by revvhappy » Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:36 pm
I recently purchased a 2006 Atom (Ecotec) and have done 2 track days with it. It has an upgraded supercharger and runs E85, the last roller dyno session revealed 315hp and 290lb-ft. The car is silly fun on track with street tires, and magical with big Hoosiers. Due to excessive fuel consumption and difficulty finding E85 in some places, I'm going to have it tuned for 93 octane gasoline.
After reading Cobalt SS, Saturn Red Line, and other Kit Car forums there seem to be some upgrades that help cooling on track, add reliability, or add ease of maintenance. I'm hoping that someone can steer me in a good direction as I attempt to combine projects:
Project 1: Remote oil filter and cooler. There are 2 options here: a. Replace the oil filter/cap with an aftermarket unit that includes ports for AN fittings, or b. replace the oil cooler with a plate that includes ports for AN fittings. I would like to remove the small engine-mounted oil cooler because it's a possible failure point for both oil and coolant, so option "b" seems more relevant. Is there a product that replaces the oil filter in the OE position if I use the plate over the oil cooler ports and a remote filter?
Project 2: Lower Intake Air Temp. The Harrop Supercharger already has a dual pass end plate. I've read that other people who track their Atoms get reasonable IATs with the stock horizontally-mounted "oil cooler/fan" and a large coolant reservoir (after making sure that the pump was wired properly to spin the correct direction). I would like to use the current engine coolant tank as an "Option B" reservoir for supercharger cooling. I need guidance on what to do with all of the engine coolant hoses that run to the engine-mounted oil cooler and the coolant tank that I want to repurpose. I realize that I'll have to re-route/add some hoses to make this work.
Project 3: Engine temperature. Add a high quality oil cooler that will be plumbed in with the remote filter system. Modify the thermostat for better flow.
I recently purchased a 2006 Atom (Ecotec) and have done 2 track days with it. It has an upgraded supercharger and runs E85, the last roller dyno session revealed 315hp and 290lb-ft. The car is silly fun on track with street tires, and magical with big Hoosiers. Due to excessive fuel consumption and difficulty finding E85 in some places, I'm going to have it tuned for 93 octane gasoline.
After reading Cobalt SS, Saturn Red Line, and other Kit Car forums there seem to be some upgrades that help cooling on track, add reliability, or add ease of maintenance. I'm hoping that someone can steer me in a good direction as I attempt to combine projects:
Project 1: Remote oil filter and cooler. There are 2 options here: a. Replace the oil filter/cap with an aftermarket unit that includes ports for AN fittings, or b. replace the oil cooler with a plate that includes ports for AN fittings. I would like to remove the small engine-mounted oil cooler because it's a possible failure point for both oil and coolant, so option "b" seems more relevant. Is there a product that replaces the oil filter in the OE position if I use the plate over the oil cooler ports and a remote filter?
Project 2: Lower Intake Air Temp. The Harrop Supercharger already has a dual pass end plate. I've read that other people who track their Atoms get reasonable IATs with the stock horizontally-mounted "oil cooler/fan" and a large coolant reservoir (after making sure that the pump was wired properly to spin the correct direction). I would like to use the current engine coolant tank as an "Option B" reservoir for supercharger cooling. I need guidance on what to do with all of the engine coolant hoses that run to the engine-mounted oil cooler and the coolant tank that I want to repurpose. I realize that I'll have to re-route/add some hoses to make this work.
Project 3: Engine temperature. Add a high quality oil cooler that will be plumbed in with the remote filter system. Modify the thermostat for better flow.