Blubbachub

Hello all, been browsing the forums for a minute for research so I finally decided to create an account and post my project progress here. A while ago the wife retired her first car, 2002 c230k with the m111 post facelift engine m45 blower, and upgraded to a w213 4matic. So we decided to keep her car and make a project out of it and essentially do a restoration. The car had a mild head gasket leak (external oil and coolant at the back of the head) so I took the engine apart and decided while we are at it, lets add some go fast parts and make it a little quick. The head gasket is back on and torqued with new head bolts and the chain is timed properly (big pain in the ***). After the engine work is done I will be doing a deep clean on the interior, restoring the leather, fixing door panels, adding new android head unit, replace the headliner, and adding a backup camera. Then will be the body work. I will be repainting the car with a close to OE metallic blue, restore headlights and other trim, replace the front rotors and calipers with the dual opposing front calipers from a newer c230 and larger rotors, and repaint the wheels. There is probably more I'm forgetting, but I will elaborate as I get more done or if you have a question feel free. The performance side with the engine will be porting the blower, bigger crank pulley for the supercharger belt side, bigger 395 cc injectors, custom front mount intercooler setup with piping, custom intake setup, full headers and back exhaust to the tip, hopefully an ECU remap (if I can find someone or some software capable of tuning this car), and porting blower case. Again, there is probably more I'm just forgetting right now. Anyways here are some pictures of the build in progress and I'll keep updating as I go. (Sorry for the garage mess, I just installed AC in the garage and insulated the attic, so there is crap everywhere)

Crap all over the place


Seat is out for restoration of leather

Custom FMIC, thinking about adding water spray.

Engine mess

Tool mess


Crank pulley with supercharger overdrive installed

Porting blower is next

My new garage ac 😁

112233

Like that idea.Have the same car with the 2l engine and tuned also. Your M45 bearings are probably gone, that's why the coating of the rotors gets damaged. I think you need a "new" one. Take care of the metal gasket between the charger and the outlet, they are discontinued. Did you changed the chain with the head gasket?

Blubbachub

I actually worried the bearings were shot too, but I checked them for play and they have none, and no metal scratches on the corners of the rotors. Im pretty sure the coating is flaking as a result of the pcv leaking oil in the intake for a couple years, harming the coating. I already changed the pcv system and adding a catch can. Also regreasing the needle bearings and changing the oil in the blower. Coupler has no play. Here is some port work I started last night. As for the timing chain, engine had no problems and only 115k on it so I reused it. After timing the motor and doing a few cycle turns of the crank, the pins lined up to 25 degrees, well withing the 10 degree acceptable limit of 20-30 on the chain stretch. Replacing that chain wouldn't have been worth it to me personally.



Will be cutting on the tracing lines and filling in silencer holes

112233

The centrifugal oil separator gets clogged up and than you get the oil everywhere. Strange construction.
I polished the intake too. And removed the fine metal screens in the MAF and below the TB, and removed the upper half of the TB shaft. ~5 HP+

C230 Sport Coup

Wow. Great photos. Best post I've seen in years! I'll be keeping an eye out on this one.
I do have to say though, huh? You have parts precariously resting all over the top of the engine!?
Supercharger, new crank pulley? Where did you source it?
Is that a steering rack on the floor?
Drain pan looks like the trash can at the hookers ball.
Love your tool sets. (Drool!)
I've owned my C230 since new, (purchased 2/2002) and have had many of the mods you've mentioned.
My exhaust system has been Frankensteined like crazy cut up in so many places, and now
all back to stock. Had the Supersprint header, Remus muffler etc.
Got tired of the noise (old now, me and the car!)
Plus was always worried I'd get flagged for smog in Cali, every 2 years, PIA!!!
I still have the 4 pot AMG front brakes from C32 SLK32, just replaced pads
and rotors. Got like 170K miles out of a set of Akebono pads!!
Lowered with adjustable coilovers, (pretty much shot now).
ASP Crank pulley still going. Removed SC muffler.

