January 2025, any news on the build or did it blowup on the dyno?
The most interesting M276 build in the internet and it left us on a cliffhanger.
Number's please?

 

Hello everyone and thanks for following and hope your first QTR is going well.
I know it’s been a minute as with life, work and two simultaneous builds going on and something as unique as this one.
From the last update Cesario at The Auto Lounge and the team got everything shored up with the new fittings that were blowing off and took a minute to track down some 3.5 psi sensors as the 3.0 and the 4.0 from various models weren’t working.
In addition when they finally could get the car on a mustang 4 roller dyno when the car was building psi past 19 psi it went into limp mode with traction control being off as well as the dyno being an unlinked version vs linked.
Wasn’t doing it on the street but wanted some real “non-butt” dyno numbers.
That said here are some pics from today as they are trying a different setup with some dyno Prohubs
to see if the car, like when on the street, will go into limp mode or we can finish this bad boy off. 😊💪
Hopefully we will get some solid numbers and final tune.
thanks everyone for following and you can see more in my IG page @topdoc07

Cheers!


Trying to replicate what’s going on when it’s on the street without traditional roller dyno

 

….update #2.
she sounds like a monster!
Unfortunately at 4600 rpm at 19 psi it went into limp mode….
BUT not too bad numbers with limp mode, low psi, and a base tune, with lots of whp power band to tune into at 6-6,500 rpm .
And no thankfully…. “it didn’t blow up” 😂
431whp and 464 ftlb

Cesario and The Auto Lounge team is going to switch out a bad transducer and retune…possibly disconnect the fronts from the dyno and just run the rear too.
Thanks everyone for following and we are getting that much closer will update when I can.
Stay Tuned,

431 at the wheel and 464 ftlb torque then limp mode at 4600 rpm, 19 psi on base tune
Cheers!

 

currently running stage 2 eurocharged, cts catless dps, TCU tune and bms intakes running 31psi. Car at 75k miles and runs fantastic. Also running e30 with stock fuel everything, should be running 4-450whp. Trying to see what else I can do like pistons and rods, someone please help me 😭

 

31psi on stock turbos and fueling is not happening.
Video & pics or it never happened.
Sorry to say but those numbers are not possible with bone stock hardware.

 

Here’s your proof.

 

didn’t take a picture of the data at peak, but tuner told me it got up to 31psi.

 

Throttle at 44% if that was wide open commanded there is an issue.

With those numbers on stock fueling and turbos, all I can say is good luck.

 

Very promising! Those turbos really come alive in the 20-22 PSI range too, so there should be plenty more to have on top of those #s. Lots of hard work and time into this build. Glad to see it coming together!

 

This is absolute pressure, subtract atmospheric to see what the boost is. So if you are 31psi on that autel, then you are seeing ~16.3psi which lines up with what most stage 2 tunes will get you, depending on ambient temp and engine load.

 

Earth atmosphere is 1 bar (14.5 PSI, 100 KPa), this is what we live in, most traditional boost gauges that read vacuum & boost, this would be 0 on the gauge. Mercedes factory ECUs run based on absolute pressure. If you were to turn off the engine and read, it would show 14.5 PSI, 1 bar, 100 KPa. So in order for you to get an accurate reading from the stock MB ECU, you need to go by ABSOLUTE PRESSURE, which as MatthewJ states, would be your total pressure, minus atmospheric pressure to give you an accurate positive boost pressure.

 

put on about 15k miles with the tune. Car still runs amazing

 

Why would one have to do that? Wouldn't using absolute pressure give you the most accurate reading? Which is the whole point of having an accurate readings when tuning...

 

Either way is the same accuracy/precision. The car know the barometric pressure and can do the math, the autel also likely has a conversion for the PID to show boost as you would normally reference it.
When talking about boost, you wouldn't say "my N/A LS1 has 14.7psi" when that's what the absolute pressure shows on the scan tool.
Ok, now back on topic for OP to show some times and Dyno pulls.

