I have a 1996 Pontiac Sun fire. It has a 2.2 L engine and
I HATE IT. Its slow and sluggish. The motors got 130.000 miles on it. So it old. I broke down the motor and it looks really good. No metal shaving anywhere. It was a well Maintained car. I have been looking around the site and I see not many people do anything with this type of motor. Is there anything I can do to make this motor run better and i dont mean putting a turbocharger on it!!!!!!! I seems like most people swap out for the 2.4L quad 4 . So is there any hope for this motor or should I start saving for swap.
honestly... and ill probably get flamed on for this... but i love this engine... ive had 4 vehicles with this engine and never had a major problem with it...
had a 95 cav with it... only thing i ever did to that car was put a waterpump, thermostat, fuel filter, and heatercore in it...
had a 97 s10 with it... didnt touch that other then the alternator...
had a 96 cav with it... put an alternator and thermostat in it...
and now i have my 97 fire with it... so far done a thermostat on it...
had done a tune up on all of them and regular oil changes and maintenance...
i think there a great engine... sure there nothing compared to the ecotec or quad 4... but i think there a kick ass little engine...
my 97 sunfire has one in it. heres a few things to think about. do you want tons of horsepower, and lots of touque, or just a quick little street machine? if you are really picky about power, the swap might be for you. if you want to do mostly bolt on power i.e. cold air intake, injectors, that kinda suff. keep the 2.2 in there. i have a 97 sunfore with a 2.2 and auto trans, and am definately swapping to a 5 speed but dont know if i wanna go as far as a motor swap, cuz you also need to do the harness, and everything else. what im saying is, before ripping everything apart, know what you want first. hope this helps
Did I mention I drive a 2000 Lumina now?-----wigm-tuners.org member
I just want to have a strong runner. Im not looking for a full out street race car. I just want to make it a bit more respectable. So if i do keep this motor what should i do make a couple more horsepower?
header, full 2.25" exhuast with a free flowing muffler and the least bends you can make. WAI or CAI doesnt matter really its your choice. plug wires, coils, plugs. upper and lower ttr motor mounts. injector upgrade if intake/exhaust done. grounding kit. and keep everything super maintaned. thats about it without taking the head off or spending a lot all at once as far as I know for that motor.
have fun
Intake, exhaust, headwork. Headwork makes a large gain on the 2200s.
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I've done intake/exhaust on my 02 with the 2.2 - what's this injector upgrade? Are they from a different model or aftermarket?
Aftermarket is preferable so you can select the flow rate.
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