So I'm at 252K now, starter took a dump #2, getting ready to do that. Alternator, supercharger, belts and MAF all replaced recently.
I decided to replace all the jack points (5 of them), purchase new locking jack stands, (2 for like $26 on Amazon)
and adapters for the jack and stands. All this stuff just arrived in the last couple days, so
I'll get on it soon. I'll feel a lot more comfortable with everything sitting correctly and less chance of anything slipping.
Also got some new rachets from Harbor Freight, one that bends in 2 places, vs, running exentions to the back of the car.

Also my head has been leaking for 100K miles, mostly outside the engine.
I just keep adding coolant. Not ideal, and real close to perhaps attempting the head gasket, but
also afraid I might F it up,and no one around here who can or will work on it.
I could wind up with a non running car in the garage. Several people I've seen did the work, only to have the chain snap
10k miles later, putting a hole in the valve cover and hosing the valves
Sunroof no longer works, floor vents are stuck on all the time
(major job to fix that if I wanted to). Need new suspension and
new engine mounts.
I think it might behoove me to replace the timing chain when I do the head but arrgh.
Not something I have any experience with, other than timing belts on a FIAT.
Several people I've seen did the work, only to have the chain snap
10k miles later, putting a hole in the valve cover and hosing the valves
I've read everything there is on the subject and watched every youtube vid.

Anyway, I think the 2002 C Coupe could be collectable in the USA. Only year with the 2.3 which has so much more low end
grunt that the 1.8 especially with the pulley. For me it isn't about 0-60 with the pulley its about going up a steep hill and
the engine not even having to break a sweat, at 1500-2K rpm just pulling like a small V8.
I get 28 mpg between the small towns on the Oregon coast.
If I was in EU I'd pick up a CLC220 cdi latest model available I could find.
Pretty cheap in UK.
Not so fast but goes far on a gallon.

I've been on this forum since day one, so if you have any questions I'll try to answer.
Last of the OG.

C230 Sport Coup

One other comment, I don't see the exhaust connected on your AC. Not much good if it blow hot air out the back.

Blubbachub

Hah yeah when Im working I make a hell of a mess sometimes if I'm getting into it. The garage is a huge mess from the ac install and I also do repair work at home for my side job (used to be a technician for years, that's why all the tools) so I have customers old parts laying around until I'm feeling productive enough to clean it all up. the ac has exhaust vented outside. There's a 6" pipe through a hole in the cinder block behind it. I'm still running into issues finding a tuning solution though. I'd like to tune the car myself, but can't find any software/hardware for this car. Ive seen someone with a c32 on this forum ran a piggyback ECU, just not sure if that would work for the m111 with the electric diverter valve. Any hints on that would be appreciated 👍. And I'll be installing all stainless brake lines and front calipers/pads/rotors from an 07 c230 sport soon.

C230 Sport Coup

I could never work like that, but if it works for you, more power to ya.
I don't have a lot of room to work, 1 space in 2 care garage, and tool kits are smaller and
not so well organized llike 2 compartments and have to pull everything out to find something!
But I try to keep things portable. Usually keep a full set of tools in the trunk.
Never know when they'll come in handy.
A metal rolling cart might be nice to set parts and tools on, but I'll have to look into that.
Doesnt help me when I'm on my back under the car and discover I need something
and have to climb back out. I wouldn't worry about the tuning solution at this point.
Get an overdrive pulley, and it will self adapt and give you most of the increase you
want. I don't know about larger injectors. There used to be a Supersprint header knock off
on ebay for about $500. Adds some more low end grunt. There were some tuners out there, and a couple people had it way back.
Check threads from mmmm....what was his handle. Has a smurf for his avatar. Ah yes, "Tommy".
Unfortunately he passed from Covid. But you may find some info about tuners in his threads. Nice guy, met him once.

Are the brake you're installing 4 pot or 2 pot? Most of the non AMG W203 are 2 pot and theres
at least 2 different diameters for the rotors.
C32 SLK32 calipers are better, and no confusion on rotors.
Except Mercedes has vents only going in one direction,
Zimmerman makes a matched set for around 150 for these calipers, cheaper than MB.
Go with Akebono pads FTW!

