Supercharged HHR
 

This is my new look 2.4l Ecotec. 2006 2.4l 5spd HHR with the Eaton m62 supercharger. I noticed there weren't any SC threads so I thought I'd share my HHR project.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/fil...5/IMG_0215.JPG

https://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/fil...5/IMG_0217.JPG

https://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/fil...5/IMG_0236.JPG

And the Supercharged little beast:

https://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/fil...5/IMG_0221.JPG

I ordered a kit from ZZPerformance for the 2.2l/2.4l that was designed to be installed on the Cobalt/Ion in July of 2010. I figured it'd fit since many of the parts are compatible between the Cobalt/HHR. I was able to get it working with little extra work. The biggest problems were setting up an intake and getting the H/E mounted behind the fascia. After 3 days and an all-nighter I was totally floored at how this transformed my HHR(which I now refer to as the Heritage Hot Rod). Its been a ton of fun in a learn as you go project. I have done every bit of work to the car myself including the tuning and honestly I am far from done but I thought I'd share a bit of what this little beast can do!

If you were to install the SC with mild boost(8psi or lower) you could get away with no other upgrades. I am currently boosting the stock engine at 12.5 psi with a 3.1" pulley. This is a list of all the supporting mods I have installed besides the SC kit:

3.1" Pulley
60lb Injectors
Cobalt Addiction Shorty Header 1.75 primaries to 3" collector
ZZP 3" to 2.5"catted(not anymore ;) ) downpipe
Magnaflow SS Muffler
Custom CAI 3.5" taper to 3" at throttle body
Ported LSJ throttle body
Exedy Stage 2 Clutch
OBX Limited slip differential
Custom traction bars
Poly transmission mounts

A little info on the project:

With the 3.4" pulley I was making 7 psi of boost and was able to put down 0-60 times of 6.0sec:thumb: (and I thought the stock mid 8sec 0-60 felt peppy), but the wheel hop was terrible so I made poly transmission mounts and that only mildly helped the problem. The next step was bolting a bracket to the sub frame and attaching a traction bar.(pic of traction bar and others in profile pics) Many people have done this mod, but the problem is that bolting it to the sub frame using the hole that is on the bottom there reduces you ground clearance by almost 3 inches and after I had already noted scuffs on the sub frame I decided to drill holes in the side and attached the bracket and traction bar to the lower control arm. To reduce the noise and clatter I used a bicycle tire and bolted it in between the sub frame and bracket. This mod almost completely eliminates wheel hop and allows the car to track really well in hard corners. Soon after I went with a 3.1" pulley and this brought boost up to about 11.5psi. Then I ported the TB and installed my intake and I was up to 12.5. Now I had major power. I was easily able to get wheel spin straight line in 2nd gear and any time I was cornering it was silly how easy it was to break traction. The stock clutch held 7-8 psi easily and never slipped but once I installed the smaller pulley it began slipping under WOT. I was doing 5.7s 0-60 @ 12.5psi. After I installing the stage 2 clutch and LSD I consistently bust out 5.2s. The LSD really hooks up and it's pretty dang sweet leaving two rubber marks in the street.:twothumbs:. I wish I had dyno numbers to show you guys but I will honestly probably never pay for it. I think the 0-60s say a lot though. Hopefully I'll hit the track this summer for some 1/4s. And even though I am putting down good power this thing is really tame when driving around town, but that took a tank of gas and hours of tuning:D. Also most people are surprised when I tell them that my fuel economy is still 31mpg hwy (70mph) though overall its down about 15% compared to N/A since its hard to stay out of boost in stop and go traffic.

The thing I have found really gratifying is that I have been able to do all of this myself. Having fun in this car has become my hobby since I got my HHR in Oct of 2009. For some reason this silly car inspired me to do something fun. I originally got it because it was a big enough to fit my bikes in and it got good fuel economy. Hopefully I will get the rest of my mods done this fall which include: 2.4l JBP cams, 78# valve springs, forged pistons and neutral balance shafts, but time will tell.

Thanks.

:twothumbs: Really nice, a good well thought out install, it rocks! Thanks for posting it up, very nice job indeed, got me to thinking about installing a blower on one of the HHR's again.

I want that under my hood........


Well, I can still dream at least. :skull:

Nice install! Would love to see some dyno #'s if you ever get to it. Definitely something to be proud of!!

agreed! How much would it cost us to have you install one and get it tuned? :lol:

very cool! Hats off to you

Santa I want one for xmas. I promise I 'll be good! :roflol:

Nice looking project man!

Very Nice work the 3bar looks good too.:cowboy:

Not sure how I Missed this.


Real NICE hhrfreek ! :twothumbs:

This is on my list of things to do, as soon as my warranty has ended.