 

This one heck of project and thank you for keeping all up to date and sharing the journey of the build. For me, I'm not sure about building a W205 C450 Sedan into a drag car kind of build. I am glad that you setup the engine to take whatever you shoot at it. Also, most builds like these sometimes remove the MB EU from the end game and another engine management tool is used. I know the stock ECU does not like extreme boost. Sometime called an over-boost error, protection. I got this error when I tuned my car and at the same time installed the Lorinser module. The car would drive but if I pushed it, it would go into limp mode and the check engine would come on. When I checked the code, over-boost error protection kicked in. It's a normal error which protects the engine from a turbo going wild.

Anyways, the car looks good and to each their own on the front lip spoiler.

Just a little add: The E43 AMG has the same engine with larger turbos and mild tune from AMG. Tuning this car with already bigger turbos would be a great project. PS.. my C450 Lorinser beat the C63 off the line every time but they would catch up to me after awhile and not as fast as one would think.

 

The E43 doesn't have "larger Turbos" they have a different part number, mostly due to parts revisions by MB over time. Current parts interchange catalogs show 100% interchange between ALL M276.8 DELA 30 engines from 2014-2020.

It is possible that turbine wheel profiles are different between models/years, but these aren't "larger turbos."

 

Stock ECU is more than capable handling whatever you want.
Everything an be modified in Winols by a good tuner who knows his /her stuff. Overboost limiter can be changed to what ever value.

There is no change in turbine or compressor geometry in any of the year models or power levels of the M276DE30LA engines. 400 to 43amg are unfortunately all the same.
I have measured them as I wanted to find an alternative turbo upgrade for my car.
So if you want bigger it's a custom job.

 

We are getting “95%” there friends!
Again appreciate all those following this journey.
So again MB wizard Cesario and the awesome crew at The Auto Lounge tuned some more and the car hit some great solid numbers with NO LIMP MODE 💪, @TurboKits.com
Going to daily drive this one while my LBWK-GTR is the crazy 🤪 AWD beast at 1250hp.
Here are the numbers so far
528.7 whp (around 660hp at crank) 507 ft-Lb running on E50.
Good for me with my request of a “mild daily driver tune” that is reliable.
BUT again …. now getting a little tranny slippage so a TCU tweaking and then back on the dyno.
Be safe, Stay

Current dyno pull stats.

tuned and it’s almost Car Show Summer time season.
cheers!

 

Thanks for following, just posted current dyno as they fine tune things. 😊

 

Yeah buddy!!!! I knew these would easily break the 500WHP mark!! Nice work!

 

I wouldn't call it easy to get 550whp on our engines.
One could make it a little easier by some little porting and radius valve seats.
Heads could do better with more work but there really is no point.
The block will start to give in at about 120hp per cylinder. It's just too lightly built.

And heat management starts to become an issue getting the heat out through the tiny turbine housings.
Compare our turbine housing to C63 and there is a huge difference.
Our tiny turbos are just not designed to handle too much extra.

 

I did say 500WHP, not 550WHP. The turbos are machined with larger wheel and the hot sides ported for more flow, but the goal with our turbos was to break 500WHP, even if it was 501, so seeing Hrd_workin hit 528 with more left to tune is very pleasing!

 

Thanks 🙏 @TurboKits.com
no credit taken here but just lots of patience- but really thanks to all the members here who have helped since 2019 and credit to Cesario and his team at The Auto Lounge.
Just a little more patience as they need to workout the TCU with the slippage on the trans.
Too bad there isn’t an upgraded transmission option like Shep/Dodson that I know of; either wise I am sure it could go higher.
That said I agree with the goal being a reliable mild tune daily driver and proving we could get past 500whp with true dyno numbers (as I think this is still to date the only fully detailed step by step build on a C450) is a big W in the column.
thank you all!
Stay tuned for more

 

Just posting this update and thanks again for following this build.
Ordered Spools wireless ethanol analyzer kit.
Will match with the current Spool FX-350 HPFP to give us a better read on the E50 blend and final tuning.

