[Mötley Crüze]

Got a friend of mine who totaled his Cobalt SS the other day and was wondering if I could make use of any of his parts, since the Cruze and the Cobalt are basically the same platform. He said he'd be willing to sell me the supercharger for a hundred bucks. Do you think it would be worth the time and money to try and retrofit it to my smaller engine? or would I be better off just buying his engine, transmission, etc and attempting a complete powertrain swap?

 

[spacedout]

None of the parts will fit, The cruze is a Family 0 Ectoec Engine, the Coblat a Family II Ecotec.

 

[Merc6]

If money is unlimited, anything is possible. This would exceed "a simple weekend project with the guys" by a few months to a year depending on fabrication skills of said guys.

If we pretended like it bolts up behind the engine by the firewall and you just had to fab the pulleys above the alternator, you have to figure out the inlet of the blower as it's buried in the master cylinder at this point.

 

[Mötley Crüze]

hmm... since this is my daily driver, I wouldnt be able to have my car on the lift for more than a weekend. I heard rumors that someone was working on a bolt on turbo kit for the 1.8, but I've yet to see it hit the market. Ideally, I'd like to get into the 250hp range, but I dont think thats going to be possible without a turbo or supercharger.

 

[MP81]

You're going to need a significant amount of work to make this even happen. I doubt you'd even have the clearance behind the engine to do this - it sits up front in the Cobalts. That's if the bolt pattern for the intake is even close to the same.

If you can get the M62 for $100, buy it, and then sell it for the $300 they go for.

 

[Blancmange]

It would be a far better use of your time and money to buy a Cobalt with a bad motor and swap into that.

 

[[email protected]]

Got a friend of mine who totaled his Cobalt SS the other day and was wondering if I could make use of any of his parts, since the Cruze and the Cobalt are basically the same platform. He said he'd be willing to sell me the supercharger for a hundred bucks. Do you think it would be worth the time and money to try and retrofit it to my smaller engine? or would I be better off just buying his engine, transmission, etc and attempting a complete powertrain swap?

I agree with the other guys that have already posted. Is it worth the time and money to try and retrofit it to your engine? NO. Like one has already said, you might be able to resale the supercharger. Your buddy will be hurting himself tho, cause he could sell the engine for more money if it was a complete engine. But if you are looking for more power than doing Air Intake kit and header and exhaust with a tune. You can do your research and see what it would take to put a turbo on your car. You could most likely use some of the same parts that the 1.4L engines use. Just would not recommend using the stock 1.4L turbo. It would be way to small for your engine.

 

[Mötley Crüze]

So far, I already have a K&N drop in filter with the stock airbox and resonator delete. My current shopping list performance wise includes a full magnaflow dual exit exhaust system, ZZP headers, Trifecta tune, front and rear strut tower bars, coilovers, better rims and tires, and maybe getting my heads ported and polished if I'm feeling ambitious enough. A set of racing cams would be nice too, if anyone even makes them...

 

[[email protected]]

So far, I already have a K&N drop in filter with the stock airbox and resonator delete. My current shopping list performance wise includes a full magnaflow dual exit exhaust system, ZZP headers, Trifecta tune, front and rear strut tower bars, coilovers, better rims and tires, and maybe getting my heads ported and polished if I'm feeling ambitious enough. A set of racing cams would be nice too, if anyone even makes them...

If you are serious about it and do plan on pulling your cylinder head off for porting. I would think suggest getting a set of higher compression pistons, maybe look to see if any company is interested in doing a stroker kit for 1.8L. Going higher compression pistons will definitely make that head work pay off, could also look into porting intake manifold and throttle body. Then you just might be able to achieve your power goal of 250hp. Just going to have to be a lot of work for that small motor. You could always do nitrous as well.

 

[RoninDusette]

A buddy of mine is actually tuning a supercharged cruze motor on a rock crawler. We are having a bi*** of a time tuning it though. Almost got it squared away. The issue we are running into is his torque radically being miscalculated because of the enormous tired and 3 speed automatic with a dope shift kit in it and aftermarket final drive. I know this is necromancy, but him and I are doing it (he did that fab, I am tuning), and not without caveats. It was actually more simple than one would think, especially with his setup. He has the stated 3 speed auto from some random thing with a manual shift kit in it, the e80 ecu is standing alone working with the electronic throttlebody. The engine is an le2 with a roots style super charger from a mini cooper, but the way he has it set up is its running like a centrifugal SC. He has it bolted to the exhaust side of the motor on an airbox (of sorts), piping to an ic and the stock intake manifold. So yeah. Needless to say it's been tough. I'd say the fab wouldn't be hard, just need to have tools, the time, and a brain. The tuning is what will mess you up. He took it to 4 different apparently experienced tuners and none of them could get it working. I have it running great now and we are just trying to work out some bugs, but we did it. It's just not for the faint of heart.

And yes. I know necromancy is bad, but this is totally relevant, and even though the post is old, maybe it will inspire some other intrepid individuals to take a dive into the unknown. There is rarely a time where something "cannot be done"... I usually say "wanna bet?". If I fail, at least I tried. Anywho, thought this would interest the op, if he is still around. Who knows? Maybe he still has his cruze and another dd?

