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FOR RELEASE: April 25, 2003 CONTACT(S):
Front-Wheel Drive Engine Technology Turbocharged Ecotec: Performance Under Pressure
The Ecotec 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine is GM’s first truly global powerplant. In production trim, the Ecotec delivers exceptional fuel economy and low exhaust emissions in a reliable, low-maintenance package. In racing trim, it delivers astounding horsepower. Consider that the turbocharged Ecotec that powers the front-wheel drive Cavalier and Sunfire drag racers produces 1,000 horsepower from only 127 cubic inches of piston displacement – a staggering 7.8 horsepower per cubic inch. If a naturally aspirated 500 ci Pro Stock engine had equivalent output, it would produce more than 3,900 horsepower. “With the GM Ecotec global powerplant, we’re making over 1,000 horsepower, and the majority of the engine components are production parts,” said Josh Peterson, GM Racing Sport Compact program manager. “We’re using a production block, production main bearing girdle, production cylinder heads, a production oiling system and a production drive chain. It’s simply amazing what we can do with this basic engine package. We believe that we will ultimately reach more than 1,150 horsepower before we exceed the limits of the production parts.” Many of the heavy-duty Ecotec components developed by GM Racing for the Sport Compact drag racing program are now available to enthusiasts through GM Performance Parts. These include complete race-prepared blocks, ported cylinder heads, steel billet crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, copper head gaskets, aluminum intake manifolds, racing camshafts, neutral-balanced countershafts and intake and exhaust manifold flanges. The Ecotec debuted in the 2000 Saturn L-Series and is used in several European applications, including the Opel Vectra, Astra, Zafira and Speedster models. U.S. applications for Ecotec engines include Pontiac Sunfire, Pontiac Grand Am, Chevrolet Cavalier, Oldsmobile Alero and Saturn VUE. As installed in the 2003 Sunfire and Cavalier, this lightweight aluminum four-valve, DOHC engine is rated at 140 horsepower. The race-prepared Ecotec engine enjoys certain advantages in addition to its pressurized induction system. First is its robust construction, a trait it inherited directly from its production counterpart. The Ecotec block’s rigid bottom end resembles a classic racing engine, with a one-piece casting that incorporates the five main bearing caps (each retained by four fasteners) and mounts a structural cast-aluminum oil pan. The stock four-valve aluminum cylinder head’s generously sized intake and exhaust ports provide excellent airflow (250 cfm at .400-inch intake valve lift), while a single centrally located spark plug in each pent-roof combustion chamber provides fast, efficient combustion. The two overhead camshafts actuate the inlet and exhaust valves via roller finger follower rocker arms – another design feature utilized by many high-rpm racing engines. The Ecotec drag race engine builds on the strengths of these production components. Peterson and GM Racing engineer Russ O’Blenes retained the stock block and head castings. The block was modified with stainless steel O-rings and copper head gaskets to withstand the extreme cylinder pressure produced by turbocharging. The cylinder heads were ported and outfitted with dual-coil valve springs and titanium retainers; reground production camshafts actuate the valves through stock finger followers. The original camshaft drive gears were slotted to allow adjustments in camshaft phasing. The camshaft drive uses a stock timing chain, guides and hydraulic tensioner. Heavy-duty components replaced the production crankshaft assembly. A billet steel crankshaft, steel H-beam connecting rods with high-strength bolts, forged aluminum pistons and thick-wall piston pins were designed to GM Racing’s specifications. The crankshaft rotates in production thick-wall main bearing inserts. On the Pontiac Sunfire, an electronic fuel injection system meters methanol into a fabricated aluminum intake manifold. The production water pump and alternator are retained, and the production wet-sump oil system was reworked to meet the lubrication requirements of the front-wheel-drive drag racer. With the Chevy Cavalier, a custom-built dry-sump oiling system with a five-stage pump provides reliable lubrication at high rpm. An electronic fuel injection system meters methanol into a fabricated aluminum intake manifold. The production water pump and alternator are retained. The initial goals of the Ecotec drag race engine program were to produce 650 horsepower, a power band that stretched from 5500 to 9200 rpm, and the durability to make 25 full-power passes between rebuilds while retaining stock components whenever possible. By exceeding every one of these objectives, the race-prepared Ecotec engine promises to make the Cavalier and Sunfire the frontrunner in Sport Compact drag racing and the forerunner of a new generation of GM four-cylinder performance engines.
Going global The Ecotec engine design powers a wide variety of GM vehicles worldwide, with displacements ranging from 1.8 to 2.2 liters. # # # |