how has your aftermarket installation held up? Many cobalt owners i know have wondered about getting a super/turbocharged kit for their cobalts but are weary about how it holds up.

if you have any experience, good or bad with bolting on a turbo or supercharger please post here with any information to help the rest of us out. thanks.

btw supercharging or turbocharging a 2.4 is an impressive (and expensive) feat, kudos.

 

supercharging a car has gone down alot in price, turbos still are more expensive (kits that is)

how it holds up is 50% in the tune, 25% in parts used (quality versus ****), and 25% in the driver, if you get a GOOD tune then it will hold even to the worst of drivers

downfalls are like always unexpected issues (they WILL happen) and clutch, plan for a clutch a good one, because anything over 200 wtq and youll need a clutch

 

Well with cooling mods the 2.4 is a solid performer. It hold the power very well. It's the clutch that will most likely need an upgrade. The engine should hold 300 very easily.

 

Wierd thing is someone had an articale realeased from gm with some tech specs on these motors and according to the specs, our internals are basically identical to the 2.2's and we have no forged internals at all. They also had a chart showing the hp limit for the motors and it showed the 2.2/2.4 to be identical.

I dont get it, we were always told we had some forged internals which is why our motors can handle more power then 2.2, now this is false?

Heres the article, go down to the appendix on page 83 is says on the page but on the PDF viewer type in 85 and u see the specs on the internals for all the cobalt engines. And scroll down a few more pages and u see the chart im talking about

http://tunersource.gmblogs.com/Racer...mplete-web.pdf

 

Strange... I thought the 2.4 had some forged goodies inside as well!
Only comment I will make is that it does seem like boosted 2.2s and 2.4s end up in the same out put range, is this just me? Maybe it just hasent been pushed far enough yet?

 

they should, its just the fact that its not as easy as it is dropping the pulley on a 2.0 then it is our 2.4

 

seems like a lot of work and money and potential regret to put into the 2.4....its a pity the turbocharged or even supercharged 'balts arent more affordable...if im gonna spend 26 grand on a vehicle it's gonna be a g6 or g8.

if you have the money and knowledge to modify your 2.4 and have done so successfully i applaud you. i'm however stickin with the GMPP 'performance' parts...and when i say 'performance' i say so loosely.

 

With the exception of the clutch, everything has held up quite well. However, I can say that a GOOD tune is an absolute must.

I'm not sure what you mean by being in the same output range. Seems to me Turbo 2.4's are putting out on average 25-50 more whp than 2.2's.

Another thing on that, even though peak HP and Torque may be similar, a 2.4 has an advantage being VVT.

^^ With GMPP intake and catback only, I put down the 'baseline' numbers on my dyno sheet. Some may disagree with me, but I believe that bolt-ons are a COMPLETE waste of money on N/A. I believe this is because bolt ons are 'percentage' based, i.e., you can expect a 2% increase in hp from an intake. 2% of stock isn't much.

The turbo build was a lot of fun (even though it was a kit) but if I had to do it again, I probably would've either put the money towards my loan to lower my payoff, or bought a project car. In hindsight, I think that heavily modifying a daily driver you are making payments on is kind of hairbrained.

With that said, the 2.4 turbo is a nice sleeper, and I'm sure mine will make a great car for someone for a hell of a lot less $$ than I put in to it.

Edit: ^^ Btw, I hope you bought that muffler because of how it 'sounds'. I laughed my ass off when I saw their YouTube 'explanation' as to how it 'works'.

 

as in the aero turbine muffler? yeah i just got it because of the sound it makes...i went from flowmaster to magnaflow to straightpipe to aero turbine, i wasnt looking for some magical upgrade in ponies. haha


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDTTOa77efs

^ durr, ugh, ehh...this guy needs to take a seat, hes no spokesperson haha. 'the faster air goes through the middle while the slower air goes around the foils..'' wtf? last time i checked the air that came from the manifold was the same speed, didnt know there was a fast and slow lane when it comes to air hahaha.

 

i would just like to know who got the info that the 2.4 had forged internals when its released straight from GM that they dont

 

Ha, okay. Yeah, I don't know if you've watched it or not -- but the guy basically talks about how it shoots the 'fast' exhaust out, and has magical vents to suck 'slower' exhaust at a faster rate.

