[carlythecamaro]

I was thinking about buying a flex fuel kit for my '17 SS but I was curious as to how much horse power I would see or if it would even make a difference. Also which brand of flex fuel kit I should purchase.

[Need4Camaro]

Any other mods? CAI? Headers? Exhaust?

[Jeb114]

No difference.

[LT1ornothing]

Originally Posted by carlythecamaro

I was thinking about buying a flex fuel kit for my '17 SS but I was curious as to how much horse power I would see or if it would even make a difference. Also which brand of flex fuel kit I should purchase.

The flex fuel kit will require a tune. Bolt on LT1s see an additional 25-30 rwhp running E85. It is definitely a noticeable difference.

[carlythecamaro]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Any other mods? CAI? Headers? Exhaust?

I have Corsa Extreme exhaust, 1 7/8 long tube headers and K&N cold air intake

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by carlythecamaro

I have Corsa Extreme exhaust, 1 7/8 long tube headers and K&N cold air intake

I have similar mods and with everything installed (full exhaust and CAI + E85 tune) tuned at one time I picked up between 50 and 70 HP but there is skepticism that the dyno I used wasnt accurate so I would say 50 HP to be safe.

[adamjwilson]

Originally Posted by LT1ornothing

The flex fuel kit will require a tune. Bolt on LT1s see an additional 25-30 rwhp running E85. It is definitely a noticeable difference.

What he said on stock LT1 and especially well worth it if you are going boosted in the future

[KingLT1]

Well worth it even NA. LT1's pick up 20+ whp even bone stock with E85 and a tune.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by carlythecamaro

I was thinking about buying a flex fuel kit for my '17 SS but I was curious as to how much horse power I would see or if it would even make a difference. Also which brand of flex fuel kit I should purchase.

Originally Posted by carlythecamaro

I have Corsa Extreme exhaust, 1 7/8 long tube headers and K&N cold air intake

I have similar mods to what you have and I am at 428 rwhp. I have

• Kooks 1-7/8 headers
• GM Performance Cold Air Intake
• Tony Mamo Ported Throttle Body

Thing is I had the headers, throttle body and flex fuel done at the same time so I don’t know what the individual impact of each mod is. But if you know where you are now with rwhp you could fat thumb estimate that if you are currently below say about 430, flex fuel would probably get you the rest of the way there. Your Corsa exhaust might also add another 5, so maybe 435 should be your target.

The other benefit, if you live in an area with good availability of E85, is cost savings on fuel. Since I added flex fuel I’ve been paying from $1.79 to $2.99 per gallon. Right now the stations near me that have E85 are at $2.49. 93 octane is $4.07 at gas stations, $3.79 at Costco. A buck thirty a gallon is a decent savings.

[Newcastle]

You have to figure in the fuel milage which drops with E.

[carlythecamaro]

Originally Posted by LT1ornothing

The flex fuel kit will require a tune. Bolt on LT1s see an additional 25-30 rwhp running E85. It is definitely a noticeable difference.

which flex fuel do you recommend I get?

[carlythecamaro]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I have similar mods and with everything installed (full exhaust and CAI + E85 tune) tuned at one time I picked up between 50 and 70 HP but there is skepticism that the dyno I used wasnt accurate so I would say 50 HP to be safe.

which flex fuel do you recommend I get?

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by carlythecamaro

which flex fuel do you recommend I get?

"Flex fuel" means an arbitrary composition of gasoline and ethanol, typically ranging from 15% to 85% ethanol (sometimes simply referred to as "alcohol"). "Flex fuel cars" are those that are equipped to use regular gasoline as well as a gasoline/ethanol mix. Gas stations that sell "E85" provide a mix that is up to 85% ethanol.

Since ethanol has a lower energy density, more volume of it is required to produce the same horsepower, so fuel systems need to be sized to be able to supply the additional fuel volume. Ethanol burns cleaner and cooler, which allows for more aggressive tuning and thus more power in the end, provided the fuel system can cope with the extra volume requirement. (Obviously, fuel economy will take a hit when using ethanol, but ethanol is typically much cheaper than octane 93 gas.)

For this reason, not all modified Camaros (equipped with an aftermarket "flex fuel kit" and the associated tune, which is a prerequisite) are able to use full E85; depending on how capable their fuel system is, they need to use a mixture that is down to E70-60-50 etc.

Fortunately, however, most of the achievable power gains are realized at E60-65, after that, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, so using straight E85 out of a pump is more a matter of convenience than necessity. From what I read here, stock and even FBO SS powertrains can use E85, the fuel system only needs to be upgraded when using forced induction.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Newcastle

You have to figure in the fuel milage which drops with E.

True. Typically about 20-25%. At 25% mileage penalty, $2.49 E85 equates to $3.11 93 octane. Way better than $3.79.