Powertrain

There has been much confusion and misunderstanding as to what twin scroll turbos do and why they are used. First of all let's get a few things out of the way. Having two scrolls in the turbine housing:- Does not make the turbocharger itself more efficient or more responsive Having two scrolls have nothing to do with optmizing one for low speed and one for high speed flow In fact, having two scrolls introduce additional passage restrictions to the turbocharger and reduces its turbine efficiency slightly. Twin scroll turbos do not benefit all engine configurations So why are twin scroll turbos used? Well, they are used to solve an exhaust problem that ma…

Well now its becoming apparent it might not be realistic to keep driving the LSS with its size, weight and engine requireing 93 octane So Im looking at the Chevy site and see no listings for EPA milage on any of the models. I go to the Pontiac site and I see the 2.4 powered Solstice is 20-28 EPA. Now that is no better than the LSS except I dont need to buy premium gas, and as much as I'd like a Solstice its not half the car as the Olds... So I was wondering where to find a list of GM's EPAs on various new product.....or can someone give the EPA's to me right here or make a list on a new topic for a sticky in this powertrain forum.

What are the main differences between the three? Also, if you were to buy a LS1 car, would it be easy to turn it into an LS2 or LS6? TIA, guys!

Is there much feedback on the 4L60E auto trans on spinning the splines out of the clutch basket resulting in no 2,4th or overdrive and no reverse?

All right, since this is completely opinionated here.....I personally believe that a bulletproof engine/transmission combination is the Chevrolet 350 strapped behind a THM400 transmission. Great power, reliability out of this world and simplicity all day long. Now y'all take a swing at it. What do you think is the best engine/transmission combination to be used by General Motors so far?

Only pictures I can find of these High Value 3.5L/3.9L V6s show the engine as installed, complete with that darned plastic cover that hides the intake manifold detail...

of course it's a tad jumping ahead...(ls3 reveal saturday?) what will the ls3 have improved over the ls2 (other than displacement and power)? will this mean anything quickly ( by 09my) for the high value v6's? those v6's seem like a good thing for the Vue XE, the aura, g6 and the impala, for being a mid level engine. with the 08 malibu losing it's 3.5L (as of right now), will this engine continue in the "NG" Aura/G6? the impala is questionable with the zeta replacement being .."reevaluated" the 3.9L has pretty much been designated an impala (excluding the uplander) only engine, but when the 3.5L recently got the tad HP boost, why not the 3.9L? i know the 3.9…

Was looking for some feedback on the pros/cons of using differing engine layouts, particularly in regards to the resulting torque curve as well as the peak power/torque numbers. The impetus behind the question are the specs of the new 2.8L I4 duramax diesel at the LA auto show (in the Colorado ZR2 concept). GM is reporting that it will be putting out 181hp at 3400rpm and 369 lb ft at 2000 rpm. Chrysler's current 3.0L V6 diesel puts out 240hp at 3600rpm and 420 lb ft at 2000rpm. What are the advantages to GM choosing to use a 2.8L I4 diesel instead of a 3.0L V6 diesel here? Displacements are very close but the V6 is producing 60 additional peak hp at only 200r…

For your reference, click here to see which General Motors engines are SAE-certified.

The HHR SS is a big deal. Not that I care for the 50s wagon looks or the vehicle interests me in anyway. (1) It is a big deal because this is the first transverse engine, FWD, application of the 2.0 liter DI-VVT Turbo engine (LNF). (2) It also confirms that GM is not toning down or castrating the LNF to a lower power level for sideways, FWD, applications. Transverse LNFs will still be 260hp. (3) The Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged has been retired from the lineup. Before the HHR SS came along there are all kinds of doubt as to whether an effort will be made to repackage the LNF for FWD applications and hence whether the Cobalt as a chance of getting the turbo engine. N…

Background Many cars now come equipped with Start/Stop. Many consumers hate having their engines turn off automatically at a stop light and coming back on when they release the brake pedal. They hate it because it reduces the life of the starter, degrades the battery, may increase wear on the engine and REDUCES REFINEMENT of their vehicles -- having the motor shudder to a stop and shuddering to life repeatedly is decidedly less refined than a smooth imperceptible idle. They hate it because it saves an imperceptible amount of fuel in most driving conditions. Most manufacturers equip cars with a Start/Stop disable button (except in atrocious cases like the 2017 Te…

