[19bonestock88]

So, with the engine in my Malibu damaged, I am thinking about ways to boost efficiency of the engine during the process of a rebuild... The engine is of the Ecotec family of engines, in the 2.2 liter variation(the L61)... Now, there are lots of interchangeable parts used on other variants that work better than those used on the L61... With this, I have a couple questions relative to an eco engine build...

1. Building a hybrid... This is simply using mismatched short block and head combo for higher displacement and, at the same time, higher compression...
The stock 2.2 liter L61 runs 9.6-9.8:1 compression(depending on application), while the 2.4 liter LE5 runs 10.6:1 compression in most applications... The hybrid would consist of an LE5 block with an L61 head(eliminates the VVT that the car isn't programmed for), and he head would likely be ported while it is separate... Now, given the displacement increase, the compression could end up too high for pump fuel if the LE5 gained its compression while also using a bigger combustion chamber than the L61... More research needed there...

2. High flowing intake and exhaust manifolds... It's widely known (in the Ecotec community) that if you want more N/A power from an L61, you would change to a LE5 intake manifold(it flows better), and a header of some sort... Using this combo on an L61 will usually net gains of 10whp before tuning... Would higher flowing manifolds translate to better efficiency too?


Basically, my thought is to use a slightly larger engine, with a much improved volumetric efficiency, to move the car more efficiently than the current one does... The larger, more powerful engine could also support a taller final drive ratio(if it's possible to change it)