BenzCLK550

Hey everyone new to the forum I'm interested in knowing what people have done to their clk550's and what their feedback is on their mods.

Has anyone done a Kleemann tune, headers, downpipe, and sport cats?

Are there any pulleys available for the clk550's? (Since Evo closed)

Has anyone modified their intake (increasing the size of the intake tubes, changing the stock intake box to a carbon fiber intake box or putting in a E55 amg CF dual intake boxes)?

Has anyone found a carbon fiber trunk?

Has anyone done the OETune for the clk 550?

What other performance mods are available, other than a SC.

Any form of input would be appreciated and helpful. Thank you in advance.

Fatz

Welcome!
I have the Kleeman headers and tune. The hi flow cats installed at the time were replace with 200 cel magnaflows a couple of years ago.

I had the Kleeman work done about 6 years ago.....

BenzCLK550

Thank you Fatz, did you feel a difference after the tune, headers, and cats were installed. If so, what type of difference did you feel? Also, what type of gains were you able to get with the setup?

Fatz

I could feel the difference for sure.... As I said, those mods were done probably 6 years ago, so for me it is just the character of the car.

I did a dyno once and it pulled about 305 at the wheels. Dyno runs that I have seen of stock 550s is about 270 hp. Kleeman advertised ~50hp at the crank. So 50*.78 (22% loss with these cars) = ~39 at the wheel. I got pretty close to that on the one dyno.

I've done a few things to the exhaust since then. I will also be on the dyno, primarily for some other tests focus, and I will let you know what it is today.

What one feels behind these mods is subjective. Across all these years with those mods, I've never wished that I had not made them.

gixxerboy

i have kleemann tune, secondary cat delete with x pipe and vibrant resonators no mufflers, i did k&n filters and got rid of the stock tubes from the airbox and 3 inch pipe and flex tube and enlarged to opening to radiator support wit 4 inch scoops there.

i'm currently manufacturing shorty headers. The test pair will be done end of month and if all good then into production and out in the spring.

plus the other stuff in my signature

BenzCLK550

I recently did the Kleemann tune and can feel the difference.

Next I'm planning on changing out the headers to long tube headers. Have you fellas heard of super sprint? They provide long tube headers that produce more hp and tq (40 to 50) compared to a shorty header swap that Kleemann offers.

gixxerboy,
Would you please post some pics of the swapped tubes and enlarged openings. Has this mod improved the airflow, hp, and tq? Also, what was the cost of the mod. I'm interested in improving upon the intake, even though the design and placement is almost perfect for this car.

Also have the strut and sway bars improved the car's handling?

Thank you for the input fellas, sorry for the delayed response been out of town.

gixxerboy

For the intake tubes i just bought off of ebay 3 inch intercooler tubing, i did some polished pipe and bought elbows to make the turns.
Car is at body shop now so cant take pics

yes the sway bars and braces made a big difference

BenzCLK550

Was there a noticeable difference between the stock tubes and openings compared to the mod setup?

gixxerboy

No there wasn't, I'm sure it didn't hurt, cant really say it made much of a difference. Still the stuff cost me under $100 and it looks much nicer.

BenzCLK550

True anything helps, hopefully you got your car back from the shop by now, if so post some photos of the tube work. I'm interested in seeing how they came out.

gixxerboy

i'm actually swapping everything to an E55 airbox and replacing the tubes with carbon fiber ones. I may do it this weekend so can post pics

BenzCLK550

I initially wanted to do that swap but didn't really know what to do with the rubber hose that connects to the airbox from the engine in the front. Hopefully all goes well, let us know how it goes. Also, do you happen to know what the rubber hose is for and if it is necessary to have it or is there a way to have it completely removed to be able to install the E55 airbox?

gixxerboy

what hose are you referring to? The ruffly 3/4 inch hose that goes to the Y tube?

BenzCLK550

I attached a picture, please ignore the arrows, I got the photo from google. I am not sure what the hose is called, but if you take a look at where the red circle is there is a hose that connects to the airbox. That is the hose I am referring to.

Btw, the engine in the pic is not the m273 engine, but the hose and the units it connects to is exactly the same as the m273 engine.

gixxerboy

That for the A.I.R pump, it circulates exhaust gas back through the engine.
On the E55 air box Y tube that connects both boxed there is a nipple. I attached a pic i found on here. I'm going to run the hose to that

gixxerboy

BTW the headers will be in the end of the month.

BenzCLK550

Oh lol that makes more sense, thank you. Nice what type of set up did you go with for the headers shorty or long tube?

gixxerboy

Shorty, nobody makes long tubes for our car. we debated it, i would rather long tubes but than there is the issues of no cats. So we decided against it
So these will bolt to the stock downpipe

BenzCLK550

I talked to Kleeman a few months back they stated they offer long tubes made by super sprint, but the cost for just the headers without labor or shipping is $2,400. Then you have 7 to 8 hours of labor and shipping to count for. lol for that amount it doesn't make sense to spend that much when you can just upgrade to a clk63. Did you get the measurements for the headers yourself and are you doing the fabrication yourself?

gixxerboy

I know them at kleemann well. They arent actual long tubes. They are shorties with a larger downpipe.
For the headers a company i know that manufacturers headers. They makd them for other models. I talked them into doing them for the 550 motor. I had some input in them and supplied stock manifolds for measuring. They are going to manufacture them. Im getting the first pair to try. As long as they are good they will be in production and up for sale

eteller

Anybody remove the A.I.R. system? I realize there would be no hp gains, but this was a common mod on LS1's to loose about 15lbs of crap that would break eventually.

gixxerboy

you will get check engine lights and who knows what else on our car, nothing i would recommend doing

BenzCLK550

Let us know how it goes, and what gains you get from the headers. I'm interested in headers just don't want to pay an arm and leg for them lol. What would your local shop charge for the headers?

gixxerboy

The manufacturer an i are still discussing it, we are going to agree on a price together because i will be an exclusive dealer of them besides them. But under $1000 i know for sure

BenzCLK550

Please keep me posted I would be interested for that price range. If it's not too much trouble when they are finished take some pics of the headers. Are you going to have them ceramic coated? I would personally avoid using any heat wraps from my research it seems the wraps end up causing more harm to the headers due to keeping the high temps inside the headers and not letting them dissipate the heat.