I think bolt ons are fine if you're looking at them as an appearance (or sound) modification.. but if you're at all concerned about the 'gains'. Well, no --- even if an intake was good for 5 hp, $250 for a 5 hp gain is a lot. There's a reason CED lists the 'GMPP Intake' as an 'Under hood accessory.'

It all boils down to what you want to do. If you're wanting to keep your car, but make it a hell of a lot quicker, forced induction is the way to go. I could be wrong, but I don't think I've heard of anyone blowing up a 2.4 under 'appropriate' boost levels (under 12 psi) -- Celicacobalt cracked his intake manifold around that level, but that's about it.

^^ The only person I've heard talk about the internals of the 2.4 was Hahn when they were breaking down the motor to put together the kits for the Solstice/Sky 2.4s. He didn't say it was forged, but that something with the oil system made it capable of handling a fair amount of boost -- That could've easily been confused by someone.

But why the debate, are forged internals really a necessity if you aren't talking about stupid amounts of boost (20 psi+).

Btw, how much stock are going to put into a GM manual that also lists the LSJ as 205/200 when they Dyno higher than that --- where as it lists the LE5 as 177 when even fully bolt ons aren't putting down those numbers at the wheels. The book is inconsistent.

 

they still do something lol. Boltons dont do much but they do something, full boltons on a 2.4 puts them in the 180whp range, thats around 30hp more then stock.

A turbo is better for price/performance but if u dont have that much lieing around at one time or dont have the need for the power then boltons are fine.

 

Yeah, but for that maybe 30 whp (which I believe is optimistic) you're going to spend nearly $1500 -- and your warranty will probably still be out the window, especially if you're tuning (which is the only way you'll get those numbers).

 

like i said, price/performance a turbo or supercharger upgrade is a lot more price efficient but also many people dont have the resources or skills to put in a supercharger setup or a turbo setup.

And having a shop install that is not cheap at all, ATLEAST another $1000 to do it, most boltons are fairly simple to install yourself or cost friendly for a shop to install


Also its not that optimistic, unfortunately u dont see as many NA balts visiting a dyno but the 2 full bolton 2.4's that have gone have both hit 180+ whp

5. REDFOCZ 186 whp, 177 wtq Verified Mustang Dyno I, TB, E, H, DP, T
6. dtabbs 181 whp, 164 wtq Verified Mustang Dyno I, H, DP, T, E

 

i actually just got off the phone with a few GM dealerships...surprise surprise tuning voids the warrantee..duh we all knew that right? one sales rep said if (I) decide to tune the vehicle make sure i get it set at an appropriate tune and it should be fine...should is the key word here.

it's almost as if the genius' behind creating the 2.4 didnt want anyone to modify the engine while the 2.0 has plenty of modifycation options available without voiding the warrantee.

the sales rep from all 4 dealerships also concluded that even if i had bought and installed all of the available GMPP components i wouldnt see anymore of a gain of 20 horsepower...think about it, a manifold is 325 + installation, exhaust 700-1000 installed, short air ram 275...why spend 1500 plus dollars in GM parts when youd be lucky to get 20 horsepower? i dont get it, i should just start savin for a turbo 'balt right now.

 

Theres not that many things from gm for the turbo and supercharged balts besides the stage kits which most go beyond those anyways and void their warranties lol

Besides unless your taking your car to the track i dont see why u have an urge for more power, these cars have plenty of passing power on the highway great cruisers, so unless ur a drag racer or an auto cross guy where this big want for hp?

 

haha true, but atleast they have the option to add the kits to their cars...

gm needs to put the turbo balt on sale, like for 16 grand plus rebates hahaha.

 

Hey, god bless bolt ons -- they can make a huge difference for more powerful cars, and can certainly make the average n/a engine sound mean as **** as well (considering quality products).

I guess my source of irritation comes from someone who thinks their $300 bit of plastic and paper has turned their car into a WRX-killer, and it's not.

Hell, there used to be a guy here who used to post in like every thread about ridiculous-ass 15 whp gains his K&N Typhoon gave him. Pure. Ass. Bullshit.

