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Mercedes CLS550 Muffler Delete with Mandrel Bent Custom Exhaust Shop in Ohio
After reading up on a number of posts on the muffler delete for the CLS550 and looking/listening to a number of videos of the sound of the exhaust with the muffler delete, I decided that the muffler delete and only the muffler delete was right for me.
Even though some have done so without problems, I decided against deleting the center resonator (and replacing it with straight pipes) as the center resonator is really an X-pipe when you look inside it, and its purpose I believe is to equalize upstream exhaust pressures from the left and right banks of the V8 at this central location. (imagine a worst case scenario if you straight piped the x pipe resonator and one side of your exhaust was either partially or fully blocked, not allowing full exhaust flow. An entire engine bank/side would experience higher backpressure than the other side, thus not allowing that side to breathe properly and expel or intake exhaust and air equal to the other side. This would cause an imbalance in the running of the engine. An X pipe resonator is a point where exhaust flow is mixed and exhaust pressure is equalized from left to right bank, so that even if there is more restriction in one side of the exhaust piping and muffler downstream of the x pipe resonator, the upstream exhaust flow and pressures that the left and right banks of the engine experience will be equal, thus ensuring proper engine breathing and operation. The left and right side of the exhaust piping and muffler downstream of the X pipe resonator will flow a given amount of exhaust which may not be equal or symmetrical given different backpressures (due to different bends and restrictions between the sides). However the exhaust back pressures and exhaust flows that both banks of the engine experience will be balanced and equal thanks to the X pipe resonator
Meistershaft makes a mid resonator delete pipe for the CLS63 that replaces the stock X-pipe resonator, and it incorporates an X/H pipe, as can be seen in the pic with the mid pipes coming together and joining ever so slightly.
Overall I am very happy with the sound of my CLS550 Exhaust with muffler delete. It sounds loud on cold start, and quiets down to stock when the idle rpm go down. However, on revving in neutral it is louder, and on hard acceleration (wot) it sounds great, much louder than stock. I really get the full experience when I run it WOT underneath an overpass with the front windows down. Sounds amazing. Its a little louder just cruising. There really is no drone to speak of as Mercedes has done a fine job with the cylindrical shaped pre resonators, one on each side located after the catalytic converters and before the mid Mounted X pipe resonator. These are resonators and not post catalytic converters. they have a straight thru design with a perforated metal sleeve inside the cylinder. Between the inner perforated metal sleeve and outer cylinder there is sound deadening material. These pre resonators do an excellent job of eliminating drone, and removing them will introduce a lot of drone while driving.
The youtube link below explains what mufflers and resonators do. I found it helpful in understanding their job and design.
MUFFLER DELETE or RESONATOR DELETE: Which One Should You Do? - Exhaust Mods!
The You Tube Video Below is a good representation of how my CLS550 sounds with just muffler delete. This owner also replaced his central resonator wth an X-pipe, but that does not gain much loudness over the stock X-pipe resonator.
It sounds pretty good revving it and driving away WOT at the end of the video.
Although you will get a louder exhaust sound straight piping the central X pipe resonator, I chose not to do it for the reasons stated in the opening post.
Mandrel Bent Custom Exhaust Shop in Ohio for Mercedes and Muscle Cars
It was hard to find a Custom Exhaust shop that does Mandrel Bending of pipe close to me. The advantage of Mandrel Bent exhaust pipe is that its cross section is not crushed down when bent, therefore exhaust flow is not choked off and power is maintained or improved over the stock exhaust system. My CLS550 with the Mandrel Bent Exhaust straight pipes replacing the mufflers feels faster now. It ran 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds consistently on hot summer days. I will have to wait until summer to do a fair comparison when the temperatures are once again warm outside. But it pulls really good, and it sounds really good too now.
I went to Steves Auto Service in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio where they do Custom Mandrel Bent Exhaust systems. It is a top notch service garage. And the exhaust work was amazing. Bernie the exhaust tech did an amazing and neat job.
The mandrel bent exhaust cost the same as taking my car to a regular muffler shop that would have kinked the pipe bends down and restricted flow and reduced power.
Bernie used 409 stainless steel for the pipe, and I brought my own tips. The mandrel bending machine is atleast $50,000 a big investment for a shop, so I want to encourage car fanatics to go to them because of their excellent work and prices.
It was well worth the drive to go to Steves Auto Service.
01-08-2020, 02:51 PM
