Dustin's '06 C55 progress thread
 

Hey Guys, up until now, I've been posting updates via individual posts. From now on I'll be posting updates to this thread only in hopes of making it easier for anyone who may wish to glean something from my experiences.

I just scheduled my custom Eurocharged dyno re-tune today for the PTE cams and Needswings DCAI. Next Tuesday morning @ 10AM :) I'll be sure to update Tuesday evening. I've missed 2 opportunities to hit the drag strip so far this year as a result of a "minor" fender-bender (ESP is now my friend!:rolleyes:) and subsequently realizing, at 8AM, on a day with -800-ish DA and a 10mph tailwind, that the body shop lost the key to my security lugbolts :wwf::wwf::wwf: I'll detail the rest of my hostility toward the body shop at a later time...

I was hoping to get a 1/4 mile time before a retune but it didn't happen. Hopefully I'll get the security bolts out by next weekend.

In the next few days I'll post some pics and info regarding where I started to where I stand today. Stay tuned...

Dustin

Cant wait to see your future posts. Ive been taking the same steps as you have in terms of modding so far, just trying to keep up with the best :bow:

Does needswings make a DCAI for the C55? or did you just get the E55 one?

He used the one for an SLK55. I want it for my car since the E55 elbow rubs on the wiper cowl and makes an irritating rattle, but I'm tired of spending money on my car.

Needswings has it for the C55 on their website now. Like RS said, I just used one for the SLK55 and swapped the tubes for the kevlar CLK tubes for a slightly better fit. I still need to post vids of the intake and exhaust post-intake and cams...I'll try this weekend.

Exhaust vids first...

Cold start with PTE cams

Idle after cold start

I'll get some moving vids asap :D

Here's a vid of both intake sound and exhaust...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4dBV...ature=youtu.be

absolutely *****in:y

Sounds Sexy!!!

...... Sounds amazing :eek::eek: Awesome job Dre, setting the bar up high for the rest of us C55 guys! Definitely a car/owner I look forward to hearing about.

How does the car feel now with cams?

Well, nothing comes easy I guess...I drove all the way from Baltimore to Moore Automotive in Fairfax VA this morning for the dyno and it turns out they broke it last night. I got no phone call as they neglected to write down my name when I made the appointment. They're trying to get the part overnighted, so I might be able to coordinate something with Eurocharged by Friday(?) I'll let you all know what works out. I really need to find a dyno that's closer to home and get a new baseline after the retune!

Regardless of what happens with the tune, the weather looks perfect for Cecil Dragway's test & tune Saturday. with any luck, I'll be there with a new tune, but I should be there either way.

Thanks for the kind words guys, they are much appreciated! After this gets straightened out, it's time for some new wheels and summer rubber, then Wavetrac and EC TCU tune.

Niko, It does feel like it pulls harder up top. How much of that is gain and how much is due to changes in powerband I won't know until I get some dyno or dragstrip data. Fingers crossed that we'll know by Saturday :)

12.191 @ 115.43 with a mediocre 1.876 60' :)

No tune yet! Still running, pic of the slip later...

Best et of 12.105@115.56 and best trap 12.110@115.75!

Holy crap! You so have a factory freak. You're car is faster than mine and I've got a supercharger... What do you run for tires at the track?

Great 60' without LSD!

Amazing to drop over 1 sec in et with boltons nay aspirated!!!
That's over 100 hp from just ex tune cams........

What is the race wgt? Stock?

I'd bet my paycheck you'd be faster than me here! Cecil Dragway's track prep is pretty damn good even at the T&T's and it's only 300ish feet above sea level.

Tires are Hoosier DOT radials in 225/50-16's on Sparco Assetto Gara's. The 225's have a tread width of 8.8" and my street 265's are 9.5". I figured the 3/4" I was giving up would be negligeable with the extra grip of the DR's and there was the added benefit of a decent weight loss and about a 1/2" smaller diameter. You can see in the pics how they compare.

LOL my Wavetrac is STILL sitting in the box. I desperately need it on the street! I haven't really said too much about a few of the things I've been considering, one of which is a gear swap. I am going to do it, I just need to decide between the 3.23 or go all out with the 3.55. I think the 3.55 would be insane, but most likely would change the character of the car more than most would want (not saying I'm one of those people :D). I'm already shifting into 4th well before the traps, so it's not like I'd have to deal with another shift and it would put the RPM's right where I'd want them plus help my 60'. Before I decide I want to see what results I get from some relatively minor weight loss (seats, race battery, race mufflers and lighter wheels). I'm thinking that I might have the diff/gears done over the summer, but life always gets in the way :)

Weight-wise, about 1/4 tank of pump 93, trunk empty except for a fire extinguisher and floor mats out. Sadly no weigh station at the test & tune at Cecil, but I will get it done before I start focusing on weight loss.

Dre - good times/trap speed is the result of a GOOD driver and proper track prep/tires..... well done!

That is c63 territory!

I think Atlanta Dragway is only 800 ft. above sea level. I thought about getting some 16s, but I don't think they'll clear my CLK63 brakes.

Lol, I hardly feel worthy of the praise, but coming from you it means a lot. Thanks!

Hmmm...please, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the CLK63 rears 330mm? I'm pretty sure the E55 rears are 330mm and a lot of them run 16" W208 CLK rims for drag radials.

If you are interested, I can take any measurements you think might help next time I'm at the track. The Sparco's I'm running are only 17 lbs compared to my 30 lb 19's. The Hoosiers are 18 lbs and my all seasons are 23 lbs. Not a bad reduction of rotating mass :)

Very nice!

Ok, second attempt at a dyno tune will be this Thursday morning :yThanks!

Amazing mph. Headers, cams, exhaust, pulley, and tune is all the power mods you got? How much difference did the cams make?

nice man. you still running stock intake? That would help free up some breathing room for your girl especially on the track. Might help those revs. get maxed out faster

Thanks!

All those plus the Needswings intake and DR's on light 16's. My best on street tires was 12.796 @ 109.89 with a 60' of 1.977. Switching to DR's, the crank pulley and the Needswings intake dropped me to 12.345 @ 113.50 with a 1.855 60'. Since my 60' dropped so little, I'd attribute the majority of the gain to the power mods and lighter wheels/tires. No retune for anything since the headers.

The only thing that changed between then and the 12.105 was the cams and slightly better weather. No retune. I've only read of one member who swapped his SLK to PTE cams and he reported somewhere in the neighborhood of a 10 whp gain on the dyno without a retune. I guess the cams and the intake really like each other :D What's strange is the feel of the powerband now. I don't think I've given up anything down low, but the upper end pull is definitely more pronounced. I'm dying to see what the dyno curve looks like!

Your 113mph trap was on DRs with stock wheels or the 16s?

16s, never tried a DR for the 19s.