[85Shelbinaton]

so, the otherday, i drove an hour and a half and picked up a MINT 84 omni with just over 83K on it and drove it all the way home. Im oficially the 3rd owner (old lady, dealer, me :thumb and i love it. the car has the carb'd 2.2L chrysler motor and an auto trans in it. i believe the car is all original, down to the PLUG WIRES! it runs like a champ, and dont burn anything. here are some pix:

Her name is "gray matter" :thumb:

so fresh and so clean.

Now for the fun part, its my DD, but it needs a little more "umph" :rocket:... i dont know too much bout the carb'd 2.2s, so i was wondering what all there is to do to them performance-wise? the FI motors are more what i have worked on. if i do some heavy mods on the carb'd engine, wont it drop my mpg a lot compared to stock? would it just be better to buy a newer boosted 2.2 or 2.5 T2 setup and swap it in to get more power? i would like to have it boosted, but what all would be involved in the swap? would a T2 mount upto the auto trans already in the car? and would it still be reliable? so many Q's and i hope i get even more answers. ANY input would be nice. thanks.

-ANT

 

[turbokid]

T2 swap is easy. Use the search feature. Minivan engine harness, your choice of computer, turbo fuel pump, turbo tranny is necessary, and drop thedrivetrain in. Very simple

 

[TheCanadian007]

If you're keeping it stock and carb'd, some oooomph can be gained by advancing your ignition timing and playing with plug gap.

A carb rebuild can help get it all running in tip top shape and a proper exhaust system/muffler along with a K&N filter will also help it breathe better. There are old Mopar Performance headers laying about here and there but I've yet to locate one and still am searching around for one. Hooker Headers makes one for the 2.2, but at over $250, I'm not gonna shell out that much cash for one.

If you want to venture into more expensive things, porting the head and having it milled will help bring up compression and power, along with a MP 767 cam and an adjustable cam sprocket.

A turbo swap is the easiest way of making the most power, but I enjoy the simplicity of the carb'd motors and there's nothing like making power the old fashioned way.

Best Regards, TheCanadian

 

[the.palmetto]

You would be surprised how good of gas mileage you can get with heavy modding. I had a stage 1 ecu, +40's, 50psi static fuel pressure, and a 255lb walbro pump and was getting 30 mpg hwy, 21 city. "Spirited" driving is another story tho lol

Your tune is what will set off the mileage. I remember hearing of a few Omnis with 40+ mpg. Check for the mpg threads and you'll find some good stuff.

 

[detobias]

cool, neat, nice omni you have !
check out vntned thread 'heres why I'm better than you'

over the years I have owned carb'd, TBI'd, log-TI, and also TII converted L-bodies; stock and modded; many many miles ...

heres my $0.02:
-first make sure shocks, struts, brakes, tires, bushings, bearings, etc are all in good shape
-trans filter/fluid, TV cable adjust, basic A413 valve body mods for shift feel (cheap, EZ)
-consider upgrading to 14" (like Charger 2.2) or 15" wheels; if U turbo someday you will need suspension & rubber

-swap in an 88-90 omni TBI intake mani, SMEC, harness, EFI tank/pump.

the TBI is WAY BETTER than the carb for year round DD work: starts easier, idles smoother, better cold engine driveability, fills in the 'holes' in the carb's powerband, better FE, simpler underhood (fewer vac lines), feels stronger than the factory Hp ratings suggest, stays 'in tune' better.
many many benefits; and if you ever want to turbo, you have not 'lost' any work

hard part will b the bulkhead connector, either get the underdash harness from a 88-9 omni or get set to do some cutting & splicing, not *too* bad

(I just mated an 86 L underdash with an 88 TI SMEC harness)

 

[85Shelbinaton]

thanks a lot so far, and keep anything else coming my way, i like to know all my options. i think as of right now, i wanna leave it stock and do the minor stuff to give it a little more get-up-and-go. but in the future is where all these opinions will be very useful. so thank you everyone. i will try to get more pix posted of the car too, those were just ones i took quick before i had to goto work.


