I just bought a 96 Sunfire with I think the 2200 from what I read. Since I bought it I added 18" Chrome Equus with General Exclaim UHP's. The air filter was trash when I opened it up so I had a cone filter sitting around that I threw on the end of the stock tubing. It's my daily driver so I can't have it too terribly loud. (I have a Jeep with open exhaust so the neighbors already hate me.) I also am stationed in england so I can get some parts everything else I will have to order. There are alot of junkyards around here if you all know anything that will benefit me. My goal is to have a quick fun car that isn't so boring everyday driving 30+ miles everyday for work. Plus it's American, I have to prove these cars are better than what the Brits have to offer, lol. Any advice would help, thanks guys.


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

ditch the 2200... A 3400 is practically bolt in with the right parts.


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

you don't have a 2200.

Okay what do I have than?


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

drunken monster wrote:Okay what do I have than?

2.2l i believe the 2200 began in 97 or 98.


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

Before '98 it is the 2.2, '98+ is a 2200

Ok thanks. So what can I do for the 2.2L??


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

Boost, you arnt really going to go all that far n/a with a 2.2.


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

I am not looking for boost as of now. Just want it to be more fun with my daily commute. Basically I want to learn from this car so when I get back to the states I can get myself an ecotec.


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

For a learning experience, Start with intake, header and exhaust. Tune after that. Then move on from there. The head in a 2.2 is the bottle neck. Open her up!


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

So I can get a tune for this? My buddy has all the stuff from his cobalt tune. He used Trifecta, can I use the same thing?


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

drunken monster wrote:So I can get a tune for this? My buddy has all the stuff from his cobalt tune. He used Trifecta, can I use the same thing?

no. there's 4 options when it comes to tuning a 96:
1. swap computers to a 95 and burn your own obd-I PROMS,
2. swap to a 97 computer and use HPTuners.
3. megasquirt
4. full standalone.

there is no one who will tune a stock 96 j pcm.



JBO Stickers! Get yours today!

So what computer do I need to swap to use Trifecta's tune? Probably a 97. So can I just swap and that's it, or will I run into problems?


1996 Sunfire, 2.2L, 18" Equus/General Exclaim UHP
Alpine CDE-9845

Rich, megasquirt is a stand alone.


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

drunken monster wrote:So what computer do I need to swap to use Trifecta's tune? Probably a 97. So can I just swap and that's it, or will I run into problems?

you have to look at your computer. if it has two plugs, you can swap to a 97 and use hptuners. not sure about trifecta, from what i understand they do tunes for about the price of hptuners but its just a generic tune, whereas you can do anything you want (within the limits of the pcm) with hptuners an unlimited number of times.

Oedwards wrote:Rich, megasquirt is a stand alone.

i was under the impression that megasquirt in a j-body is used as a piggyback, as in using the stock computer and having the megasquirt running the engine.



JBO Stickers! Get yours today!

2.2L or 220 means nothing its the same thing there both LN2s they just made a few changes some of the 2200 stuff fits the 2.2 anyways 2.2 has 5hp more then a 2200 but has 5 ftlbs less then a 2200



JBO since July 30, 2001

The 2200 has 5 less HP than the LN2, but they made a lot of tweaks so the powerband is more consistent, and it feels better, especially when paired with a 4 speed.

If you're just planning on getting a different car in the near future, why spend the money now? The Brits have no room to talk with "building a decent car". They can't even get their positive and negative right

NOTa2_4 wrote:2.2L or 220 means nothing its the same thing there both LN2s they just made a few changes some of the 2200 stuff fits the 2.2 anyways 2.2 has 5hp more then a 2200 but has 5 ftlbs less then a 2200

Definitely not the same thing. They have many different build considerations.




fortune cookie say: better a delay than a disaster