The Upgrades for the Camaro 2.0 Turbo Engine. Many people equate the Chevy Camaro with powerful V8 engines. Some folks may be surprised to find that the Camaro is available with a 2.0L inline-4 turbo engine. But don’t be fooled by the little engine. The 2.0T Camaro is a fairly capable car with some basic performance enhancements.
This article discusses some of the greatest bolt-on upgrades for the 2.0 LTG Camaro, as well as power increases, cost, and other factors. The post will also go through several larger 2.0T Camaro alterations such as turbo improvements, internals, and support mods.
5 Best Camaro 2.0T Performance Enhancements
The following are some of the top bolt-on performance enhancements for the Camaro LTG 2.0T:
- Tune
- Intake
- Downpipe
- FMIC
- The throttle body
This essay will go over these 5 Camaro changes in detail. They’re usually the greatest place to start when it comes to upgrading the 2.0T LTG Ecotec engine. These bolt-ons alone can boost the engine’s power and torque to 300-350whp and 325-350wtq. Finally, we’ll go over some significant performance upgrades including turbo kits, internals, and fueling modifications to produce even more power.
1) Tuning Camaro LTG 2.0
The most critical part of increasing horsepower is tuning. That is true for almost any engine, but it is especially true for turbocharged engines like the 2.0 LTG Camaro. A tune alone can provide power improvements of 20-50whp and 30-60wtq. That’s quite astounding for a single update that costs merely $500-1,000.
Furthermore, 2.0T Camaro tunes assist maximize power improvements and the benefits of additional enhancements. Modifications such as an intake, downpipe, or FMIC will simply not perform to their maximum capacity without adequate tune.
When it comes to tuning the Chevy Camaro 2.0L LTG engine, there are numerous possibilities. It is critical to select a tune from a reliable, trusted tuner. Joe from down the street shouldn’t be tuning your Camaro just because he once tuned a ’92 Civic. Otherwise, deciding which music is best for you is often a matter of personal preference and aspirations.
Top Chevy Camaro Tunes
Again, there are numerous tuning choices for the 2.0T LTG inline-4 Camaro engine. This is by no means a full list, however some great songs include:
- Tuning the Trifecta
- Vermont Customizing
- ZZP stands for ZZ Performance.
- BNR
This is just a sampling of some nice tunes for the 2.0L turbo. Certain melodies provide unique features, performance, and benefits. We strongly advise readers to conduct additional research before settling on the perfect song.
Price of tuning: $500 – $1,000+
2) Camaro 2.0T Intake Upgrades
For good reason, an intake is one of the most popular and straightforward performance improvements for the 2.0 Camaro. They’re inexpensive, simple to install, reduce engine and turbo noise, and provide a clean engine bay. Cold air intakes for the 2.0L turbo Camaro can likewise provide significant power improvements.
On a completely stock engine, the stock Camaro intake is fairly efficient. Without raising boost, it’s unlikely that an intake will provide much, if any, power. When you start adding further upgrades and tune, the extra power can exceed the stock intake. This is where you should expect to see 5whp increases from a performance cold air intake.
Finally, one of the best enhancements for the Chevrolet Camaro is a tune. Check that the song you choose matches your needs and ambitions. Regardless of which tune you choose, it will impress you with its significant power improvements and support for additional Camaro modifications.
HP Gains for Camaro Tune: 20-50whp / 30-60wtq
Although the minor power gains may not sound enticing, intakes do provide a number of other advantages. Many turbo and induction sounds can be liberated with an open intake design. We think it’s a fantastic noise that’s well worth the upgrade. The 2.0T LTG Camaro intake improvements also give the engine bay a distinct, clean appearance.
Camaro Open vs. Closed Intakes
Cold air intake is a term used to describe aftermarket intake systems. The word, however, does not apply to the LTG Camaro or other turbo engines with intercoolers. Why? The temperature of the air entering the engine is unaffected by the temperature at the intake.
Air enters the intake and passes through a heated turbocharger. As the turbo compresses the air, it also heats up. The Camaro’s FMIC then cools it. Hotter air at the intake has no effect on the temperature of the air entering or exiting the intercooler.
