a 2004 Saturn Ion w/ the Ecotec that went three hundred sixty thousand miles (360,000) and was going strong but cracked the head. How you accumulate that mileage in 3 or 4 yrs is beyond me, but still impressive.

HillsdaleHHR

to the site!!! So do you now have an HHR?!?