DRBC43AMG

Get some Brembo six piston calipers and 355mm discs either drilled of slotted (both types available). My future mod one day....

DRBC43AMG

The W202 C55 was only produced in 2000 and had a tiptronic box. The real ones are as rare as hens teeth and were for the European market only

amg801

that black c55 shown in the pics parked next to your ride has a 5.5 kompressor motor in it. there are vids on you tube of it check them out they are worth watching, gives you somehting to asspire to the thing is a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEn4FQqI7w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glsD6D5pBYY&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdmZZp3AONQ&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXZ71AHVmhI&feature=channel

503C43 ////AMG

VERY IMPRESSIVE..... The 1/4 mile vid it sounds like he is breaking traction AFTER he shifts into 2nd gear!!!! Not sure if the comments are correct but they are saying he is running a 5.4 n/a motor but in the other vids it is CLEARLY a kompressor

FLYNAVY

Yeah, not sure if this was posted already, but that car's owner posted it up here a while back. Had a w211 E55 motor in it IIRC, and the same 6 pot brakes. Nice car, would love to see more of it.

svt ricco

i think his username is money-one

PJmak

He had a w203 c55 motor in his car first then he swapped the CL55 motor in

rivcal4life

Dude, HE POSTED IN THIS THREAD! haha how did you guys miss it?

Frank Castle

I had a cat once....

money-one

The comments are correct. That was when I had just the 5.4 n/a swap and LSD in it. And that was also the last time I was at a track racing. After that is when I started on the kompressor engine swap.

DRBC43AMG

Here he goes again....

FLYNAVY

Maybe we can turn this thread into another C36 vs C43 thread

Saaboteur

I've been meaning to ask about this swap, it's doable to use one from a W203? Or even an SLK55? Or does it even have to be an AMG motor, why not an engine out of, say, an E550? Fundamentally the same, but not hand assembled in Affalterbach? But then again, probably a bit cheaper...

Could Money-One (or anyone) be so kind as to post as many deets in another thread? It would be nice to have a consolidated thread on the subject.

I've pieced together the info from various threads here and on club202, but it's a bit fractured. My understanding is that any naturally aspirated '55' motor will swap right in, but that all the stuff on the outside of the motor - alternator, AC, power steering, exhaust manifolds - need to be moved over.

I also understand that the stock ECU can be used, just need to keep the 55's injectors. But if the stock C43 ECU is just adapting to the larger displacement, wouldn't it be better to use the W210 E55 ECU which 'thinks' it's still in an E55 and is actually making 350hp and 390 ft lbs? But it's a PITA to swap keys and reprogram ECUs to work in the car without STAR diagnostics?

Engine mounts - read that using W210 E55 mounts is best.

Can the fancy-schmancy later model greyish coloured airbox be used, or do you have to use the existing black ones? And is it true that the badge with the assembling tech's signature adds another 25hp?

And thinking laterally too...because I presume no one wants to buy a C43 motor...can those heads be swapped over to a 55 engine and provide benefit? Or would they just be beneficial to any other 430 car?

Some other questions pop up - what is the best way to get the motor out? Out the top, or down the bottom and lift the car off? The latter would obviously require a lift. And do people take it out with the trans, or leave the trans in the car? Or would it even be easier to remove the rad support and headlights and bring out the entire assembly out the front? I'm thinking about all of this with the shadetree / weekend mechanic working out of his house's garage (ie, me) in mind.

Anything else to freshen up whilst the trans and engine are apart? I have on the list the trans seal and the rear main seal. Does one need special tools to remove the crank pulley? On my S2000 (and I understand other Hondas) a special tool is used to hold the pulley in place whilst a 19mm socket takes the bolt out.

Sorry, turned out to be a bit of a thread hijack, but as I said...if this info could all be stickied in one place, that would be most righteous.

amg801

i would be very interested also on hearing exactly what is needed in swapping the 43 motor for its 5.5L brother im more interested in the N/A version as it would be much simpler but yeah mones-one 5.5K swap i would love to hear details of your project

Frank Castle

Details of his project are above.

Yesterday Money-One and I had met up . Thank you MBWorld forum & Saaboteur's keen eye for making it happen. I got to hear and see this car with a tour guide this time. He is one talented guy. I wish we had time so I could have seen it launch.

MarcusF

Comrade, I hate to disagree but 550 engine and the 430/500/55 are completely different. The 430/500/55 series of engines are M113s. The M113 family uses a single overhead cam, 3-valve per cylinder, dual plug ignition design. I’ve been a big fan of the dual plug ignition ever since my Porsche days. Early air cooled 911 owners pay big money for the dual plug conversion. The MB version is even better. The MB dual plug ignition system fires the two spark plugs in each cylinder one after the other in quick succession, rather than simultaneously. The stagger is varied based on engine load and speed AND is very efficient. The results are more complete combustion, which results in more power, better fuel efficiency, and lower emissions.

The 550 is from the M273 family, has dual-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing on both the intake and the exhaust valves, single plug ignition (no room in the head for 2), and is a BIG improvement. Ignore the fact that the 550 is OVER 27% larger than the 430 and look at these numbers - the M113 based 4.3 produced 295 foot pounds of torque from 3000-4000 RPM. At 1000 RPM, the M273 based 550 is already producing 293 foot pounds. The 550 produces 26% more horsepower and 15% more torque than the M113 based 500. The M273 has 11% more horsepower than the AMG 55.