As a result, when it comes to turbo engines, we like to conceive of intakes as either open or closed. As the names suggest, open intakes are open to the engine bay, and closed intakes have an enclosed box surrounding the filter.
In our opinion, open performance intakes for the 2.0T Camaro are the greatest option. Because there is no limiting box surrounding the filter, they provide the optimum airflow and more sounds. If you don’t want a lot of turbo noise, a closed intake system might be your best bet.
3) Modifications to the 2.0L Turbo Downpipe
The 2.0L turbo Camaro’s downpipe (DP) is up next. This is one of the greatest bolt-on improvements for nearly any turbocharged engine. A downpipe is the section of the exhaust that connects directly to the turbocharger for those who are unfamiliar with the term. As with the LTG Camaro, they frequently have a large catalytic converter (cat).
It is excellent for emissions but not for performance or power. Catalytic converters generate a lot of backpressure, which might degrade performance, especially since they’re so close to the turbo. The pressure decrease from pre-turbo to post-turbo contributes significantly to a turbo’s ability to spool and produce boost.
The greater the pressure drop, the faster the exhaust gases appear to escape to lower pressure air. As the air travels over the turbine blades, it accelerates and spins the turbine. Reducing backpressure in the downpipe is an excellent technique to improve turbo spool and allow the turbo to run at higher boost levels safely.
A Camaro DP upgrade can provide peak improvements of 5-15whp and 5-20wtq. Because of the enhanced turbo spool, you may even experience better gains on the low end. Furthermore, a downpipe will wake up the exhaust sounds on WOT runs while remaining unobtrusive during normal cruising.
2.0 LTG Catless versus Catted Downpipes
Catless and catted downpipe improvements are available for the 2.0 Camaro. A high-flow catted downpipe is another name for a catted downpipe. The plan is to simply replace the hefty OEM cat with a more efficient aftermarket cat. A catless DP, on the other hand, completely eliminates the cat.
The catless option reduces back pressure the most and results in the highest power improvements and turbo spool. It is also the less expensive of the two options. You will, however, have a more difficult time passing sniffer tests or visual inspections.
A tune is usually recommended with any downpipe, but it’s extremely important with a catless Camaro DP.
Catted downpipes are most likely the best option for most street Camaro applications. They are still technically unlawful. With a cat in the downpipe, however, you are more likely to pass emissions tests or inspections. Power gains and turbo spool are significant upgrades over stock, but not as significant as the catless downpipe.
Gains in power for the Camaro DP: 5-15whp / 5-20wtq (+ improved turbo spool)
Camaro DP Price: $250-500
4) Camaro LTG 2.0T FMIC Improvements
A front-mount intercooler (FMIC) is a fascinating “power” modification to consider. Don’t get us wrong: a Camaro 2.0T FMIC is one of the best bolt-on upgrades available. However, significant peak power improvements with an FMIC are improbable. So, why invest $500-700 or more for an FMIC?
The goal of FMIC modifications is to provide consistent performance and engine safety. On stock boost and regular driving, the factory Camaro intercooler is adequate. When you start customizing the 2.0L LTG or doing back-to-back pulls, the intercooler quickly becomes overloaded. The intake air temperature (IAT) rapidly rises.
As IAT increases, the 2.0 turbo engine begins to draw ignition timing and boost to safeguard the engine. This is because hotter air increases the likelihood of engine knock. In other words, as IAT increases, you will begin to lose power.
Camaro FMIC performance enhancements are now available. Larger intercoolers improve cooling and help keep IAT in check. An intercooler may only provide a few wheel horsepower improvements on one of the glory runs. It can, however, keep the LTG turbo engine from losing 10-20+whp during strenuous running.
Related : The Top 5 Mini Cooper S Performance Enhancements
5) Modifications to the 2.0T Throttle Body
To be honest, we’re perplexed by throttle body upgrades on a turbo engine. A throttle body is not a frequent topic or improvement in the German and JDM cultures. At least for the majority of platforms. However, a throttle body is a common upgrade in the American car scene, and the 2.0T Camaro is no exception.
The 2.0 LTG throttle body is 59mm in diameter, however the intake manifold inlet is closer to 67mm. It’s an unusual design and size disparity that causes a bottleneck in the intake system. As a result, for the money, replacing the 2.0T Camaro throttle body can provide some decent power improvements and throttle response.
