Alero power question
 

Whats a good inexpensive way to boost my output? I would love to throw a turbo in it but thats just too expensive right now. Ideas? 2002, 2.2eco, Standard trans. Stock everything. I'm getting the Timing chain replaced Thursday or Friday.

Turbo setup cost $1300 first time I did it, can likely do it for far cheaper.

Cheapest thing to use is nitrous. A $500 kit for 75-100 HP is the best increase for the dollar, however you should note that the air intake and intake manifold was designed to flow air, not fuel (if using a wet kit, which is all you should be using on this engine), so there is a risk of puddling, but it is usually minimal. The amount of air movement is typically massive enough to pull everything into the ports.

That sounds good, unfortunately i am not a mechanic or someone extremely knowledgeable about this kind of stuff. I'm an electronics guy. So when i think Nitrous the only thing i have to go off of are movies like fast and furious. Which push this button for power is neat i am looking for more of a constant boost, i know turbo is a spooled boost but its something i don't have to think about.

Now is this nitrous kit you are talking about a steady constant release to the engine or F&F push button for zoom zoom? lol.

A link to a kit would be nice too if it is the steady constant release system.

There's a lot to think about with nitrous though. You can/should only spray it within a certain RPM range (usually 3000+), and only at high throttles (wide open usually). If something goes bad with it, it seriously goes bad. Usually people use an arming switch, which engages the system and leaves the solenoids all up to the wide open throttle switch, so when your pedal is pushed down far enough, the nitrous and fuel starts spraying into the engine. As an added safety, most use a window switch, which only allows the system to be activated within that safe RPM range. The installation is quite simple on these kits usually.

Boost is the nicest form of power addition, as you retain or increase your normal fuel economy, and all of your normal around town driving is a lot more zippy and acceleration is easily had. Nitrous is only fun when you're wide open, whereas boost (supercharged or turbocharged) is fun all the time because it's always helping the engine breathe, it's just at higher throttles it's really building the power and making it OMGfun.

Back in the day (2005) when I had planned to spray, I was going to get a Nitrous Express kit.

Alright, that all sounds dangerous to me lol. Not really comfortable going that way. Now upgrading my air intake and exhaust would also grant me a boost to power be it small right? Here is my question. When ever i look up upgrades for this 2.2 ecotec it never lists the alero. Looking at an exhaust now it is showing me cavalier and sunfire, and even from searching for turbo kits it is all based off of cavalier. Is this a general for any engine upgrades for my alero? Am i going to need to look under Cavalier for this ecotec?

Yep, and check out www.j-body.org. There's a huge amount of information on that engine over there.

for minimal things start with a cold air intake. maybe upgrade plugs and wires. could reprogram the computer .

honestly if i had a 2.2 eco in my alero i would of done what ion did and turboed it because its already a very easily turboed motor.. in comparison to say the v6 which is a bitch and a half for relatively inexperienced people such as myself. (too bad the group buy for manifolds stopped or died i coulda had it done)... now i just go fast on the ninja and use my car for comfortable cruises and enjoy 33 mpg ish on the highway haha

get the performance chip from ebay.... and the electric supercharger. instant speedz. done.

80+ MPG!!!

the turbo kit actually for the ecotec is running around 3,000
yaaa i know super pricey
you'd be better off going through threads and seeing what's on there. but i do know that the stock manifold off a 2003+ saab 9-3 has a turbo manifold you can use and one of the mitsubishi turbo's bolts straight to it but i forget which one.
go to ecotecforum.com dude.
lot's of shit on there