blackbenzz

Woul dit be possible to fit a CLK55 engine and tranny into a CLK430 (will it bolt in or will it need major modifications?) I am considering selling my car, but I wont get what I want. If I can do the swap I'd prefer to keep it and do the swap.

C43AMG

Wow , didn't you just spend a bundle on the tranny ?

lowphat

Why don't you just get one of these...

Chappy

It would fit easily. However, you'd also need all the electronics to go with it....much less expensive to sell your car and find a nice CLK55.

blackbenzz

Thats what I want...



























after I get the 55 engine
Seriously though, I just want to know if this is a easy swap for down the road. I just paid a sh*tload for this tranny and I know if I put a blower on mine the tranny cant handle it. Yours is a newer clk so it has a better trans. I'm just thinking long term here, when either the trans or motor go bad I want to do a 55 swap and get a kleemann blower.

blackbenzz

I guess I'll just drive it til it dies, then make a decision. I will definitely be getting a new car within the next year, but I was thinking of keeping this one as my daily driver. MB quality has really gone downhill, I'm not even sure if the next car I buy will be a mb My coworker bought a nice blue porsche 996 911 and I'm itchin to get one now.

MarcusF

I've been a Porsche wrench and am an ex-owner. If you think Mercedes-Benz has quality problems talk to a 996 owner who's owned one for a while. The new ones don't suffer from head stud issues, devouring valve guides in the first 50K, or timing chain tensioner failures like 911's of old. Nope, the new ones suffer from the same thing 911's have suffered from for an eternity - oil leaks. They leak from the bearing cover, rear case bolts, valve cover gaskets, and the infamous rear main seal. Porsche owner’s who don’t know a torque wrench from a dial caliper know about RMS failures. The grass always looks greener, but when I hear reports (September 2005 issue of Excellence Magazine) of fifty percent of the cars having a certain degree of RMS failure, it reassures me that I made the right choice in picking up a CLK rather than a 911.

lowphat

WTF - you're like THE MB.org of the DC/MD/VA area man - you can't go to the dark side - just repeat after me... "blower... blower... blower... blower"

Cory @ Kleemann

Very possible and quite easy to do. No need to change the transmission- they are all the same with the exception of software. You'll need to reprogram your ECU, but other than that, an experienced tech. can do this in 1-2 days easily. What year is your car?

blackbenzz

lowphat- I love benzes but I've put well over 10 grand in this car since I bought it and the trans should NOT go bad so quick! If I do get another benz it will be under warranty. Maybe a W211 E55 or a SL55/600. Or if they ever come out with a F/I 63 I will get that (depending on the price of course).

CoryU-I have a 99 CLK 430. I thought that my car cant use any other year trans because I ordered one from an 02 and the shop told me that there was a plug missing or something along those lines and I had to send it back. Isnt the AMG tranny beefed up to handle more power? If not, I will seriously consider the swap or the blower soon. I heard alot of good things about Kleeman from lowphat and 04E55AMG and he talks about you with high praise Cory. If I get the Kleemann blower, is there any kind of drivetrain warranty?

MarcusF- Thanks for the heads up on the porsche problems (the 996 with a kit and rims just looks SOOOOOO nice its hard to resist!), what would you recommend in terms of a reliable, luxurious, sports car (if one exists)?

blackbenzz

I just thought about the warranty thing and I dont think its a good idea for me cuz I would mod any car I buy and that would just void the warranty. So thats no longer a factor.

Cory @ Kleemann

Let me do some checking regarding the trans. As far as I know, they are all the same- AMG unit is identical to any other, only the software is different. I'll double check for you though. You have such an early car there may be some small differences. Shoot me an email and we can discuss the kompressor/warranty questions in more detail- cory@kleemannusa.com.

blackbenzz

I'll send you an e-mail right now, thanks Cory

Chappy

Yes, please check on the trans details. My understanding is that the AMG trans is sourced from the S/CL/SL V12.

MarcusF

Don’t get me wrong. 911’s are brutally fast, are amazingly tractable, and quite forgiving (in comparison to the older models, which would snap around the second you thought about lifting off the throttle), BUT they’re still 911’s. They depreciate quickly, have lousy AC, and leak like a freshly fueled SR-71. I personally hate the smell of oil, and 911’s reek of Mobil1.

