2.4L Ecotec Beretta GTZ - PLEASE READ!!

[tvc3-gtz]

Someone in my area is selling a very low mileage eco tec 2.4L engine from a 2008 cobalt. It has all the hookups and a transmission as well (5 speed). Is this feasible to put into my Beretta? I have always wanted to try this, and at worst it would be a bit slower than the 2.3 h/o quad engine, but essentially a 36k mile engine would be a ton more reliable and it gets excellent gas mileage (not to mention these engines are pretty capable of being modified for performance).

Has this been done before? Has someone already tried this? I am in process seriously to getting this engine if it's a good move to make, but I really need some outside opinions on this before I undertake it, since it's going to be a huge project. Long term I'd probably eventually turbo this engine, but for now getting my GTZ running and reliable is the key, and the engine is rated around 170-175ish hp so it's not a total loss of performance across the board.

Please let me know if this is a good move, I know I have bounced around with a ton of questions lately, but this may be a real possibility for me to get my Beretta GTZ running again.

Thanks in advance

[woody90gtz]

You're looking at custom engine/trans mounts, axles and probably a ton of other little things. I don't know if an Ecotec has ever been run by OBD1 either, so you're probably looking at a rewiring job to go to OBD2 and the Cobalt harness.

[tvc3-gtz]

meh.. sounds horrid.. Well wish me luck since I am still searching for engine parts for my quad at every boneyard in the area. lol

at least I know now it's not an easy plug and play conversion.. then again what is?

[themixer]

taking out your engine getting it professionally rebuilt then re-installing it in the car

[tvc3-gtz]

hmm, how much would that cost total? I mean has anyone just done it that way before?

[speedy]

you tried car-part.com? you can use other years, anything from 90 to 94 will work for you, grand am, calais, achieva, beretta. anything that ran with an h.o. q4, i find it hard to believe you couldnt even find one with a bad head, search for a transmission, and call and ask about the engine, as long as the block is good, you just need to rebuild.

[1990BerettaGTZ2.3L]

Hey speedy what happened to your cherokee

[Travelor]

I have plans to do this with a standard ecotec, but don't have a project car (space) right now. One thing to note about newer cars, from what I've read the engines won't run right WITHOUT the correct computer and security components...

[snowblindburd]

Always been a project I'd like to do or see done to a Beretta/2nd Gen J-body since the Ecotec came out. You could get in touch with the Fiero folks on fiero.nl for some information on what they've done as far as the Eco swap is concerned. Here's a starting point, I don't have all the informational links saved: http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/120117.html

Otherwise, Justin in V6z24/J-Body.org (http://www.v6z24.com/jbodyforum/testing ... 18210.html) may have some insight.

[woody90gtz]

There was an Ecotec Beretta swap already, I'm sure of it. I want to say it was Dave Holst?

[snowblindburd]

That was a 2.4 Twin Cam swap, dunno if he ever did an Eco swap.

[Z26_T]

Use a standalone ECU? If you can find one that supports VVT.. You will need to install an external fuel pressure regulator though, since they're regulated in the pump on that engine (no return line). You would be better off going with a 2.2L ecotec though since they're not VVT. If I remember correctly from a j body forum, the 086 cams work with those heads.

[speedy]

Hey speedy what happened to your cherokee

i couldnt drive the p.o.s. more then 3 blocks without something else breaking, every time i fixed it another thing broke, was a lemon, fixed it, and fixed it, and fixed it, did the u joints, brakes, brake lining, tps, o2 sensor, shocks, from one thing to another, eventually the rear went and i simply had enough, sold it for what i had into it, didnt gain anything, but all i lost was my time. just was one of them things that it was a lemon and no matter what, it was a lemon.

[1990BerettaGTZ2.3L]

Knew it was gonna happen that's why my bro wants to get rid of his, they are junk, its a jeep thing remember haha what a joke

[speedy]

i cant honestly say there all junk, my buddy had one we spent 2 years trying to kill(kept it street legal) but went off roading anywhere we could, even tried to rip a car in half once with it with the car tied to it and a tree and cut half apart of course. and the one he has now, its had a few problems, but i still cant complain much about it, i know a lot of guys that swear by them, but i just didnt have luck with them. lol..