GM has too many V8s in production... 4.6 (DOHC), 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 6.2 and 7.0. There's no reason to have six different eight potters not to mention multiple variants for some of them. GM should standardize on one V8 block and heads. This is something which has been tried quite successfully in the V6 world by companies like Nissan (with its VQ35 V6) and it makes even more sense in the V8 world given the lower overall volume. Money saved through commonality and economies of scale can then be spent on technological content. I propose a 5.5 liter displacement in four different different guises. GM Gen V Small Block V8 - Basic Specifications Type: Cross Plane 90 deg V8, alu…

On the Cobalt both engines get 25/35 with the manual transmission and 24/32 with the automatic. I know it's because the 2.4 has VVT. Is GM working on putting VVT on the 2.2? Or maybe even making a slightly smaller Ecotec with VVT? It doesn't make a lot of sense to have a the 2.2 get the same mpg as the 2.4. I'd be pretty impressed if GM had an engine which could get something in the high 20's in city driving and high 30's for freeway driving, which is something that a 2.2 with VVT could probably accomplish.

Buffalo, NY – General Motors today announced it will invest $300 million in its GM Powertrain Tonawanda engine plant to manufacture an all-new, technically advanced dual overhead cam (DOHC) V-8 engine, slated to begin production here in 2009. “This all-new engine will play a critical role in GM’s exciting future luxury vehicle portfolio,” said John Buttermore, GM Powertrain vice president of global manufacturing. “As one of the most technically advanced engines in GM, its power and smoothness will be among the world’s best, and yet more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.” The investment includes renovation to part of the plant, new machinery and tooling to s…

All right, someone help me out here. I've got a friend of mine with a 2002 Dodge Ram 3500 4-wheel drive Cummins Turbo Diesel duallie. He's also a truck driver and currently has a Peterbuilt with a Caterpillar 3406T, but is planning to remove the Cat and swap in a Detriot Diesel 60-series in. He's wondering the feasibility and power improvements he'd see with removing the turbo from the Cummins in his Dodge and replacing it with the Caterpillar one.... I have no clue on this one y'all, so I'm open to suggestions.

is GM working on a 5 or 6 speed auto for the delta platform? or is one allready planned from the "series" that is starting with the 6speed in the aura?

Now that the '08 Malibu ditched the LZ4, there aren't many cars left with it. G6, Aura, Impala, that's pretty much it. And by the sound of things, the next iteration of these cars will use the 3.6L as well. So the family is dead, basically? EDIT: Changed the title to reduce flames.

GM Varitec Family The Varitec Family of Engines… Replaces the Family One, Ecotec and HF V6 engine families Are designed to be most advanced, efficient and refined in their class Share a standardized 98mm Bore Centers, 88 mm Bores and 88 mm Strokes Span 1.6 to 6.4 liters with 3, 4, 6 and 12-cylinder variants Ground Breaking Technologies Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) – At low engine speeds and load, Varitec engines operate without using the spark plug to ignite the fuel-air mixture. Instead, it increases the effective compression ratio and adjust the mixture to cause spontaneous ignition very much like a diesel engine. This enables up to a 20% increa…

WIll installing a tuner on my 2009 Ford Ranger XLT, make a huge difference on its performance? I am planning to purchase a Superchip Tuner for my truck.