Expect no big power improvements from a throttle body. However, gaining 5whp and improved throttle response is absolutely realistic. The ZZP 67mm throttle body is $290, or $196 if you already own the ZZP intercooler charge pipes. The 2.0T Camaro throttle body is an excellent modification given the low cost and good increases.
Camaro FBO 2.0T Performance
With all of these bolt-ons, 93 octane, and good tuning, you may get 300-325whp. Torque should be in the 325-350wtq range. For a modest 2.0L inline-4 turbo engine, these are impressive results. With modest E85 blends and settings for higher ethanol content, you can make even more on the stock turbo.
These figures may not “wow” folks because the larger 6.2L V8 produces more power. However, this should not detract from the 2.0L LTG Camaro. With the aforementioned modifications, the turbo Camaro can be a highly enjoyable and powerful enough (for most people) everyday car.
Modifications for the 400+ horsepower LTG 2.0 Camaro
While the Chevy Camaro LTG is a respectable engine with the above bolt-on improvements, some enthusiasts will always want to push things even farther. It would be exciting to see a modest 2.0 Ecotec engine compete with the much larger 6.2L V8 Camaro. However, pushing the Camaro 2.0T to 400+whp becomes costly. The following are some important mods for this power:
- Internal engine modifications
- Upgrade in a flash
- E85 fuel modifications
These modifications will be addressed promptly in the following sections. We will have some comprehensive instructions on these issues in the future. They’re much larger, more significant changes, so going into detail in this page might be a bit much. Anyway, let’s get started and talk about these 350-400+whp mods.
Internal Camaro 2.0T Upgrades
All of the mods in the next sections are connected in various ways. The 2.0 LTG Camaro engine is pushing 325-350whp and 350-375wtq. You can achieve those numbers with the stock turbo and be fine in the long run. There is certainly risk, but the Camaro 2.0L should be fine with those figures.
Pushing harder, on the other hand, puts a lot more strain on the engine and raises the danger of engine failure. When you reach 350whp, you should start thinking about a constructed engine. Valve springs, rods, and pistons are standard additions to increase horsepower from 350 to 450. If you want to go even farther, you may look at head studs, rod bearings, and other components.
Upgrades for the 2.0L LTG Turbo
Of course, a turbo upgrade is another excellent fix for increasing the power of the 2.0T Camaro. The stock turbo is already capable of pushing the 2.0L LTG engine to its limits. As a result, you should think about some of the internal engine upgrades mentioned above.
Even if you don’t need more than 350whp, there are several advantages to boosting the turbo. A larger turbo can assist move the power curve to the right, producing more horsepower at the top. The conversation is extensive, but the point remains. With the proper configuration, you may obtain a better overall powerband from the Camaro without having to do any costly and time-consuming internal repairs.
E85 & Camaro Fueling Mods
Finally, once you reach these power levels, you’ll probably want to run E85 fuel. It improves knock resistance and allows you to run greater boost and ignition advance levels safely. However, E85 requires around 30% more fuel flow than conventional pump gas, thus certain fuelling modifications are required.
At high power on heavy E85 blends, the LPFP, HPFP, and injectors are required upgrades. You may also wish to consider a flex fuel kit and other minor fueling adjustments to accommodate ethanol.
Summary of Camaro 2.0T Performance Mods
Beginning in 2016, Chevrolet offered the 2.0L turbocharged LTG Ecotec engine as an option for the Camaro. A little inline-4 turbo engine in a muscle car is not for everyone. However, with a tune and some minor bolt-on upgrades, the 2.0 LTG produces amazing performance.
Tuning is one of the finest places to start because it provides significant power boosts while also maximizing gains from other upgrades. Camaro 2.0T improvements include an intake, downpipe, FMIC, and throttle body. When all of these changes are combined, the Camaro may produce 300+whp and 325+wtq. Excellent performance from the tiny inline-4 engine.
With larger improvements such as a turbo and E85 fueling, even greater performance is feasible. The factory turbo, on the other hand, already pushes the 2.0L LTG to its limits. As a result, if you want to push things any farther, you should think about some internal engine modifications. Nonetheless, the Camaro 2.0T is a good all-around vehicle that is enjoyable to drive on a daily basis.
