Hey Guys we installed Kleeman headers, sport cats, and did the ECU upgrade on a C55 and all we have to say is wow! this car is awesome! In the past we installed an LSD on this same car, when he was leaving we asked him to get on it up the block so we could hear it...... next thing you know hes doing smokey white burnouts like a mad man!! 10 minutes later we get a phone call from our client apologizing because his car never reacted like that before when hitting the gas since the LSD, and he did not want us to get in trouble for it......No apologies needed!!! he had the shop cracking up rooting him down the block while he was spinning the tires here are some photos.. then below look how restrictive the stock parts are!!!






STOCK PARTS

 

I'm getting a 2006 C55 next week and am interested in this. What exactly do the sport cats accomplish? Also, how extensive was it to install the Kleemann headers?

 

The sport cats accomplish increased air flow. Between the ECU, Headers & Cats it was a (7) Hour install, and a (4) day turn around due to shipping the ECU out and receiving it back from Kleeman with no major shipping costs. Kleeman is great in this aspect, the day they receive the ECU they flash it and ship it back the same day so you get it the next! Here are some photos of the FINISHED PRODUCT
The Finished Product!

 

I thought the LSD was to prevent wheel spin?

 

Any idea approximately how much RWHP was gained with this exact setup?

 

MercedesFTW: The LSD is to prevent wheel spin, and it was doing an outstanding job when you are aware of how much power you are putting down. This is why he was so shocked when taking off. Even with the best setups you can and probably will always get a little wheel spin upon full throttle launches.

wawy:: Id like to say he approximately added 50-60 HP to the crank according to Kleeman spec, and the car really did feel that powerful.

 

50-60hp???

I would love to see some back to back dynos, or at least a dyno of the car after the mods.

 

I have a really similar setup and i got around 330 rwhp. So to the crank its about what you're saying. Factory rwhp is around 298 to maybe 305 est. Which high flow cats are you using (kleemann)? Btw great work

 

Yes, they are Kleeman high flow cats!!

 

My C55 was the one they worked on. And yeah, that burnout outside the shop caught me by surprise. I wish it was caught on video. Since I had the LSD put on, I'm able to stomp on it and not have it set off the ESP(even though its off) or fishtail to the right like when it was stock. There would still be wheelspin, but the car tracked fairly straight. But with these mods, the car definitely felt stronger and I was surprised it started sliding around.

I tried to get a dyno before I brought it to RPM, but I couldn't get it into dyno mode properly. Yeah, I stff and did get to the "dyno mode" screen, turned on the "diagnostic mode" But the guy working the dyno said it didn't seem to work. I don't know if the mods gave it 50hp since its NA 5.5, but I'll have the car dyno'd as soon as I figure "dyno mode" out.

Dean was the guy at RPM I spoke to, but everybody at the shop was great and very helpful and professional.

 

I don't normally say this but til you dyno before and after I say even a current Dyno will give an idea of what the car should of had and what your installed mod produces....I didn't gain what ASP claims to have on there websites....so please prove this with a dyno please!

 

Even though I read dyno mode is the way to go I had my car dynoed both ways and the figures were pretty much the same...so just get a dyno without dyno mode if you can't set it up right to see what you have...my ASP pullies alone made my car an animal and it didn't gain a radical amount of hp either. If you like to shut up the doubters then dyno. If you can do a few quarter runs and that will prove something also.

 

We tried without dyno mode, with ESP off first. As soon as the rear wheels start rolling but the fronts don't ESP still kicks in and cuts power.

My best 1/4 stock is 13.3...I will definitely take it to Englishtown when they open up again for 2008.

 

If your dyno guy is bringing it to 3rd gradually with the ESP on should not be an issue....ok I do the track with ESP off and none to minor wheel spin...especially after a quick burnout to heat up the tires in colder weather like 55-60 at the time...with LSD(which one you have?) your launches should be even better more uniform I did 13.2 stock with heating up the Dunlop SP Sport I used in 2007. I am not trying to call you out but its time we as consumers start getting more truth about what certain upgrades do and not what the websites claim....FOR THOSE OF YOU CONSIDERING DOING MODS please before and after get a dyno so we really know what hp we are truely paying for. Its really tiring to read threads on how powerful the car feels but guess the HP or take it off the websites which gives us the illusion that that is the actual gain. These cars with factory power can do extremely well even though heavy. Lets show proof via dynos or quarter runs or say from the begginning that no before and after dyno was performed. So we can decide if reading further is gonna give us better idea if reading further is required.

 

Now, I know this may sound stupid but, have you guys tried lightly touching the brakes? I've done a few brake stands with the ESP off and have had no problems, even after taking off

 

that's what I do to heat up tires before. Dragrun

 

With or withought the juice

 

RPMRacing.........

Was it necessary to undo the engine mounts and jack up the engine when installing the Kleemann headers?

 

Donn that was without the nos. With the nos the car did real close to
400rwhp. Consistent it was at about 390rwhp. That was after 3 pulls and on. I just don't have the time to post up the dyno sheets but Ernie saw the sheets for himself. The car got about 16 to 20rwhp with the kleemann headers and exhaust work. I would think that to the crank its around 35 to
40hp. It depends on who ecu tuning you use. So for who ever thinks that headers and ecu does not work on c55 think again. It really makes a difference.

 

I don't know if there is any difference between a c32 and a c55 when it comes to esp but, i cannot do a power brake(brake stand) even with the esp shut off unless it is in dyno mode. If i just punch on the gas it will spin but no brake stand for me. My friend with a e55 can do it and he did not believe my car couldn't do it, he tried it himself and no luck Btw this is not the first sports car i have had so, i think its not me i think its the esp that does not shut off completely even when switched off.

 

I've often wondered if the ESP is different (i.e. more evolved) with the newer C55 than its older brother the C32... your comment seems to suggest that it is; good to know!

 

From the press release of the C55, there is definitely a difference in the ESP System compared to the C32 to enhance the C55's acceleration coming out of corner on a track. To understand the difference, you have to know the difference between the traction component and the stability control component of ESP, as they refer to very different things.

To have maximum control, experienced drivers tend to drive with ESP "Off" on a track. As we know with the C32, what this does is take away the traction control component completely (no brake or engine cutting of power when one drive wheel loses traction), so you're left with an open differential on its own and the inherent problems with getting power down coming out of a tight turn. However, the stability control system is still "on" in the background, so if you understeer or oversteer significantly, the car will still brake the appropiriate wheel and/or cut engine power to prevent you from flying off the track. It just allows for more understeer or oversteer angle before interfering.

In the C55, everything is the same EXCEPT that the traction control component stays on when you press the ESP Off button. In this mode, the system will still brake a drive wheel which has lost traction so that the open differential naturally transfers power to the other drive wheel with traction. But there is NO CUTTING OF POWER in this mode, so the car does not bog down. It's this system new to the C55 (and now offerred on all newer AMG cars since) that tries to mimic a mechanical LSD. Again the stability control system is still active to prevent understeer/oversteer, but the threshold angle is raised significantly before intervention (thats why you can get the tail out with power oversteer when you press ESP Off).

 

Terrific info... thanks for the post!

 

So how much rwhp are you putting down now with that current setup? Car looks amazing!

 

Thank you, you saved me the research!