2007 ion question. Update found info.
 

Found the info we needed. New guy here and probably won't be on too much. I have a question about an ion engine. Is the engine in the picture a 2.2 or 2.4. I was told it came out of a 2007 ion and would bolt up in our 2004 cavalier dirt track car. any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Not to be rude, but if youre not going to be around, why am I going to help?
Yes, I can tell you which one that is.
Looks like the same picture of one I almost bought in my area, actually.

I thought being up front was the right thing to do. Guess not. I didn't realize I had to pay dues for answers here. I had to make a quick decision and was looking for help. It is now evident that I was in the wrong place. And yes the engine is probably in your area as it is also in La.

Looks like the 2.2 to me.

It is a 2.2.
The guy wants to much money for it. I was going to buy it for a side project, but I wasn't going to spend the 450 on it that he HAD to have.
Good luck.

You need not pay dues -- but I found it ironic that you updated your post indicating the information was found but never shared the answer. But others on the site confirmed it.

We're a group of active posters so we strive to retain active members and those who do not actively post -- at least in the beginning ---are banned for inactivity.

No reason you can't hang around and start a thread on your dirt car build.....

Thanks Rubenhayseed for the input. Derf you are absolutely right. I should have posted my findings. A Saturn is not out of the question for a dirt track car, I hear they make some good power.

so hang around and start a thread about your build---pics n all.
Have not heard of this particular transplant so I for one would like to know what is needed, what you do, and how you build a dirt track car.....you can't be running stock class since you're transplanting so I'd like to know what goes into it all

Like I said, I wasn't trying to be rude.
And like derf said, we are a forum of active members.
We, like any other forum, have to many people come through just wanting an answer and never come back.
So, I do apologize if I came off the wrong way.
Derf is right though, start a thread about the transplant. I would like to see this.

I got a buddy that is into dirt track racing. I'll ask him if he's seen any Saturns. Now I'm curious.

There have been several forum posters who dirt track race their saturns. They already knew to weld the diff pin, so they were into the details.

Looking forward to seeing this turn into a build thread.........

Sorry won't be a build thread. The car is already built and racing. We were looking at options for a replacement engine. We found a miniscule amount of metal on the drain plug (any amount ain't good) the last 2 oil changes. We change the oil and filter after each race. I think we'll keep an eye out for an engine from a cavalier or sunbird.

dangitall

I was looking forward to learning about a new swap (new to me anyway). That's what I meant by build thread -- should have said swap thread. My bad.

You're quite welcome to hang out here and meet the regulars, harass the regulars, and, hell, become a regular. Pretty much anything goes here, and we talk about all types of non saturn stuff....

I thought the cavalier engines were known to be terribly unreliable. Was that only in the 90's or was that corrected later on?

Oh, and what class do you race?

We've only had the car for about 5 months before that I didn't know jack about fwd or the engine. What I know about them I learned in that timeframe. The pre 2000 engine was junk. In 2000 Gm made a few upgrades and the lil ecotec engine is near bulletproof now. I know some turning 6700 to 7200 rpm consistently. They either raise or by pass the rev limiter. The power steering and water pumps are gear driven and we run without an alternator. We just charge the battery between races. We run in what is called a stinger class. 4 cylinder fwd cars. Car must be all stock (right). No aftermarket parts. Even with only 135 hp that lil ecotec will haul some *ss with a car only weighting only 2000 lbs. The car must be gutted for fire safety. Have a 4 point roll cage and 5 point harness. The class is designed for beginners and those without deep pockets but love racing. We are both. The first picture is my 12 year old that 2nd picture is him on a track I cut out in the back pasture. The only other time he had driven the car was in the driveway to and from the barn quite a few times. He took to it instantly. Scary. Drivers must be 14 before they start racing.

Now I'm curious.
Either you're racing at the track 10 min away from me, or you're in Mississippi if you were going to get that motor.

BR Raceway.

ahhh, alright

That's what we like to see. Taz thanks for the pictures, post more all the time. Top right click the drop down and make a signature for yourself. First name, location, and the dirt track racer.

I have been kinda looking into the 2.4 in the Saturns. I had no idea they made upwards of 170 hp. My 2.2 ecotec tops out at 134 hp. I can see now why some dirt track racers drive them. I also read that the Saturn Ion, I think, couldn't take too much of a beating as for holding up on a dirt track. Would the stock suspension hold up? Any stock looking upgrades? Any body have experience or first hand information on that? I really like the extra hp. Thanks

On the engine dyno 140-145 for the 2.2., and 175-179 for the 2.4 with out and helpers. Either one of the two can crank out a load of hp with mods. Both are tough as hell, and like to have superchargers or turbo's added.

With street tires I've run 15.6 with my 2007 2.4 manual Coupe with nothing added but a Fujita cold air intake. With Rj's slicks I ran 15.22 and think I could have squeeeeezed out another couple hundreds and made it to 15.19 or so. Pretty damn good for a non performance, non turbo, non supercharged, family compact, economy car.

Rj ran a 14.6 in his automatic 2007 2.4L ION3 sporting a 30 shot of nitrous on the same slicks, and nothing more than a Fujita CAI. Not to mention that old man had the best reaction time at the track that night.

Im actually picking up a 2.4 soon. Debating on if I want to use the bottom end on the redline or do an ecotec swap on my s car. Unless you just want to buy it from me when I get it.
19k miles on it. Either getting it this weekend or the next.


You can swap out the internals for the LSJ internals and head and have a 2.1 stroker. Throw on an LSJ exhaust for a little better flow.
Also the fe3/fe5 shocks and struts would hold better and don't cost much. Slap on some Powel YYZ springs and it will handle amazingly. ZZP also puts out a high flow intake that looks stockish.

It looks like any major work on the car will have to be put on hold for now. I work in the oil industry and with oil around $53 a barrel a lot of things are uncertain. We will just be tidying up the wiring and fuel lines, moving battery, modifying the roll cage and a few other minor projects. Can't stand having the car right there and not doing something to it.

Heya,

Could you please create a signature by mousing over your name in the top right, selecting user cp, and edit signature on the left. Just make one that looks like the rest of ours (name/location/satty's/other cars)?

Thanks.

Sorry about the economic impact of the oil price thing. I'm waiting to see what effect it will have on the shale fracking here in western PA. Maybe it already has (I've not been following it closely)

Ahh, that's a risky business to begin with.
Once I get the motor, it will be a while before I start tinkering with it to get it ready. So just let me know.
Be safe.