I have a '99 Silverado Z71 with the Vortec 5300 - awesome engine. I have never had any problems with my truck and has served me faithfully from the day I bought it at roughly 144,000 miles until today 168,000. I have put a flowmaster exhaust system on there and have swapped the stock airfilter for a K&N filter. This past summer I bought a Hypertech Power II Programmer for my truck with dual fuel technology. I programmed my truck to run best on 87 octane, for the transmission to have harder shifts to extend trans life, and I reset the governor to 128 mph (my tires' max speed rating). Ever since I reprogrammed my truck there has been a slight rattle behind the driv…

We know right now the 2.0L Ecotec SIDI Turbo and the 3.6L are getting DI, do we also know at the moment which engines will be getting DI as well?

page 3 current mid term technolgies. http://www.iea.org/textbase/work/2004/shanghai/Chen.PDF

I just counted over 50 different engines in GM's current North American lineup. I feel that this is absolutely unnecessary, and like brand proliferation does more to burden R&D, supply chain and marketing that anything else. I'll like to propose a much simpler lineup with just four (4) engines available in FWD and RWD configurations as needed. 1.4 liter I4 NA or Turbo -- 100~140hp; 95~148 lb-ft 2.0 liter I4 DI NA or Turbo -- 170~260hp; 150~260 lb-ft 3.6 liter V6 DI NA -- 288~304 hp; 270~273 lb-ft 6.2 liter V8 OHV NA or Supercharged -- 400~638hp; 395~604 lb-ft I'll also like to propose trimming down to just four (5) automatic transmissions and one (1) manua…

So why do we have both a 240 & 227 HP spec for the 3900 ?

What is the recomended octane for use in these new "HF" engines

meida.gm says the 3.6L for lambda is gearing up. -------------- FOR RELEASE: 2006-09-22 Flint Engine South Begins Production Of Versatile 2007 GM 3.6L V-6 VVT Engine This Week FLINT , Mich. – Today, General Motors delivered on its 2004 promise to invest approximately $300 million in its Flint Engine South manufacturing plant, further strengthening a key GM manufacturing center and contributing to the state and local economy. GM Flint South began production of the 3.6L V-6 with variable valve timing (VVT), which is used in the 2007 Cadillac CTS, SRX and STS; Saturn Outlook; GMC Acadia and slated for the 2008 Buick Enclave. The 3.6L V-6 VVT is an all-aluminum, dua…

Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=17541

Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=17537

I have read numerous comments in auto mags and auto guides that newer engines are more efficient and lasting longer? I am in the 200,000 mile club myself (the first time). So what are the reasons? Lower rpms by additional gears, better tolerances in the factory, fuel delivery systems? Please chime in on what is making engines last considerably longer. I am curious. The one that stumps me the most is fuel delivery? How does multi port fuel injection improve the longevity of the engine over carburetion?

A company sells both a ported throttle body and a heat resistant plastic spacer to go between the intake manifold and the engine that greatly reduces heat transfer. The combo costs a bit under $300 (after you send back a stock throttle body) and is widely known to make gains of 10+ horsepower and torque at peak, but over 20 hp/tq under the curve without any custom tuning. It seems hard to believe, but the spacer alone decreases heat soak of the intake manifold by as much as 30 degrees and is responsible for much of the gains (proven in testimonials using laser temp guns). After tuning my 3.6L Malibu and adding a cone intake, it's already making 270+ horsepower at the cran…

GM inaugurates new engine plant in southern China Associated Press | Link to Original Article @ DetNews SHANGHAI, China -- General Motors Corp. inaugurated a new engine plant at its minicar factory SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. in southern China on Monday. The 2 billion yuan ($263 million) new engine plant, adjacent to the factory in Liuzhou, will have a capacity of 300,000 units a year and begin production of 1.1-liter and 1.2-liter engines in August, GM said in a statement. The new engine plant will facilitate new product development at the minicar factory, which now buys engines and related parts from outside suppliers, the company said. The engines will be used …

It looks like GM has finally found a solution to powertrain diversity, I saw this transmission at NAIAS and was surprized to see how small it was. Main reason is the is no drive shaft assembly, now this transmission can easily be mated to a FWD or AWD without any problems. I have pics and will post them soon.

Dwight, i found it. Base 4.3-liter V-6 rated 285 horsepower at 5,300 rpm, 297 pounds-feet of torque at 5,300 rpm (297 hp, 330 lbs.-ft. using E85 fuel). Optional 5.3-liter V-8 rated 355 hp at 5,600 rpm, 383 lbs.-ft. at 5,600 rpm (380 hp, 416 lbs.-ft. on E85). will the lt1 have an e-85 rating of ~490hp.....for track performance fun?