There just seem to be a lot of people who down the bolt on path without a clear plan and end up wasting money and time. I did that for a few thousand miles, then decided, "**** it, I'm going turbo."

Worth it? Debatable. As a 28-year old, I'd tend to say buy a faster car, don't try to build a faster car.

Cars aren't investments. I've got thousands 'invested' in my car and I'm listing it for less than a stock version sits on a Dealer's lot.

 

^ dude tell me about it.

your balt seems pretty loaded out, its a shame you cant get some of your money back that you put into it, its a nice and clean lookin car for sure.

your response is understandable completely...which is why i feel putting a body kit on an LS, LT or sport without drastic tunes and mods is completely stupid...its the performance of the car that wins the race, not the looks.

 

Newer cars unless its a well known muscle car will never be an investment. If your going to invest thousands into your car, you better know whether or not your going to be keeping it for awhile.

For the situation your in Dark, it would make much more sense to sell off the SS/SC, you will get more money for that car and since u only want one, u mise well sell off the one that first off, more people will want because its stock and 2nd will be worth more. Not to mention you have invested thousands into the other one and you just lose all of it

You really need to find a specific buyer for a highly modified cobalt and with our shitty economy theres not going to be a lot of interest because of money issues. Selling the cobalt that would interest a wider variety of people will be the one to sell faster.

 

i dunno where you got your info... but mine WAS from excel files straight from GM

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/general-cobalt-68/info-all-balts-engine-internals-tranny-118908/
theres a sticky on this forum..

and as far as boosting these cars... is majorly tune dependent with a good tune they can take a beating.. 300 WHP plus of beating easily.. but like others have said a new clutch is needed

also long as you're not stupid and don't run your car out of your area it was tuned for .. sayy oh i dunno back to back top speed runs when it was only tuned for top of 4th say lol 2.4's are pretty stout engines..

custom turbo setup can be done on the cheap if you know what you're doing.. supercharging it is also cheap if you look for deals it's really personal preference

 

lol these cars are not meant to be bought as race cars, even the turbo and supercharged balts arent, they are meant to be a fun sport compact car. In the end, its a better investment actually to put money into the looks of these cars rather then performance fi your looking to sell them later down the road.

 

Not to be a dick but do you even read my post? i even posted the PDF file from GM of where i found my info, i didnt pull it outa my ass. Trust me, up until a few days ago i beleived the 2.4 internals were different also but from that newest PDF file released from GM they are saying its not.

Not only that but my article also has a chart showing the hp limit for the engine parts. The chart says the LE5 and L61 pistons and rods are only good to 250hp

 

Well, I do think I've found a buyer recently -- he's just waiting on financing through his bank.

Fortunately, I'm a Marine, and as such spend a lot of time around single guys who like fast things. I love the car, and I'd love to keep it, but it's just not practical right now to have two Cobalts - but I'm glad it'll have a good home.

However, I do agree 100% on your reasoning. But, there are two reasons why we opted the go the other route though -
1) We are pretty far ahead on the 2.4, even if I sold it for trade in, I'd come out ahead. We still owe like $14,5 on the LSJ, and it'd be hard to find a buyer at that price.
2) I was in a fairly shitty position credit wise when we bought the 2.4, so the interest rate on it is substantially higher than the other two.

So basically, the 2.4 has higher payments than the 2.0, and the interest monster would eat more money than the LSJ if we were to wait and pay both off over the course. In other words, even though the principle on the 2.4 is lower, the balance over term is higher. (Hope that all makes sense).

The decision to go turbo was based on the inclination that I'd be keeping it for a while and not putting many miles on it, which of course ended up changing not even a year later.

EDIT: KINDA FUNNY on the 'not race cars' statement. I noticed my MPG went WAY up after turbo. Why? Because I drove the ******* thing slower everywhere I went. I don't know what it is, but it seems the ballsier your car is, the slower you drive it. Maybe it's because you don't feel the need to constantly prove yourself.

The Cobalt is a nice, clean car no matter how you do it. It's just important to have a plan, I think.

 

personally my car is holding up great.
im not a dumb driver, and on top of that vince from trifecta did a great job tuning me.
i did upgrade my cltuch though spec stage 2+