*** 208 Prototype ***
answered my own question... http://www.mkb-power.de/
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MKB is a very high end MBZ tuning company located a few miles from the factory in Germany. Simon and I have visited the factory as we used to import a good amount of the product. The "M" is the "M" from AMG.
In fact, there were shipments leaving to many well known "tuners" as well (some just re-badged the MKB parts as their own.
The problem was the pricing was very high and with the exchange rate filp flopping the pricing got crazy.
Richard is correct, we have built 2 different exhaust manifolds for the 208 - one log and one header. We could certainly start a production run, I would just need a commitment of 5-10 people.
Thanks
brad
In fact, there were shipments leaving to many well known "tuners" as well (some just re-badged the MKB parts as their own.

The problem was the pricing was very high and with the exchange rate filp flopping the pricing got crazy.
Richard is correct, we have built 2 different exhaust manifolds for the 208 - one log and one header. We could certainly start a production run, I would just need a commitment of 5-10 people.
Thanks
brad
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01 CLK 430
Okay, so I dropped off my car on Monday to get them installed. Straight forward install my SA quoted me 5.7 hours on the re/re of the parts. Tech called me about an hour after I dropped it off and suggested that I get new manifold gaskets, other than that it was smooth sailing.
Got my car back this morning and it sounds great!!! The tone is deeper and more robust. It was a little shrill before with secondary cat delete and the custom X-pipe with the Y-collector.
I have a dyno session scheduled for next week on Tuesday.
Got my car back this morning and it sounds great!!! The tone is deeper and more robust. It was a little shrill before with secondary cat delete and the custom X-pipe with the Y-collector.
I have a dyno session scheduled for next week on Tuesday.
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01 CLK 430
X-pipe & Parts List
Eight (8) 112 142 01 80
Four (4) 170 990 00 10
One (1) 113 016 02 21
All can be found at www.oempartsdirect.com
Four (4) 170 990 00 10
One (1) 113 016 02 21
All can be found at www.oempartsdirect.com
Thread Starter
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From: KCMO, but Houston is my home.
01 CLK 430
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From: Scottsdale (aka The Surface of the Sun)
First off, congrats on the manifolds. They are close to the log manifold that we made many moons ago and we did get some nice gains. Cannot wait to see your dyno's!
Ok, that is what I thought, but did not want to make any assumptions.
So based on that rear most merge, I think that you are going to loose HP (or at least limit any gains from the other mods up-stream) with that. You really want to have a proper "Y" to smooth the flow prior to the muffler. In fact, doing an X directly into a Y offers little gain over just a Y. Ideally, you would do the X upstream and a nice Y later in the system. I wouldn't remove the X now since it is done, but I would replace the Y or merge with something like this:

You can see more HERE and HERE
That one change could (not saying 100% as there are no guarantees with car modding), but it COULD make a big difference in your overall system.
The quality of the X and Y pipes in a system are hugely important. I have seen a lot of "shops" make X pipes very wrong and the result is always very little power gain to worst case a fair power loss. Exhaust flow and resonance is critical in keeping the energy flowing and in fact accelerating out of the pipe.
Also, ideally, this is the type of X that you would want to use: (but again, looking at the X your guys made, it is not that bad at all)

See how the transitions and flow pattern are gentle? With yours, the merge at the base of the "Y" basically dumps the exhaust into each other, creating a wall of turbulence, rather then allowing each pipe to scavenge from the other and preventing both from smoothly flowing and accelerating the total exhaust gas into the muffler.
Does any of this make any sense?
Thanks
brad
So based on that rear most merge, I think that you are going to loose HP (or at least limit any gains from the other mods up-stream) with that. You really want to have a proper "Y" to smooth the flow prior to the muffler. In fact, doing an X directly into a Y offers little gain over just a Y. Ideally, you would do the X upstream and a nice Y later in the system. I wouldn't remove the X now since it is done, but I would replace the Y or merge with something like this:

You can see more HERE and HERE
That one change could (not saying 100% as there are no guarantees with car modding), but it COULD make a big difference in your overall system.
The quality of the X and Y pipes in a system are hugely important. I have seen a lot of "shops" make X pipes very wrong and the result is always very little power gain to worst case a fair power loss. Exhaust flow and resonance is critical in keeping the energy flowing and in fact accelerating out of the pipe.
Also, ideally, this is the type of X that you would want to use: (but again, looking at the X your guys made, it is not that bad at all)

See how the transitions and flow pattern are gentle? With yours, the merge at the base of the "Y" basically dumps the exhaust into each other, creating a wall of turbulence, rather then allowing each pipe to scavenge from the other and preventing both from smoothly flowing and accelerating the total exhaust gas into the muffler.
Does any of this make any sense?

