MARTYMAR

Has any CLK 55 AMG owners had any of the Kleemann performance kits done to their car? I'm seriously considering one but want to hear some views and/or first hand experience any of you might have. I'm particularly interested in the following kit:

55(N/A)-K1: A Kompressor system and a custom made ECU upgrade. Up to 500 HP and 650 Nm (481 lb-ft) of torque.

I'm trying to get the most ponies and good exhaust sound without doing headers (CA emission law..go figure). Anything in the mid 400 hp range would be enough for me. I don't plan on racing and don't necessarily need more power but hell, you only live once! Besides, adding a bit more power to an already fun car to drive would be even more fun and exciting I welcome any and all comments, advice and suggestions.

M-bENZ

Nice upgrade but are we talking about $10K here ?

Andy

MARTYMAR

I have no idea how much this package is but from your estimate it, it might be a bit out of my price range for now Kleemann performance mods are ridiculously high...oh well...

M-bENZ

lolz I might be wrong thou..but are u talking about the whole Kompressor installation and the ECU upgrade right ? if so I bet the price is somewhere around there.

Andy

MARTYMAR

Yeah that's what I had in mind...but I read from another post that it was around 13k! Now that I think about it that does make sense considering the numbers. Oh yeah, did you ever find out what your gains are for the speedtunning ECU upgrade?

M-bENZ

here is the price from evosport,

http://www.evosport.com/product/prod...LM.PER.M09.SC3

Andy

MARTYMAR

I don't need the ponies that bad...geez

M-bENZ

with that amount of money + sell your car = E55 /// AMG

Andy

MARTYMAR

Yeah you're right...but I'm gonna keep the CLK...it's a rare car

suicidal4life

The recent 2009 Kleemann price list I've seen (not from Evosport) shows 7,995 for the Kompressor and 895 for ECU. This doesn't include install.

mb_c55amg_guy

i would say in the neighborhood of 11.5-12k with install and tune. Then you can add the lsd for 900 (1900 installed) headers for 1495 (2500 installed) exhaust from 3k-6k plus install..port and polish...cams...pulleys...it can really go high. I am looking in the 27k-34k range just on mine alone.

SoCalCLK

The extra HP would be fun, no doubt, but is it worth the cost?

M-bENZ

yup...same question that I always ask myself

Andy

wawy

Age old question isn't it? Actually, now that Kleemann dropped their prices things are shall we say more attainable. I purchased their headers but am getting hassled by my dealer so I'm not sure what I will do. I would love to get one of their kompressors...

SoCalCLK

The headers are a great idea. I would consider headers, ECU tune, resonator delete, pulley, etc. but would stop short of the S/C.

MARTYMAR

I would agree SoCal but here in Cali wouldn't you be concerned about passing smog with the headers? I mean there are ways of getting around that...I have a mechanic that will pass smog for me for a little extra $$$ If you know what I mean. I've heard some horror stories about headers which makes me a bit hesistant on getting them on my car. Do any of you know of anyone that has had bad experiences with headers? If so, please share...because I always here the good side but being objective I want to know both the good and negative. All couldn't possibly be good all the time with these headers...I want to hear the pros and cons...first had experience...anyone care to share what they know?

wawy

Not fist hand experience yet but if you're looking for negatives with aftermarket headers the only things I've come across from people are:

They can crack (very rare)
They can leak if they're not installed properly
Dealer hassling you if the car is still under warranty

The good? Well, more HP/TQ, better sound (subjective) and probably one of the most effective mods you can do for a naturally aspirated engine like ours short of throwing on a blower...

MARTYMAR

Good info. Thanks. How are your sway bars? I see in your signature that you added them...are they worth the money? I was gonna get H&R sway bars but became dis-interested when someone told me that unless you're racing your car on the track, they're pointless..but to each his own.

wawy

I had the rear only H&R sway bar on my C32. I noticed two things - it helped eliminate so called "body roll" when hard cornering and it reduced understeer.

My C55 is pretty good in the handling department already since it shares components with the CLK so I don't really feel an overwhelming need for it now.

The sway bars do help however....

MarcusF

I've had first hand experience with a number of non-MB cars: headers without a CARB sticker don't pass smog. On other cars, I've swapped out entire exhaust systems, removed/hidden ignition mods, and reinstalled the stock air intake every other year - just to pass SolCal smog. I've failed the visual and passed the sniffer on the same test. These guys can be brutal. Paying extra, only showing up on certain days, and only then if the boss doesn't drop in, or it's not crowded . . . . it's easier for me to simply swap the stuff back. Unfortunately, the CLK's square peg (the engine) in that square hole (engine bay), doesn't leave a lot of room for regular exhaust swaps. The 55 can only be a tighter fit (exact same exh manifolds as I have).

mb_c55amg_guy

this true....just like with anything in life....you gotta pay to play.

ABALONE

I've had my Kleemann headers for 1 year now and i'm more then happy with them
Better sound, my car gained aprox 20-30 WHP combined with the special ECU tune.
It made 420 HP and 600 NM with headers+downpipes,exhaust and special ECU tune. If i would have added cams to that it would have landed on aprox 430-440 HP with a new ECU tune.

But i stopped there and bolted on a Kleemann supercharger instead that just have been installed So my 420 HP 600 NM turned into 538,7 HP a few days ago in Kleemanns dyno at only 0,4 bar boost.

Ask me if i'm happy

// Magnus

SoCalCLK

Great point, MartyMar. Honestly, I haven't had to take my car in for a CA SMOG check for over 2 years, and I never had to take in my CLK430 for a smog in 4.5 years, so it's been a while (6+ years) for me.

If the Kleeman Headers have the CARB (California Air Resources Board) "sticker" (and for the amount of cash they want, it should), then you should be fine.

With 2-spark plugs per cylinder and all the cats (primary and secondary) in place, a pass shouldn't be a problem.

I always thought that if I had to do a smog test, I would just take it to the dealer (Fletcher Jones in Newport) as I have a great relationship with my SA, and just do it there.

As for the negatives on a header, yes cracks seem to be the most severe problem.

MARTYMAR

No smog check yet on your CLK? 4-5 yrs for newer cars seems to be the norm for smog checks....sometimes 6 yrs from what I've heard. That's good to know because it makes my decision a bit more clear on whether or not it's worth it. I know the Evosport short tube headers are pending the CARB sticker according to their website...not sure about Kleemanns though...I'll look them up after this post. Also, would the short tube headers be ideal for our cars are the long ones? I would suspect the short ones should work out better. I can't wait until tomorrow so that I could ask a lot of these questions to Evosport, Kleemann etc.

MatttCLKamg

I know this has been inactive but I want to get my clk up to 400-450rwhp
but keeping it N/A!
what mods would be best?
my budget is about 3,000
smog test arent and issue, just have to pay a little extra :P