I'm curious as to what benefit(s) the G80 Limited Slip Rear Differential would provide me on my Saturn SKY. The SKY will be a 3rd vehicle in my household and will only be used on nice sunny days (no rain unless I get caught in an unexpected storm and definitely NO snow). Should I include it when I option my image when at the dealership, or should I save myself some $$$? (anyone know the cost, presumably on the Solstice?) EDIT: $195 (Solstice), per GMBuyPower.com (is it worth the $195)???

GM@NAIAS GM E-Flex Press Release Chevrolet Volt Image Gallery Chevrolet Volt Press Release GM’s E-FLEX System moves the automobile toward a new electric age DETROIT – General Motors Corp. will introduce multiple propulsion systems that fit into a common chassis, using electric drive to help the world diversify energy sources and establish electricity from the grid as one of those sources. GM refers to this family of propulsion systems as the “E-flex System.” “The DNA of the automobile has not changed in more than 100 years,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development and strategic planning. “Vehicles still operate in pretty much the same fash…

General Motors to buy stake in diesel engine manufacturer Buys 50% of VM Motori from Penske Corp July 16, 2007 | BY KATIE MERX | Link to Original Article @ Detroit Free Press General Motors Corp. announced on Monday that it has agreed to buy a 50% stake in Italian diesel engine manufacturer VM Motori S.p.A. from Penske Corp. in a deal expected to expand GM’s diesel expertise in global markets. “Diesel engines have a very important role in GM’s global advanced propulsion strategy,” Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Global Powertrain and Quality, said in a statement. “We are leveraging expertise and resources within our company and through technology partners to …

I am being given a 1969 GMC pickup truck and I don't know much about the old GM trucks. All I know is it has an inline 6 engine, auto tranny, and 2-wheel drive.

How will you spec a small car engine -- such as one for the Astra or the Cobalt? If it is up to me it'll be as follows:- Displacement: 1800 cc Bore x Stroke: 88 x 74 mm Construction: Aluminum block and heads. Harmonic compensation: Twin Lanchester type balancers driven by timing chain. Compression ratio: 10.8:1 (12.8:1) Aspiration: Normally aspirated with 4 port mounted intake butterflies and trumpeted velocity stacks. Valvetrain: Chain driven DOHC 4-valve per cylinder with continuous intake/exhaust VVT Fuel injection: Direct gasoline injection with 50~150 psi variable pressure rail Maximum engine speed: 7500 rpm (8,500 rpm) Maximum piston speed: 3642 …

when and where will this show up in GM's engines? i'd just take a guess at "09my (or before) with the v6's, because they could have the best responce for the midsize power and efficency boosts, the v8's should be close behind, w/ the 5.3 making closer to 340-350 hp any articles anyone found on this subject, that isn't the idea pdf on gm's media site? edited for a few spelling corrections

the new specs show adjusted redlines... 6400 RPM for the 4 6000 RPM for the 9 and the power in the aura is also in the g6's 224 hp and 220 lbft from media.gm the bu has a 217hp & lbft rating the impala and MC didn't get this slightly more powerful engine.... think it's from quanity demand or would they have to get them recertified if they changed the engine?

I'm just wondering here.... What would happen if we contracted the nice folks over at Catepillar to build a diesel for Chevy and GMC trucks? I know that they already have an engine avialable for the M/D and H/D (as in 4500-9500 series) but what about the 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks, can't they get a Cat under the hood too? Thoughts, questions, and no I'm not bashing the Duramax in anyway, its a great diesel.

other than the possible supercharged 6.2L in the corvette, any ideas of this engine's designation and output #'s ? (not the specs from the escalade now) any news on this or ideas when (near official) news of this would appear?

I thought you guys might like to see this. A dyno specialist I know from an Australian performance forum posted this. It's the LS1 in one of his co worker's cars. His co worker is not happy at the moment.