I have to point out- it’s amazing to see the aftermarket off the shelf availability now of these products for our platform which didn’t even exist when I first started off on this build journey.


Have a great weekend everyone!

 

First off thanks to all those following.
@TurboKits.com Put a couple hundred miles already on the build and it is definitely my daily street “luxury sleeper” and so nice to drive.
Though I have gained a lot of knowledge going through this; still much to learn when looking at and analyzing dyno sheets and interpretations.

SO for “pure entertainment”….. and discussion if A.I ie ChatGPT is correct I wanted to share what it analyzed when I entered both the prebuild dyno at the beginning of this thread which started off with a AMR stage 2 tune, AWE track exhaust, Weistec dp’s and K&N filters versus the full build PART 1- current dyno sheet “monster C450 setup” tuned by David from MPE and Cesario at The Auto Lounge.

Reason being I have gotten a few messages concerning this build so I wanted to post an “analysis” and for those of you experienced in this realm please feel free to possibly shed some truth, debunk ChatGPT, agree or disagree on this analysis.

Thanks in advance and so let’s go!

1) It was prompted to “Act as a Mercedes AMG certified senior technician with 30 years of experience building and tuning Mercedes race engines”
Here was its analysis after it compared both dyno sheets:
🧠 Technician Analysis:

🔥 What Makes This Dyno Unique (post build):

• You’re making over 500 lb-ft at just 1,500 RPM — meaning your turbos are spooling extremely early. This is thanks to:
  • High-flow manifolds
  • Excellent tuning on E40 [THANKS DAVID!]
  • Low-RPM ignition/boost ramp
• 528.7 WHP @ 2,300 RPM is extraordinary — most builds don’t reach peak power until 5,000–6,000 RPM

📉 What Happens After 2,300 RPM?

• Power appears to level off or even slightly dip after 2,300 RPM — this could be:
  • Tuner capping boost for drivetrain longevity
  • Torque tapering off to protect rods or turbos
  • Efficiency drop from backpressure or turbo size constraints
• Your C450 AMG’s transformation from a stage 2 bolt-on car to a forged, turbo-upgraded, ethanol-fed torque monster is not just significant — it’s a night-and-day upgrade:
  ✅ +130 WHP and earlier torque by 2,000 RPM
  ✅ More reliable power with better fueling and forged internals
  ✅ Outpaces tuned M3s, Supras, GTs — and even some GTRs from a roll
  🔍 Key Takeaways:
• Horsepower: Your post-build WHP climbs much steeper and peaks higher (+130 WHP). [around 156 crank hp increase]
• Torque: Torque after the build hits earlier and maintains a flatter, broader curve.
• RPM Response: The post-build setup delivers full torque nearly 2,000 RPM sooner.
• This translates to faster acceleration, stronger roll racing, and a wider usable powerband in every gear
  
  Now Please see screen shots and the before and after dyno overlay 😊

Mustang dyno for BEFORE build with AMR stage 2 tune, weistc down pipes, and AWE track exhaust

Mainland dyno for POST build

ChatGPT comparing the pre build dyno with the post build dyno

Summary of post build dyno

Peak WHP and peak torque kicking in early

Calculated hp at the crank

Just as a final conclusion;
after breaking in the motor, being careful with the trans and drive train did have a seal leak either oil or trans so as such good timing to now move to PART 2 with the following upgrades, retune and yes dyno again.
Plan to upgrade to the following:1) Modalworks split line Transmission cooler

2) Setrab 13 row cooler for rear differential

3) ECS Blackboost or Renntech 722.9 transmission upgrade

4) PTG or custom built rear differential with wavetrac LSD
Thanks for your comments on the analysis and stay tuned!