PS- the suspension and everything on the car look and feel fine, and it looks like they were changed recently, so im good in that dept for right now. tires still have about 75-80% tread, and all have normal wear, nothing uneven or weird, so im pretty sure the alingment is good. now the motor, starts and runs ok, but every once in a while it idles high, but i figured thats just cuz its carb'd and it has to warm up, but im not sure. and once in a while at a start-to-move area, like a stoplight, it seems to lose power on the "launch" almost like its delayed, while at other times i can chirp the 13"s just by punching it, this i figured would most likely be because the carb prob has to be cleaned, right? the trans seems to shift fine, and run smoothe, but im still gonna do a filter kit and new fluid to keep it alive for as long as possible. and next paycheck, im ordering everything for an "advanced" tune-up you could call it (NGK iridiums, 8MM wired, performance cap and rotor, 180 deg. thermo, etc) and replacing all that... do the ngk iridiums make these cars run good? i had them in my SC, and she loved them, but this is a whole different story here lol.

thanks again for all info/opinions on what can be done, and what you like to have done. all very appreciated. keep it coming :thumb:

-ANT

 

[detobias]

the motor, starts and runs ok, but every once in a while it idles high, but i figured thats just cuz its carb'd and it has to warm up, but im not sure. and once in a while at a start-to-move area, like a stoplight, it seems to lose power on the "launch" almost like its delayed, -ANT

thats oneofthem 'holes' I was talkin' bout ... TBI fixes that bad behaivor

in 88, my buddy and I test drove an 88 5speed 'base' omni with 7 miles on it; it would chirp 2nd no problem (tiny OE tires) LOL

 

[GLHNSLHT2]

find a weber carb for it and a MP header.

 

[TheCanadian007]

This hole you speak of can be fixed by adjusting the accelerator pump to squirt in more fuel which fixes that hesitation, cleaning it wouldn't hurt either.

In regards to Iridium plugs, all those fancy materials that they use to manufacture the electrodes, Platinum, Iridium, Whateverium, (made that last one up ) All they serve to do is just lengthen the service period of the plug. In new late model V8 engines, it is a MAJOR PITA to change the plugs on the rear most cylinders which is why manufacturers use the Platinum plugs; their service period are upwards of 100,000 km. Old Champion copper plugs are maybe half that.

This all being said, there is no better conductor than copper. Perhaps Silver or Gold, but I don't believe they make Gold plugs... All the fancy plugs, they don't conduct and transmit power any better than the cheap $1.00 Champions that come stock in our motors.

For my application, I purchased a set of RN14YC Champions, one stage hotter than the stock RN12YC plugs, as I primarily do more city driving and I find the hotter ones help with fuel economy slightly. I found some high suppression plug wires in the JY and those work well along with an MSD Blaster-II coil and a better cap/rotor. All said and done with they're currently gapped at 0.050" with no problems although the stock gap works fine, I wanted a little more oomph.

Also, which a cooler thermostat keeps the engine cooler and will improve performance some, using a hotter 195* thermostat will help fuel economy and also if it's driven year round in the winter, the hotter thermostat helps it warm up and stay warm, which in turn keeps you toasty and warm.

Regards, TheCanadian

 

[85Shelbinaton]

here we go, some more pix of how clean this car really is...

Front Pic

Back Pic... Yes, i had the thing for 2 days, and the lights are tinted already i think they came out pretty good

Straight Body

Front Interior

Rear Interior

Front D. Side Door (NO RUST UNDER ANY OF THEM!)

Front P. Side Door

Rear D. Side Door

Rear P. Side Door

this car is SUPER CLEAN!

 

[the.palmetto]

I can't believe it. That interior is immaculate. What a steal! :thumb: Every once in a while there's a diamond in the ruff. I wonder how many left like that though

 

[85Shelbinaton]

i know... i think this is the first time i have ever had any good luck with a vehicle purchase. i love the thing, and what i paid for it almost makes me feel like i robbed the dealership lol, but their loss and my gain, it was well worth the 1 1/2 hour drive. i have off tomorrow, so im gonna try to mess with some stuff under the hood and try to get her a little more kick. im super happy with this thing.

 

[TheCanadian007]

Keep us posted what you're up to!

Regards, TheCanadian