I just got off the phone with OTTP (Over The Top Performance)
The have been working with Ecotec engines for a while but they focused on Cobalt components. They don't have anything specific to the Solstice so they don't list on their website anything about the Solstice but there are a bunch of engine parts that are interchangeable between the turbo'd Cobalt and the GXP.
So I spoke with them because I am gearing up to do the timing chain replacement and deleting the balance shafts and it's chain. In order to do that I have to convert the water pump to electric. I learned that on Memorial day this year they are releasing a bolt in Davies Craig electric water pump conversion that will work on the LE5 and also the LNF. It bolts into the factory location so no plumbing changes need to be made. You would have to remove the balance shafts and the chain in order to put this in or you would need to have a shorter chain made.
I told the guy on the phone (which I believe is the owner) That he needs to update his website to list parts that will work on the Solstice. I explained to him the community around these vehicles and if his website came up when someone did a search for Solstice performance parts he would get some business from it.
I brought up the rash of timing chain guide failures that have been taking place on vehicles that have 30,000 miles or 120,000 miles and that the failures are because of age alone. He said that they have been seeing the same thing occurring with the Cobalt as well. They have had people asking about doing the electric pump conversion and there was enough interest in the Cobalt community that they developed one a year ago and have been testing it and come Memorial day it will be for sale.
I spoke with him about working on the Solstices and if they had any experience with them and he said they have worked on a few but have not had a lot of exposure to them. He said that he has one coming in next week to have a custom shifter made for it. I informed him of the "garage queen" treatment a lot of these vehicles get and that a good portion of them have low mileage for the age. I also told him the typical age range of the people that buys the car and said it's not kids that buy these cars typically it's the 45+ crowd. So it's not people hoping to buy or needing to save to buy, it's people that have money to spend!!!
He seems interested in developing upgraded components for the vehicle and I am sure if he had more access to the vehicles with people wanting to get work done to them we would see more parts available from them. They are located in Michigan so people up in that neck of the woods you now know of a place to bring your vehicle to if you need to have work done, they will work on them. They are wiling to fabricate custom parts as well and I think that if there is interest from the community and someone in that area is willing to give them the use of a vehicle to develop the parts I believe we would see Solstice/Sky specific parts become available from them.
I wanted to throw that out there.
So if you are interested in the water pump conversion get together and see if they will do a group buy at a discount. With timing chain guides going bad doing an upgrade at the same time as the chain that will get 10-15 more ponies to the ground is not a bad idea. For the racers couple the pump change with valves and springs and you will really increase the max RPM of the engine. Getting over 6800 RPMs you need stronger valve springs. Getting over 7500 you need to delete the balance shafts and deleting the water pump and chain associated with it will push the RPM limit higher. The new pump is going to move more coolant and keep the engine temps lower, lower engine temps means less knock retard and more usable power being created by the engine and also better life from the engine.
The have been working with Ecotec engines for a while but they focused on Cobalt components. They don't have anything specific to the Solstice so they don't list on their website anything about the Solstice but there are a bunch of engine parts that are interchangeable between the turbo'd Cobalt and the GXP.
So I spoke with them because I am gearing up to do the timing chain replacement and deleting the balance shafts and it's chain. In order to do that I have to convert the water pump to electric. I learned that on Memorial day this year they are releasing a bolt in Davies Craig electric water pump conversion that will work on the LE5 and also the LNF. It bolts into the factory location so no plumbing changes need to be made. You would have to remove the balance shafts and the chain in order to put this in or you would need to have a shorter chain made.
I told the guy on the phone (which I believe is the owner) That he needs to update his website to list parts that will work on the Solstice. I explained to him the community around these vehicles and if his website came up when someone did a search for Solstice performance parts he would get some business from it.
I brought up the rash of timing chain guide failures that have been taking place on vehicles that have 30,000 miles or 120,000 miles and that the failures are because of age alone. He said that they have been seeing the same thing occurring with the Cobalt as well. They have had people asking about doing the electric pump conversion and there was enough interest in the Cobalt community that they developed one a year ago and have been testing it and come Memorial day it will be for sale.
I spoke with him about working on the Solstices and if they had any experience with them and he said they have worked on a few but have not had a lot of exposure to them. He said that he has one coming in next week to have a custom shifter made for it. I informed him of the "garage queen" treatment a lot of these vehicles get and that a good portion of them have low mileage for the age. I also told him the typical age range of the people that buys the car and said it's not kids that buy these cars typically it's the 45+ crowd. So it's not people hoping to buy or needing to save to buy, it's people that have money to spend!!!
He seems interested in developing upgraded components for the vehicle and I am sure if he had more access to the vehicles with people wanting to get work done to them we would see more parts available from them. They are located in Michigan so people up in that neck of the woods you now know of a place to bring your vehicle to if you need to have work done, they will work on them. They are wiling to fabricate custom parts as well and I think that if there is interest from the community and someone in that area is willing to give them the use of a vehicle to develop the parts I believe we would see Solstice/Sky specific parts become available from them.
I wanted to throw that out there.
So if you are interested in the water pump conversion get together and see if they will do a group buy at a discount. With timing chain guides going bad doing an upgrade at the same time as the chain that will get 10-15 more ponies to the ground is not a bad idea. For the racers couple the pump change with valves and springs and you will really increase the max RPM of the engine. Getting over 6800 RPMs you need stronger valve springs. Getting over 7500 you need to delete the balance shafts and deleting the water pump and chain associated with it will push the RPM limit higher. The new pump is going to move more coolant and keep the engine temps lower, lower engine temps means less knock retard and more usable power being created by the engine and also better life from the engine.