There's a guy who was parting out his C230 back in 2020 who
would have many things you might like to have. Loaded with all the goodies.
Goes by Seacoupe. Not sure if he still has stuff.
He has Kleeman pulley, c32 brakes, 2005 tails, 2005 grill Bix, and on and on.
I posted in this thread
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-part-out.html
If he doesn't reply I might have other means to contact him.
So what stuff are still trying to source?

Blubbachub

The front calipers will be the 2 opposing piston design on the last year or 2 of the 203 sedan. Should be more than enough for the little coupe with that, stainless lines, and the larger drilled rotors. As far as sourcing I think I'm pretty good except for the tuning I referenced earlier. I looked into getting Mercedes xentry with a passthrough, I just dont know if it's worth it considering I already have the autel mx808. I already have my exhaust sorted out. I got some knock off brand m111 evo headers from eBay and I'll be heat wrapping them to try and keep the blower from getting heat soaked so close to the exhaust, from there I just got a universal kit with a variety of mandrel bent mild steel 2.5" pipe and I'll just weld that in with a strait through design muffler and resonator I got. I'll probably leave the cat as well because I don't want it too loud. (No inspections in Florida lol) I'm really trying to squeeze whatever power I can out of this motor and scoured the Internet for performance camshafts (at a reasonable price) or turbo manifold (I would have preferred to go turbo). But this was the best I could really find for these cars within reason. If you know of some more mods I might be missing or a turbo manifold, chime in. Now that I think about it, I could always source more parts lol, I've been looking for decent price headlights to replace the old school reflector style. And I do dig that spoiler you got.

112233

You can read out parts of the ECU with the Galletto 1260 interface. But then you are in the ECU Titanium and WInOLS world. I was not able to find the "translation" file to know where the maps are located in the hex bin file and gave up.
The biggest problem in the hex file is, that the x,y axis are separated from the map z values, Bosch have them all together. At the start of the hex file is a block with all x,y axis followed by a block of all z maps and there must be somewhere a pointer table to connect these parts. I was running the 2.0l engine on 12-13 psi, but you need a tune for that modification, which I didn't have, so I was going down to 7-8 psi (4 is stock).

Blubbachub

So ECU titanium is compatible with this year w203 ECU? I'd be willing to learn to use the software if it was compatible. I was looking at getting the openport 2.0 j2534 interface to connect to the car but still unsure if it will work on pre-2006 models.

112233

I was not able to find the right DAMOS file for WinOLS or the equvalent for ECM Titanium. I also installed Xentry passtrough, it took 2 days, on my laptop and tried to connect the car with an openport 2 clone. I could see all the parts of the electronics but was not able to go into the ECU. Unfortunately I was not able to buy the original Openport, so don't know if it was a problem of the china clone. There is a Toyota interface that should work with the SIM 4LE ECU (?).

Blubbachub

So after waaaaaay too much reading I think I have found a link cable that may work for tuning via ecm titanium or another software. Evidently with the SIM4LE ECU on m111 engines you need a cable that supports j2534 AND k-line. There appear to be Chinese clone link cables for sale on amazon that supposedly support these protocols for pass through. I might be wrong so if anyone knows or has experience with this please let me know. Are we allowed to post external Amazon links? If so I can post a link to the cable. From what I have read, the j2534 openport doesn't have full functionality with the SIM4LE ECU because it was kLine? But at this point my brain is fried on this stuff

112233

That was my guess too. I was not able to get access over the k-line with the clone.
For the link, cut off the amazon.com front part ?

112233

@C230 Sport Coup

>floor vents are stuck on all the time
>(major job to fix that if I wanted to).

I thought so too, but it is less than you think. Takes 4h time and as usual some torx tools.

You Tube

C230 Sport Coup

Scheisse! Its all in German!

112233

yeah, well, it's a German car, so.....
It's the best video out there, you see all hidden screws, BTW, I only lowered the part below the steering column, removal of the light switch not necessary, the key module is enough.
Tip: Cut the plastic part off with a dremel at the line for reassembling.

cut off at the line, makes assembling much easier

KevinH2000

I turned on close captions and used the tool setting to set the captions to English. It's not a perfect translation, but it helps.

I've been procrastinating on doing this. Thanks for posting the video.