Reliable, luxurious, and a sports car? That’s a tough. For me the SLK32 would make a fantastic daily driver - although many say it’s not a “true” sports car, and it’s not luxurious, but it is a Benz. I’m partial to the R170 body, but if a person likes the R171 body, I think the 55 is a much more desirable engine. Strictly going by your requirements, the NSX is a good sports car. If you’ve never driven one, they handle like a Kawi ZX9. In fact, NSX’ are the most forgiving sports cars I’ve ever driven. You can do all kinds of stupid driving mistakes and the car just recovers. Although I find them to be better looking, the early ones aren’t very powerful. However, Comptech has a cure for that. With a Comptech blower, an NSX can run 12’s, and other than a 10 minute blower oil change, requires no more maintenance than a stock car. The only NSX problems that I know of are the rear tires, which will wear out every 10K, and cheap Honda window regulators – 500 to 600 per side (at a dealer, parts and labor). That, and I hear that clutches are $2000 - $2500. The S2000 is reliable and a sports car, but not luxurious. How you could go from the Mercedes torque monster to an S2000 is a mystery, but they are true sports cars. Ugliest gauge cluster available, but the rest of the car is very nice. Cheap too. Which may explain the “designed in Junior High School” dashboard. OK skip the S2000.

Unfortunately, my list of reliable, daily driver sports cars is very short, and that is it. Need a less than reliable second car for weekend duty? The options expand dramatically.

Want to go horrifically fast in a chassis that grips like an octopus? Buy a 93-95 Rx-7. Plan on an engine rebuild and you won’t be disappointed. Of course, you’d have to scratch reliable and luxurious. Don’t need to go around corners, but want to be pinned in the seat on the straights? Supra TT. Mk IV Supra’s are motorcycle fast. That and they are quite reliable. Unfortunately, they’re not luxurious, and more like Camaros than sports cars (yes, comments like those will get me flamed by the TRD faithful, but they know I’m right. Supra suspension components should be stamped “Handling by Brinks - Armored Car Division”). As long as I’m mentioning cars that aren’t luxurious, if you don’t care that the car looks like it was put together on the cheap – Corvette may be an option. Then there are Boxsters. I don’t get Boxsters. They have the same problems as 911’s, so why don’t people just go with the real deal? Oh yeah, that’s right, they cost half as much. Somehow, they cost about the same as a stripped 911 by the time you leave the dealer though . . . . . . .

There are others (Audi TT for example), but I think the “discontinued, but still available at the dealer” NSX is a very close fit to what you’re looking for.

JamE55

You can't go wrong with the Colorado Crew (Cory and Brandon ) and their Kleemann stuff! Do it!!!
Hey Cory,

Any word on the CF cover?

Cory @ Kleemann

Not yet Jam- I'll check for you on Monday- I'll also get you those Dyno's I keep forgetting about!

ProjectC55

The stck CLK430 tranny will bolt up to the 5.5L motor no problem.

Do a search! Norman(MOTO),Steve(C55m8o),Ken(Knvs) and myself have left plenty of info for doing a 4.3L swap to a 5.5L swap in our C43's.The transmission is a non issue.Soft ware is a non issue as well.

CARLSS0N

How about E55 W211 to W208 Clk430? any info on that ?

blackbenzz

And you guys say I'm dreaming

Cory @ Kleemann

Can be done as well, although it is much more difficult (and you need to start with a W208 that has ME2.8 and EGS52). CAN Bus is different, ECU is different, wiring harness is different, etc. Transmission isn't the issue- electronics are. And good luck finding a used W211 E55 engine for less than $15K, not including the harness or the ECU- this project would be worth more than the car in parts alone.

ProjectC55

I agree! He'd be better of dropping in and Supercharging a N/A 5.5l or S/C the current 4.3L motor that's in the car.

JamE55

Thanks Cory! Also pls don't forget to ship my old parts back. Oh btw just f.y.i. i'm strictly running the motor with 101oct and will experiment with higher (110 or 120+?) do you forsee any problems going higher? Even with lsd on 2nd and 3rd tires still break lose!