Help please; This note in my Operator's Manual describes what my car is doing perfectly: "If your vehicle accelerates sluggishly from a stop, and/or the automatic tranxaxle does not seem to shift, a sensor that controls your electronic transaxle may not be working. Driving with these symptoms for an extended period may cause transaxle damage." My question is, How can I find and replace this sensor? Any help would be appreciated. I do not have a service manual for this car. Thanks, Dick

The small block V8 has powered the Corvette and many other GM performance cars for decades. Among its advantages is its relatively compact size and modest weight compared to overhead cam engines of the same displacement. In fact, an aluminum small block like the LS3 can often be slightly lighter and smaller than a DOHC 32-valve engine of Teutonic pedigree boasting the same power output. Most of its advantages stems from the elimination of a pair of bulky and fat DOHC heads and its belt or chain drives. However, the small block is not without its demerits. The need to utilize a higher displacement to achieve comparable output to a state of the art DOHC powerplant means th…

They're the same size (231ci/3791cc), but the 3900 has more power and can have DOD. Is the 3900 simply a more modern 3800 with a slightly bigger crank?

when the improved 2.2L is supposed to be used in the 09 'balt, other than the g5 (if it's alive), will this engine be in more vehicles than delta immediately? hopefully it makes good numbers, and if BAS is still used, will be used instead of the 2.4L to get another point or 2 in combined mileage. anymore info on this topic?

I was looking for info about the G6's manual transmission, and I couldn't find FGP anywhere. I found one reference that FGP is Fiat-GM Powertrain. Is this true? If it is, could this be why the G6 is losing the manual transmission, since this is to be gone by December 2007?

Seeking to tap Dwight's knowledge here..... In terms of engineering and manufacturing costs and tradeoffs, technology vs. technology.....I want to throw these scenarios out there and welcome others to throw out some scenarios of competing powertrain details for evaluation..... Or also in terms of weight and design and performance. On the Cruze for example. The 1.4t does not have DI. Yet it has turbo. In terms of providing the most power and fuel economy for the projected sell prices, was the turbo "in lieu" of DI? i.e. was the turbo and DI about the same cost but the turbo provided more power and FE for the same price? Likewise, A car with a V8 and rear drive o…

I'd never heard of this, but found it interesting..was reading an article in Muscle Car Review about a '70 B-M Chevelle SS 454 w/a Turbo 400 transmission and Hone-O-Drive...column shift and a special floor lever for the Hone-O-Drive...pic showed a thingy between the transmission and driveshaft...some sort of aftermarket overdrive unit?

i bet some performance parts'll be out by early 07 to boost power to about 270hp or more? or will "this" be an option on the 08 model, if the cadillac gets DI and making more like 280hp in the next year. any ideas on this, inside info?

anyone have insider information on what the next revised engine announce ment will be? the last 2 have been the 3.6L V6 getting DI and before that was the.... 3.9L AFM or the 2.0L turbo DI. right? will the next be an ecotec update? an LSx engine, or something else?

GM Electra – Performance Hybrid Module The Electra module is a hybrid drive train system that can be added to existing GM RWD drive trains. It consists of a drop in rear differential replacement which includes a pair of highly compact 30hp permanent magnet motor/generators and a 1.5 kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack which fits in place of the spare tire well. More than just fuel economy While “green” buyers and individuals who subscribe to the global warming hypothesis may find buying a hybrid a worthwhile investment, anyone who does the math can see that at $4 a gallon it’ll take an average driver 6 to 12 years to just break even on an investment in a hybrid drive train…

I havent posted much here but i thought some of u would enjoy this car as much as i did. http://home.earthlink.net/~bzdel/index1.htm http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.p...295#post4877295 <<---track runs

I can't find the weight figures on any of the ecotec engines, help me.

is there any engine other than the 3.9 with the active intake? is there any proof or good rumors it's going to make it into more engines? side question... would that not do much if anything to inline engines power band?

The SAE techbriefs is a can't miss favorite of mine to read. The April 2007 edition shows you why: http://www.sae.org/automag/techbriefs/04-2007/1-115-4-22.pdf After you read the interesting article on GM's 2.9l V6 diesel PCCI (pre-mixed charge compresion ignition) technology, scroll on down to the end of the article & read about the Viper's V10 with cam-in-cam variable valve timing. Note the quote in the tail paragraph:

PDF Format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader Required GM 2011 Power Train Lineup -- Complete Guide