They both have Alusil cylinder walls and use an iron particle reinforced synthetic resin coating on the pistons. The bottom end of the M113 uses six bold mains, which I used to claim was artwork. The M273 uses a cradle, which is F1 artwork. Given a choice (and excluding the M156 based 63), the 550 is THE engine to have. I don’t know of anyone who has transplanted a M273 into another chassis, but I don't get out much. The M273 ECU would be a requirement as the variable valve timing is ECU controlled – and the engine will run like a dog without it. This is opposed to a 500 or 55, which can be run with a 430 ECU. If you did go the 430/500 route, the 2001 and later ones have the big, 55-sized, throttle body.

Saaboteur

There you go, that's the kind of info I'm looking for! I had no idea the 550 motor was that different, but I suppose I need more time in Wikipedia... I just thought that it was the same fundamental motor, but clearly it is not other than being a V8. I have quickly found that there is nearly a bewildering array of engines put into Benzes. Not like my old Saab...there was SOHC 8v, or DOHC 16v. And. That's. It.

So it appears for simplicity's sake, that an M113 500 or 55 motor is the way to go, and if one is picking between those, then obviously one picks a 55. So that limits it to the following, per Wikipedia:

M113 E55

The M113 E55 is a 5.4 L (5439 cc) version with the same 97 mm bore as the E500 but with a longer 92 mm stroke. Output is 342 hp (255 kW) to 367 hp (255 kW to 270 kW) at 5500 rpm with 382 ft·lbf (518 N·m) to 391 ft·lbf (510 Nm - 530 Nm) of torque at 2800-5400 rpm.
Applications:

• 2001-2002 CL55 AMG
• 1998-2002 CLK55 AMG
• 1998-2002 E55 AMG
• 2001-2003 ML55 AMG
• 2001-2003 S55 AMG
• 2002-2003 G55 AMG
• 2004-2008 SLK55 AMG
• 2005-2007 C55 AMG

MarcusF

Here is some info on the M113. Engine specs are here.

This is some brief info on the M273 and M156 (which I need to update). Those engine specs can be seen here.

Saaboteur

Thanks for linking those, interesting reading.

One of my parents' neighbours had a C55 when new. After just a while, he got rid of it. When I asked him why, he said he was miffed because just a few months after he got the car, he saw that 'regular' Mercedes 550s had more power than his car, and I realize now that would have been an M273 engined car.

FLYNAVY

Well another thing to consider is that the w204 C55 was not supercharged like it's E/S/SL/CL class brothers. Really AMG could have done more with that platform had they wanted to.

Saaboteur

I think it's always a marketing led issue you point out there. I don't think any major manufacturer wants its cheapest and smallest offering outperforming its larger and more expensive siblings. Hence why a C55 W202 was never officially produced (excepting those very few 'specials'), why the W203 C55 was never charged, and why the W204 C63 is significantly detuned from the factory. Re: the latter, I thought I read that it's pretty easy to extract another 50-70hp from the 6.2 with minimal tuning on a C63. Another example would be why Porsche doesn't fit turbos or at least initially, didn't put LSDs into the Cayman. My speculation anyway. Because you know if the petrolhead guys at AMG had their way, their probably would have been, say, a supercharged C55 and never a C43 but always W202 C55s....

503C43 ////AMG

You are correct.... I read an article that they had to detune the cayman as it was originally quicker/faster than the 911 turbo which has been the porsche staple for quite some time and that just didn't sit well with the 911 guys. Here is an interesting fact that is kind of off topic:

I was at the MB stealership yesterday and I decided to take a gander at the new models they had on display (we have 2 of the best MB dealerships around) they had an SL550 and a C63 AMG that I was comparing. The SL550 was FULLY loaded with the hardtop convertible and the final price was $110k, the C63 was obviously FULLY loaded as well and final price was 60k!!!! Why on earth would I want a smaller, less powerful, car with higher production numbers for almost double the price???? The AMG is hand built and has 60 more HP. There were 2 ladies at the counter and I posed the question to which they replied it had something to do with 1.) the SL550 is kind of MB's flag ship and 2.) it also has to do with the cost of reinforcing the car due to the convertible. I laughed and told them I would take the AMG ANY day over the 550 to which they both agreed. This is where the story gets GOOD...... One of the women asked if I owned a mercedes (what kind of question is that, I AM in an MB dealership with parts I just bought from their parts counter) to which I told them I had an AMG. She asked which model and I said she probably never heard of it and told her I had a C43. This women tells me that SHE owns a C43 and I just stare in disbelief thinking this was some sort of sales tactic (buddy up to the potential buyer) and then she offers to SHOW me . SURE ENOUGH she has a '99 silver C43 with about 75k on it!!! and it is in GREAT SHAPE. I spent about 45 minutes talking with her about our cars (she was a real enthusiast and was actually interested in DRIVING her C43 as she explained that she tears through her PS2's in a year MAX) and left happy as a clam as I just added another C43 to the list that I know of in portland. So far I know of 6 C43's in portland including mine. If 1100 C43's were imported to the US that makes about 22 per state on average. I have located 25% of them (1 red, 3 black, and 2 silver) and I am on the hunt for the rest.

Saaboteur

If that lady is good looking and you weren't married, you should have hit her up for her number...

I am the only person I know with a C43. I have never seen another on the road in my town since I bought mine, though I've seen one C36. If C43s are rare in the US, they are exceptionally so in Canada!

503C43 ////AMG

She was ok looking but she and I are both married

ob1kenobi

A while back there was someone from Sherwood Park who used to own one.

Totalled I believe. Now your car is a rarity in the city of Champions.