Schwarzagen,

I agree that the problem could be MB. I don't feel the need to point the finger at anybody for the problem. I do feel the need to point the finger at RENNtech for having this happen a statitistically significant number of times. It is their responsibility to produce cars for the competitions that work and they don't do that very often. There is more than one explanation, as there always is in life, but I just don't see the cars having faulty sensors and bad codes in the same frequency in the world marketplace that RENNtech is having in the competition place.

Also, it doesn't change the point of my very first post that RENNtech has changed the way they operate, has put stuff into competition that they aren't ready to sell and that the parts I have seen coming out of their company lately don't compare to the parts that used to come out, regardless of what kind of power they put to the ground.

Sorry to do a two for one, but I just want to point out that I don't think a water pump breaking down is a minor thing either. Although thing could be worse. You could argue whether a water pump shutting down or a car going into limp home mode or jamming the transmission in gear is worse. I am not here to decide that. It depends on ones priorities. And I held off on getting a kompressor system until their workaround is figured out and implemented.

 

cyncarvin32 = owned

proceed with caution.

 

mb has had several transmission recalls lately, so i am leaning in that direction.

interesting however, is the fact that renntech no longer offers an n/a engine build from the ground up. the high boost blower kit is just an amg block from germany and amgs ihi blower, if i am not mistaken. not much renntech specific about that. that supports your argument. gone are the days of the M120 7.4s and the M119 6.5s

 

Well not exactly correct. They still offer the ground up motor builds but they are not logical becuaes the 3 valve motor can not make figures equal to the old 4 valve versions without positive manifold pressure. Getting 600+ hp from a NA motor is very difficult and I doubt any current MB motor could be that powerful on pump gas without forced induction.

The motor build done to create the high boost kit uses many of the AMG parts but it also is done to a 5.0 L motor and that im my mind is a ground up motor build. RENNtech could bore the block past 5.5L but this leads to issues with stress and cracked blocks. AMG stretched the motor very far in its 5.5L kompressor form and the reality is the you can only get another 100-130 hp from that motor without creating serious issues.

If you have a old W126 a W124 or a W140 RENNtech will still build you any motor you desire. THe current motor does not lend it self to such modifications and this is why RENNtech went with blowers even before AMG brought theirs to market.

 

Schwarzwagen,

I know that MB has had several transmission recalls lately, and I agree that MB quality has been submarining for awhile too. I do feel like MB is finally starting to realize they can't continue on this path though, and they seem to be building ever so slightly and gradually more quality into their product and planned products.

CynCarvin32 is right about them still offering build-ups of older engines and I could get them to drill my 5.5L out to 6 L tomorrow if I really really wanted it done, but it doesn't make too much power over the existing 5.5L and it does increase the risk of stress cracks in the block. I only wish they would return to doing what they do best and that is fabricating their own stuff rather than being limited by vendor quality control and vendor fabrication limitations. The tuner business climate and model has changed and it is now possible for small outfits to get bigtime equipment. It used to be unheard of to have a cnc machining tool for cutting out your own billet wheels. But Orange County Choppers has one now. Look at Jesse James' new shops. These guys who were small are using their past success to reinvest in their future. That is all I am really asking for, and for them to give a good flogging to their test mules before bringing them to the comparos. If something small doesn't go wrong before a big comparo like a transmission error code (no matter whose fault it is), it usually means something is going to go wrong during the comparo. I don't like that happening to a company that has all the talent in the world and can do better.

Thanks for talking. It is sleepy time now.

 

I have 4 04 and new MB's and every single V8 powered car has had a transmission leak in the last 2 months. The SL55 had 2 transmission leaks and the rest were lucky enough to only have 1. The 13-pin connector on the trans is faulty and the "revised" part to solve the issue leaks even worse than the faulty part. Things like this make you wonder who is at the switch at MB in NJ.

As for the motor builds, going to 6.1L is ok without a blower but the added stress of forced induction creates enough stress to crack the block. With a bore that large there is not enough material between each cylinder to take the stress of positive manifold pressure. RENNtech wont put a high boost kit on the standard block 5.5L because the block is not strong enough to sustain that stress. Kleemann does not worry about building the bottom end or strengthening the block and that is why I have seen 3 Kleemann motors go ka-boom. There are two board users who have had fatal motor failures with Kleemann but I do not know of 1 publicly owned RENNtech motor failure in a Kompressor car.

The reality is that you can squeeze about 440 hp out of a 6.1L 3 valve motor and that should be enough in an E500 to keep up with a E55k. I would take that E500 6.1L over the E55k being that it tips the scales at 200 lbs less than the factory hot rod. That 200 lb. will make it self known the fist time you throw the car into a corner.

I to need rest. Off to Willow Springs in the morning. Racing in the rain? Why not!

 

CynCarvin32 and I have come to an agreement off-board, and so I will continue to post here because this last comment was worth talking about more.

CynCarvin32 and others,

I think that the transmission leak problem is huge, and I don't know how hard you are driving each and every one of those cars, but I, thank god, haven't had any transmission problems since my slightly modified C43 AMG. That was a well publicized problem though with AMG's xmission programming. I drive my car pretty hard, so I am surprised to hear this, not that I doubt it.

Don't they still charge about 35k for the 6.1 conversion including labor, requisite extra xmission and oil coolers, etc., etc.? That is pretty steep for 90 horsepower, but there is an argument for the weight reduction. I am very curious to know if it is lighter than the non-kompressor engine and by how much roughly. That could really improve the weight distribution problem currently experienced by a lot of the nose heavy AMGs.

Also, who had the blown engines? Kleemann claims they have had none reported. If they are knowingly lying, I would like to know. Also, why does mercedes allow their modifications without voiding warranty if they have a rep for blowing engines? It is all just confusing to me.

Also, if you could define why the outgunned output of the 6.1L can keep up with the E55K (realistically a ~520hp and ~570 lb-ft car) that would be helpful too. I just mean how, because my current C55 can keep up with an S55K pretty darn well (the last guy I was running with I actually caught up with and he even got a fifteen mile an hour jump and a car length on me starting out at about 60 because I didn't think he would go for it, shocked the heck out of me that I caught up with him). I thought he had let off the gas, but as soon as I hit the brakes to avoid tailgating him, he just kept on accelerating at the same rate as before. I know there will be doubters, but I have zero reason to lie and I know that the E55k is significantly faster than the S55k. I will admit that mine feels faster than the other C55's I have driven though, and I am 100% that he was going for it ***** out.

 

the brabus m113 6.1 makes essentially the same power as a built up m119, its just easier and cheaper to bolt on a low-boost blower kit.

 

Well not really. It took Brabus 5 years of messing with the 3 Valve motor to get the power figures above 400hp for the 6.1L conversion. They now have 440hp but that will never work in the states becuase the exhaust system is not legal here. The S version of the 6.1L conversion makes about 440 hp.

RENNtech has gotten the 6.1L 3 valve motor to similar power figures but this motor is legal state side.

But yes it is cheaper and easier to strap a blower on a stock motor instead of doing a full motor build. Trouble is the Kompressor motors are gas suckers not sippers.

My point really was that there is no 6.5L 3 Valve motor because beyond 6.1L the block starts to run a risk of cracking. A nice M119 6.5L made near 500hp. That is the motor I would want in my E55k.

 

haha,

 

Very interesting/infomative thread

Just curious....I recall RENNtech used Alcon brakes in previous magazine tests, but now uses Brembo. Any insight as to why?