MadMike wrote:
Turbo on a non-turbo 2.2 is almost a waist of time. The boost you can run because of compression, 5 psi max is almost not worth the effort and expense to do. The head gasket issue was on a limited number of years and is easily fixed. The best bang is to upgrade from a 2.2 to a 2.5 being there is no difference in the physical size of the two. On my first car the 2.2 on a dyno showed just about 100 hp at the ground out of 130 advertised hp. The 2.5 is 165 hp advertised, should put 135 hp to the ground, a 35% gain. Turbocharging a 2.2 with 5 psi won't produce the same result and the 5 psi boost pushes the motor to it's limits on compression in the stock form. This is the difference between a open deck 2.2 non turbo and a closed deck 2.2, turbo motor.
If your running a 2.2 now, pull it out, put a 2.5 in it's place. Everything bolts up, oil pan, exhaust, cooling, fresh air minus the MAF sensor, are all the same. The wiring will be different as well as the fuel hook up and that is it. So my answer is, I wouldn't do it
Whats the fix for the head gasket and what yrs of 2.5 do i want to avoid?