I wonder how this would be with a 2.4 with an Automatic trans? :skull:

Ummmm................. FAST! :twothumbs:

I have had a little fund set aside for this, and it's growing steadily, once bought not sure how long it could sit here, not installed, before my warranty ran out, if I save enough up before then, the warranty may just go out the window. :lol:

Have fun

Nice clean install! Looks like it belongs there...Well I guess it does now. :thumb:

Thanks guys

The best part is, this thing is a total sleeper. Nobody expects to hear that awesome whine come out of this car. Most people just think I put a muffler on it until I gun it and that little 4 banger just detonates. :twothumbs:

The last thing I just did was clean up the engine bay a bit. I rerouted the wiring harness for the injectors and throttle body to wrap around the drivers side of the engine and under the SC because you have to pull them over the valve cover to connect them otherwise. The painted valve cover, SC and throttle body really make it look nice. I painted them with VHT gloss black and sanded the any ridges or fins to get that look.

I have a friend that has an automatic 2.4l HHR. Next time I see him I'll take a closer look to see how much room is there for a SC. I am guessing it will since I have seen many SC 2.4l Cobalts w/auto online.

If I had to do it again I would probably part a kit together myself. I think you could spec one out for more like $1200 if you just got take off parts. But the kicker is tuning it. I'm sure you could find local tuners familiar with this platform that could get you going, but definitely figure out how the tuning will be done before you buy anything. I bought HPTuners for $650, learned it really well and that has been an awesome part of this project. I am comfortable tuning this engine. Though I don't have any experience with trans tuning.

HA. Same thing happened to me. I still had 6 months of warranty, but I couldn't resist.

Where could I find someone to install this for me? I have absolutely no skill like this in order to accomplish it. Hmmmmm....

Thanks for posting, and for the pics. Im sure it will help others who might like to do this.

I miss my 06 Cobalt SS LSD sometimes... :'(

I bet, but... If you put a SC on the 2.4l at 8psi you can make ~225hp at the wheels:thumb:

Very Clean install. Looks better than factory..

Ever hit the dyno with it ?

:cool:


OHH damn it, I feel a Blower coming on Soon. :lol:

And I still have some of my 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper left And the 5 year 100,000 mile. I currently have 22,500 miles on mine. (But it's Paid for outright and I got the Title in the mail last week.):D

Like they say, "Injection is Nice, But, I'd Rather be Blown!"


:wink:





:skull:

hey A&P I thought you said you like slow and affordable If you super charge the panel won't it be too much like those over priced SS's ??:jester:

Never once have I said I like slow and affordable, Don't put words in my mouth I never said.
Low & Slow, Maybe I said, referring to Lowering an HHR and how then to drive over speed bumps and potholes. :lol:

I bought and paid my Panel off fully in 8 months, I could have Easily afforded an "SS" if I really wanted one. ;)

I will Agree the HHR "SS" was/is overpriced, That you can say I said. :thumb:

I can install the supercharger for a heck on Alot Less than buying a 4 banger with a "SS" emblem on the sides. And I won't Loose as much on resale, as I can swap my 2LT back to OEM Stock and sell it, IF, I ever do sell it. Then sell off the mods I have bought and installed to get most of that back as well. I'm Money ahead all around.:lol:

As soon as I get a call back, I am off to look at a Eaton M62 supercharger thats for sale about 10 minutes from me. The guy emailed me back this morning with his phone number but I got his darn voice mail.

He may be at work, so it may be later today before I can go look it over, I already stopped off at the bank this morning and grabbed the cash for it.;)

From a '07 Cobalt SS with 40,000 miles. IF, I end up buying it I will skip the kit and just put my own together as I come across the needed parts. No hurry here.

Attachment 29126

True, but you can blow that away with just a pulley and some cooling mods on the LSJ. Its just a better platform for power. Most 2.4Ls aren't mated to a LSD trans...

A&P don't be so touchy I'm too lazy to go find what you really said. I do remember It made me feel, you thought I was a fool to buy an SS,and that may be true. However I have been enjoying following the progression of modifications you have been doing, and I'm happy for you in this sucky economy you paid yours off so quick. I have a similar plan to own it in 12months I just hate to pay any interest. Any way I was just giving you a little poke, I still love you. :gnonespet:

LMAO! you Love me huh? I am Blushing here. :lol:

Honestly, I really have Nothing against the SS HHR, I do like a V-8 SS over anything.

When I started looking at the HHR's, at first my plan was to buy a brand spankin New HHR SS. But they had already been discontinued.

I did research, like we all should do before buying a car, and saw the lack of resale value on just about any model HHR. That is when I decided to buy a Used Panel.

I did Stick with, It Must be BLACK, and it Must be a PANEL HHR.
I did Not want to buy a Used SS, If I was gonna get one, I was gonna be it's Only owner or nothin.

I searched for a Black Panel with all the Options I wanted on it, and luckily, I found it a little over an hours drive away, I was prepared to get a oneway plane ticket to buy the one I wanted if needed.

