View Full Version : Sintra 2.2 Ecotec Engine
Any good, tunable, will an XE head fit? :eek:
Discuss.
ecotecs are tuneable anyway... is the engine staying in the sintra?
It all depends on the engine itself. If its the same bottom end externally as the XEs and if it could take the XE head then it'd go into a Nova.
Isnt the 2.2 a saab engine? Chain driven?
blue_peg_16v
27-06-10, 10:37 AM
good strong engine and tunable supercharger conversions are common on them, as are american bits as the engine is used in america but the inlet etc is less restrictive not sure about the xe head, but i have seen the engine fited to a corsa b so cant see a reason for it not fitting in a nova
turbo-boy
27-06-10, 10:38 AM
the 2.2 you can put the xe head on it block its abait taller and wider due to it having longer through,it will work people down where i live bore the 2.2 out and turbo them.
Interesting. I've been offered a complete car for €400 driiving so I'll have a think about it and decide the best plan from there.
Im not sure the XE heads fit but know the 1.8 and 2.0 (ecotecs) ones are a straight swap, have seen a couple of 2.2 cavaliers around.
davidfox280585
27-06-10, 11:00 AM
so my c20xe head will bolt onto an eco and run fine on xe management?
turbo-boy
27-06-10, 11:05 AM
yes they just hav a longer stroke if you place the block beside a standard xe the block is about 10mm taller and the bottom of the block sits out more cause it has a different crank that gives it more through if you no what i mean. its not going to give you mega power but it can be done
No Dave as the inlets are all different. If you machined them too suit, it should work.
I like the sound of 2.2 but power wise between it and the XE its not much different.
davidfox280585
27-06-10, 11:11 AM
was curious thats all i werent too clued up with the xes till recently as im a ford man and i like my isuzu tds but thanks for the input
slow down people dont get ahead of yourselfs. the 2.2 ecotec out of froteras you 'can' put an xe head on. but ask yourself as to why hardly anyone has done it?? the fact being for the very small gain you get you get a very slow revving lazy engine. im pretty much certain the sintra will be the chain drive yank engine, if you get a pic of it i can tell you instantly if it is or not
lol i think dod can tell if its chain driven or belt driven!
I know the Frontera one was a chain driven one but they weren't Ecotec iirc.
As far as I know, all Ecotecs were belt driven, a tall block version of the 2.0 with the block and internals being the only difference. Again, as far as I know, hense the question and thread here.
Being a Tall block with a long stroke should mean they have potential for the like of a Super Charger and Turbo Charger mods to be at their best but again, I'm wondering is its worth the hassle for feck all gain when a V6 would fit easier and give a lot more power.
ok having googled around it seems the sintra's are the belt drive ones aswell. i know for a fact frontera A's are the belt drive 2.2 eco tec as ive bought one before lol
dod theres quite in depth discussions about it on vauxsport
2.2 in vectra is chain driven i dont know about the sintra but theres a 2.2 frontera engine thats belt driven as burgo says.
You got a link to the thread or is it Googled?
MattBrown
27-06-10, 01:11 PM
My grandads got a vectra C 2.2 ecotec, and thats chain driven.
Rattles aswell lol
Theres very little info out there about these!
My grandads got a vectra C 2.2 ecotec, and thats chain driven.
Rattles aswell lol
Thats a Z22 they are awesome engines!
If it rattles it wants the chain tensioner doing.
there is a guy on mig who has a 2.2 frontera engine in a corsa, running a very nice stroker kit taking it to 2.4 iirc. will find his thread...
Please do and also, see if you can get those Corsa pics as well.
craig green
28-06-10, 11:12 AM
The Sintra is a rebranded Saturn from the states iirc. I would very much doubt the engine sgares any similarities with anything we have here. As a car they were fooking dire anywa.
thus they are very cheap.........
I seem to remember 2.2 engines lending themselves to A) the CIH and B) the XE Head, I know both did because both stories came from 2 different people. I just cant remember who they were.
your getting confused mate....
the 2.2 cih is basically a different family of engine to the later ecotec found in the frontera. the frontera ecotec is a x22xe, basically a bored and stroked x20xev.
finally there is the y22se, which is the chain driven poly-block engine, or as most know it the U.S engine.
the cih family of engines has no parts that fit later ohc or ecotec engines. the u.s engine also has no interchangeable parts.
the old 2.4 cih frontera engine found its way into a few mantas, but it is no way interchangeable
craig green
28-06-10, 12:24 PM
You mean the old 2.4 Carlton engine found its way into some Frontera's.
Btw I want a 2.4 CIH throttle body!
You mean the old 2.4 Carlton engine found its way into some Frontera's.
Btw I want a 2.4 CIH throttle body!
more fronteras got it than carltons.....
isn't the 2.4 cih body supposed to be some holy grail part for e16se's??? cos i'm mucking about with a spare e16se one at the moment & it looks massively restrictive.
Thats where I'm getting confused.
So if the 2.2 is a bored out 2.0 then yes the XE Head will fit depending on which XEV block was used, early or late. I wonder what gains would be achievable......
dod it will make more torque. i cant find the thread on mig.... grrrrr
the 2.2 is not a performance model.
i'd guess the head is pretty similar to the 2.0, but the injection stuff won't be
i read in an old mag about regal building a cav turbo with a 2.2 bottom end & having to modify the oil & waterways to make it work.. but i don't know what other stuff they did...
What I'm thinking about is replacing an XE Bottom end with the 2.2 item and running the engine on Standard XE Management. Increase the capicity to 2.2l.
do you have access to xe & ecotec head gaskets to see if they line up?
iirc they do.... its the stroke of the crank thats different. i think....
i looked into this years ago, got a bit rusty now....
my idea was a 2.2 bottom end, 2.0 8v head that had machined chambers, and a 2mm spacer, and a nice turbo, et voila, a very tourquey 2.2 8v turbo
What I'm thinking about is replacing an XE Bottom end with the 2.2 item and running the engine on Standard XE Management. Increase the capicity to 2.2l.
TBH for the hassle and annoyance it would at very little gains except in the dick waving compettion at the local cruise!
you really need to search vauxsport, theres soooo much info on there on these conversions.
€400 is a ball of cash to fork out for a "I wonder what happens...." project.
Cheers to all.
especially as i can get x22xe bottom ends for £50 each lmao
long stroke = piss poor revs :(
but can/will drive like a diesel if you want :)
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