93 octane 89 octane E85 in SS
Senior Member
Joined: 06-07-2011
Posts: 2,180
From: SE Mich
DO NOT use E85 in an engine which does not have "Flex Fuel" engine controls and fuel system.
Do not be "seduced" by the idea that E85 at service stations is always 105-octane. Do so and you risk engine damage and fuel supply system damage.
E85 will damage the plastic, rubber and steel parts in a non flex-fuel fuel system. E85 is corrosive to metal parts of the fuel system which are not stainless steel.
E85 will cause the engine to run lean at wide open throttle and that is the kiss of death for a turbocharged engine. The reason this is a problem is because E85 requires a more rich air-fuel mixture at WOT than does "normal" gasoline.
Also, the E85 you may find in some parts of the country is inconsistent in its actual mix of gasoline and ethanol. It might be E85 but it also might be "E70" or "E60". This is because there is not much standardization amongst refiners and not a lot of regulation. This is also why flex-fuel systems have to "sense" the percentage of ethanol and alter the AFR accordingly.
Now, if your smitten with the idea of E85 and your HHR is a flex-fuel vehicle, there are a number of racing gasoline products which can be relied upon to be truly E85. Rockett Brand Racing Gasoline, for example, is always 85% ethanol and is always 112-oct. Rockett Brand E85 is popular with some drag racers who run cars which have fuel systems modified to be compatible with E85. For more info on 112-oct E85 see: http://www.rockettbrand.com/techsupp...ept%202008.pdf
Do not be "seduced" by the idea that E85 at service stations is always 105-octane. Do so and you risk engine damage and fuel supply system damage.
E85 will damage the plastic, rubber and steel parts in a non flex-fuel fuel system. E85 is corrosive to metal parts of the fuel system which are not stainless steel.
E85 will cause the engine to run lean at wide open throttle and that is the kiss of death for a turbocharged engine. The reason this is a problem is because E85 requires a more rich air-fuel mixture at WOT than does "normal" gasoline.
Also, the E85 you may find in some parts of the country is inconsistent in its actual mix of gasoline and ethanol. It might be E85 but it also might be "E70" or "E60". This is because there is not much standardization amongst refiners and not a lot of regulation. This is also why flex-fuel systems have to "sense" the percentage of ethanol and alter the AFR accordingly.
Now, if your smitten with the idea of E85 and your HHR is a flex-fuel vehicle, there are a number of racing gasoline products which can be relied upon to be truly E85. Rockett Brand Racing Gasoline, for example, is always 85% ethanol and is always 112-oct. Rockett Brand E85 is popular with some drag racers who run cars which have fuel systems modified to be compatible with E85. For more info on 112-oct E85 see: http://www.rockettbrand.com/techsupp...ept%202008.pdf
Member
Joined: 08-26-2014
Posts: 41
From: Cape Coral
I just saw this--according to this dyno test, E-85 gives the 2009 and up 2.2L ecotec engine a 5hp and 8ftlb bump in power. I suspect the dyno would show an extra 5hp with 90-91 octane gasoline, too.
https://archives.media.gm.com/us/pow..._HHR_Combo.pdf
https://archives.media.gm.com/us/pow..._HHR_Combo.pdf
Senior Member
Joined: 03-01-2012
Posts: 100
From: Norton Shores, Michigan
Lol everyone thinks e85 is bad for your car but it's definitely not it burns cooler and cleaner than gas ( plus the 110 octane rating is nice e70 is about 105). In order to run it in the hhr you MUST be tuned for it. You don't need to change fuel pumps or lines or anything. In order to run full e85 and max boost you'll need a larger fuel pump lobe on your cam (zzp has them for 150). Yes it's corrosive but it's not hydrochloric acid lol. I've ran e85 in my last two cars (cobalt ss/sc 10k miles of e85 and a cobalt ss/tc 75k miles with the pre 10' seals). Now being that the tc cobalt and hhr are di cars the only thing that could go bad is injector seals, however gm changed these to the e85 safe injectors from the regal in the 10' model year. So 10's have nothing to fear. It's completely safe and actually helps to prevent valve coking which these cars are notorious for. Plus being able to another pick up 20-30 hp is on top of your tune is pretty sweet.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-26-2009
Posts: 669
From: City of Champions
30HP more with E47, with good timing tables...
Senior Member
Joined: 03-01-2012
Posts: 100
From: Norton Shores, Michigan