 

[Ma v e n]

You make light of the magnitude of the project you've undertaken. The amount of fabrication skills, tools and material required, the tuning tools, skills, and understanding you guys are using far exceeds that of the typical person making a post saying

Got a friend of mine who totaled his Cobalt SS the other day and was wondering if I could make use of any of his parts, since the Cruze and the Cobalt are basically the same platform. He said he'd be willing to sell me the supercharger for a hundred bucks. Do you think it would be worth the time and money to try and retrofit it to my smaller engine? or would I be better off just buying his engine, transmission, etc and attempting a complete powertrain swap?

This post makes it relatively clear the basic understanding of what was being asked about doesn't exist. Tools, skills, experience all mean nothing if you don't even understand what you're trying to do.

 

[-loki-]

Buy motor and trans with ecu... swap into $1000 cobalt over a weekend. Insert premium gas and press the go pedal.

 

[MP81]

This post makes it relatively clear the basic understanding of what was being asked about doesn't exist. Tools, skills, experience all mean nothing if you don't even understand what you're trying to do.

I mean, the LSJ's intake manifold is enormous, and isn't likely to fit to much else other than a 2.0/2.2/2.4L Ecotec. It includes the laminova heat exchanger (the coolant of which uses an external heat exchanger) to cool the intake charge down, and is absolutely necessary. There are other options, especially when it comes to custom fabrication, but as stated above, that's going to be an absurd amount of work.

You can see just how much room was in the engine bay before and after installing that manifold (many years ago, now - 11 in August):

 

[-loki-]

It is quite bulbous... probably could find a clean cobalt or g5 for 1-2k. Also could fit into 1st and 2nd gen J body with a little customizing. Drop in will and go will only work with the delta platform

You must be fairly mechanically inclined or have a friend that is. It is some work for sure.

 

[RoninDusette]

You make light of the magnitude of the project you've undertaken. The amount of fabrication skills, tools and material required, the tuning tools, skills, and understanding you guys are using far exceeds that of the typical person making a post saying
This post makes it relatively clear the basic understanding of what was being asked about doesn't exist. Tools, skills, experience all mean nothing if you don't even understand what you're trying to do.

Nothing is more annoying than the guy who always talks down at ideas, calling them too hard, impossible, not worth it. Well you go ahead and keep doing that.

Maybe the person wanting to do it has a bunch of money laying around? Maybe they inherited a bunch of machining tools from a relative? Maybe they work at a wrecking yard and have access to everything they need? Then they just need a fabricator and a tuner. Maybe they already have everything and the knowledge?

Seriously, if you are going to be a naysayer, just like, say your piece and move on. People that listen to naysayers end up not innovating. Hell, you never know, it may be easier than you think. You obviously aren't a "tryer". So what if it takes money, time, and talent? Maybe they want to learn? How else would they do it? By being told "no", and just sayin "....sigh. eff it". Yeeeeeaaaaah, not how people that innovate work. If they try and fail, well, at least they tried, and they probably walk away with a LOT of knowledge afterward, and that in and of itself is priceless. If they try and succeed, well that is a different story, and they will likely go on to do more awesome stuff, instead of being dragged down by the "impossible police" of the interwebz.

 

[RoninDusette]

Matter of fact, I am going to working on a project soon on my gen 1 cruze that will hopefully result in a kit that allows us to bolt on a t3/t4 turbo with NO cutting or welding of the manifold. Downpipe will be a different story, or maybe I will make one for the kit. I already have everythign I need, including a nice, shiny, brand new t3/t4. So, I am going to try it. On paper, there is no reason it won't work. I make a kit, sell it, end-user sources their own turbo, everyone wins. Just trying to find time to squeeze it in my schedule. Of course, this will be the first place I post about it, soooo yeah.

 

[Ma v e n]

Ronin...I NEVER said it couldn't be done.

I said the type of person who doesn't realize a Cobalt and Cruze don't have interchangeable parts, has so little a grasp of the project that it doesn't matter what their experience, skillset or toolset is. You can't complete innovative or unique projects if you don't even understand what it is you're attempting to do.

You on the other hand, literally said " the fab wouldn't be hard". This either comes from you applying your level of skill at different projects and assuming someone else has those same ones for a different project or you're just giving feel good advice on a complex, and likely never undertaken project to someone on the internet who doesn't even understand that there is fabrication involved at all.

 

[MP81]

I said the type of person who doesn't realize a Cobalt and Cruze don't have interchangeable parts, has so little a grasp of the project that it doesn't matter what their experience, skillset or toolset is. You can't complete innovative or unique projects if you don't even understand what it is you're attempting to do.

Worth mentioning: the 2.0/2.2/2.4 and 1.8 don't have the intake on the same side of the engine. That's probably one of the biggest issues.

 

[-loki-]

Cut a hole in the hood and go straight up! Lol

 

[Mr_Pat]

Hey they bet a bud of mine back in the late 90's he couldnt put a mercedes clutched supercharger on his little honda del sol ye we did it . projects like this are just someone thinking outside the box.. now I will say I wouldnt recommend this for your daily but I say think it out if you want to do it . I'm not personally a fan of superchargers because they draw on the motor to make power .. vs a turbo that uses the exhaust gas to produce positive pressure.
only a few videos of bad quality sorry old stuff I could find..

and