Thanks
brad
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Joined: May 2005
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From: KCMO, but Houston is my home.
01 CLK 430
First off, congrats on the manifolds. They are close to the log manifold that we made many moons ago and we did get some nice gains. Cannot wait to see your dyno's!
Ok, that is what I thought, but did not want to make any assumptions.
So based on that rear most merge, I think that you are going to loose HP (or at least limit any gains from the other mods up-stream) with that. You really want to have a proper "Y" to smooth the flow prior to the muffler. In fact, doing an X directly into a Y offers little gain over just a Y. Ideally, you would do the X upstream and a nice Y later in the system. I wouldn't remove the X now since it is done, but I would replace the Y or merge with something like this:

You can see more HERE and HERE
That one change could (not saying 100% as there are no guarantees with car modding), but it COULD make a big difference in your overall system.
The quality of the X and Y pipes in a system are hugely important. I have seen a lot of "shops" make X pipes very wrong and the result is always very little power gain to worst case a fair power loss. Exhaust flow and resonance is critical in keeping the energy flowing and in fact accelerating out of the pipe.
Also, ideally, this is the type of X that you would want to use: (but again, looking at the X your guys made, it is not that bad at all)

See how the transitions and flow pattern are gentle? With yours, the merge at the base of the "Y" basically dumps the exhaust into each other, creating a wall of turbulence, rather then allowing each pipe to scavenge from the other and preventing both from smoothly flowing and accelerating the total exhaust gas into the muffler.
Does any of this make any sense?
Thanks
brad
Ok, that is what I thought, but did not want to make any assumptions.
So based on that rear most merge, I think that you are going to loose HP (or at least limit any gains from the other mods up-stream) with that. You really want to have a proper "Y" to smooth the flow prior to the muffler. In fact, doing an X directly into a Y offers little gain over just a Y. Ideally, you would do the X upstream and a nice Y later in the system. I wouldn't remove the X now since it is done, but I would replace the Y or merge with something like this:

You can see more HERE and HERE
That one change could (not saying 100% as there are no guarantees with car modding), but it COULD make a big difference in your overall system.
The quality of the X and Y pipes in a system are hugely important. I have seen a lot of "shops" make X pipes very wrong and the result is always very little power gain to worst case a fair power loss. Exhaust flow and resonance is critical in keeping the energy flowing and in fact accelerating out of the pipe.
Also, ideally, this is the type of X that you would want to use: (but again, looking at the X your guys made, it is not that bad at all)

See how the transitions and flow pattern are gentle? With yours, the merge at the base of the "Y" basically dumps the exhaust into each other, creating a wall of turbulence, rather then allowing each pipe to scavenge from the other and preventing both from smoothly flowing and accelerating the total exhaust gas into the muffler.
Does any of this make any sense?

Thanks
brad
It was doing exactly what you just described, and it sounded funky to boot. Like the exhaust gases were smashing into one another It took a lot of question asking and reading but I eventually figured it out.
Thanks for looking at it and offering your guidance. I love your products (rockin the evosport pullies) and the service is always top notch.
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01 CLK 430
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Makes perfect since!!! That's why I now have a Y-collector just like the one you have pictured!!!! I learned an X-pipe is usually reserved for a true dual exhaust system like the ones on a W211 E55. I figured having the X there couldn't hurt, and if it help great.
It was doing exactly what you just described, and it sounded funky to boot. Like the exhaust gases were smashing into one another It took a lot of question asking and reading but I eventually figured it out.
Thanks for looking at it and offering your guidance. I love your products (rockin the evosport pullies) and the service is always top notch.
It was doing exactly what you just described, and it sounded funky to boot. Like the exhaust gases were smashing into one another It took a lot of question asking and reading but I eventually figured it out.
Thanks for looking at it and offering your guidance. I love your products (rockin the evosport pullies) and the service is always top notch.
Thanks for the nice words.
Do you have any pics of the exhaust now?
thanks
brad
Is this custom exhaust manifold going to fit the 55 as well? I may be interested in a set for my C55 (can't justify the Renntech header price). Let me know when they are available.
Regards,
Regards,
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From: KCMO, but Houston is my home.
01 CLK 430
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,843
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From: KCMO, but Houston is my home.
01 CLK 430
Thread Starter
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From: KCMO, but Houston is my home.
01 CLK 430
Dealership...
The dyno has been rescheduled for this Friday. It would seem that the dealership has trouble inserting Tab A into Slot B and tightening!! 
So there is a leak from the pipes under the car at start up. I take it in Wednesday so they can fix the problem. Didn't know if it would affect the dyno or not but it just eerks me to think how they do things sometimes.
And make sure you get the Dollar per Hour time and let them get over on you with that Grid time crap.
Sorry guys.

So there is a leak from the pipes under the car at start up. I take it in Wednesday so they can fix the problem. Didn't know if it would affect the dyno or not but it just eerks me to think how they do things sometimes.
And make sure you get the Dollar per Hour time and let them get over on you with that Grid time crap.
Sorry guys.
hope its an easy fix. you should send them a bill for time lost. see how they like that! so what are we looking at in price for this. i have been quite waiting on the outcome but cant any more i want some.
Last edited by sick430; Aug 22, 2007 at 01:29 PM.
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01 CLK 430






These are for the W208 and W210 chassis.