Buying a used Panel saved me well over 1/2 the cost of a new one. Mine had 19,077 miles on it and was bought New in '09 by the Original buyer. He took the HIT and I reaped the benefits. I traded in my Astro van with about 100,000 miles on it and started to walk out the door of the dealer on their first offer for it.
Letting them know I was there to Buy, not dick around, they Doubled their first offer and I pulled out the check I had recieved that morning by getting my financing First before ever walking into the dealer.

I planned on having my loan paid off in 1 year, I ended up doing it in 8 months, and now enjoy owning it free & clear.

Since I am no longer working, my panel is my Toy, and I am enjoying it just as much as anyone else enjoys there HHR no matter the Model.

I talked very early on here about wanting to drop a supercharger in mine, and each time someone here does it like lunchbox and now hhrfreek have both recently done, I DROOL wanting to do mine. My plan all along was to Wait, until my warranty was up, But I am Doubting thats gonna happen.:lol:

I told the Wife, "No, I won't be modding it until it's Paid for." That lasted what, about a week after I got it? ;)

And I did not mean to make you feel like a fool for buying an SS or anyone else, but sometimes you guys think the SS is Superior to the LS or LT models.

A Complete SS rear end with the Disk brakes can be had for about 600.00-750.00 used, and will bolt right in a LS or LT, add a supercharger and you got a real "sleeper" on your hands.:thumb:
I think that would put a more Shocked face on someone watching your taillights fade off in the distance. :yikes: :lol:

As far as the economy, Yes it has SUCKED.


For me and the situation I am in at the moment, it's Now or Never in getting Everything I want for my Panel, once the Lawyer starts taking his 20%, my budget gets Tight again. :eek:



That guy still hasn't called me back yet on the supercharger he has.

Don't want to seem too interested in said supercharger you know you are going to want to pay a little less than he wants for it Good luck :thumb:

Just take a look back at things I have bought, and for how much, you'll then Know I like a Good Deal. ;)

:thumb:



:skull:

looks awesome. make video so we can hear it roar :twothumbs:

Thats where I got the idea,, you were like me never pay what they ask,:skull1: especially when good business is so hard to come by lately :smile:

I just now got off the phone with the guy, he has it in a storage garage in the town 10 minutes away from me, but he is about an hour or so away. He is going to a swap meet tomorrow and will call me in the early afternoon (he thinks he'll be done at the motorcycle swap meet by then) and call me to meet him at the storage place, he said he has some other parts to pick up that he is selling to someone else.

I already explained that ZZP has a KIT and they only take off $250.00 if you already have the supercharger. And that it was Fresh and 100% ready to go.

He said we could work out something when we meet. So we shall see, I may or may not have a Blower in hand tomorrow. :lol:

I think he understood I meant I could get the one in the Kit for only $250.00 and its all ready to install, fresh and clean. So I Won't be buying for his asking price thats for sure. It's not out of line, but I can do better with the printed info I will bring along. :smile::thumb:

One can only hope that his other parts bin includes the rest of that you will need. :D

Sorry hhrfreek, did not mean to steal your thread here. But your BEAUTIFUL Install has lit my a** on fire here to DO this. :lol:

SS fan
He said he has the Motor and Trans still, but they are at his Sisters garage, He has sold a bunch of the car already, so we shall see. Sounds like he has placed parts with whomever will let him Keep them there. Now some may want their space back and he has to sell it off.

For me this won't be a get it all and install it yesterday thing, I am in No hurry, i'll buy a part at a time until I have everything the Kit has in it. Or I may just get the Kit, less the Blower.

And I am sure I will ask those that have completed the install what all else is Needed.

My Sons best buddy, his Dad owns a Auto shop and we all have started taking our cars to him, just this morning we picked up the wifes Venture the bearings and hub on the passengers side had just started making noise so he repaired that.

I mentioned the Supercharger install on my HHR as I was setting up for a Monday morning oil change on it and his eyes lit up, said he'd help and let me wrench but guide me along if needed. Were both the same age and he is pretty Cool, so I already have a Shop lined up and he'll work with me on it. :D

Ha ok. I'll try to in the next few days.

Hello ??

A&P-

"wish I had dyno numbers to show you guys but I will honestly probably never pay for it. I think the 0-60s say a lot though".

Yes I read this, was hoping to see some numbers on a print out.. nome sain ?

Sorry I have no print out or documentation of this other than my scanning logs with hp tuners which uses my cars speedo to log. The HHR 5 speed will red line at 6850rpms and this allows you to hit about 57mph in second gear. The HHR has a shorter final drive than the Cobalts (4.17HHR 3.95ishCobalt). I raised the rev limiter to 7200 just to see how quick I could get the 0-60s with out the extra shift. Now I usually keep it at 6700 for reliability because I end up in the higher rpms a lot:thumb:.

I hope thats not considered cheating:lol: