DTRMND1

OK,

I don't post much on here...I am just too busy with so much in life.

I was an avid and heavy poster in a few of the Lexus Forums for many years while I built my V8 Coupe from a stock NA 4.0 Liter to a built, blown, balanced, blueprinted, twin turbo 4.1 Liter V8.

I still own that car, and do not plan to sell it. Just so you know, I entered it in the Spring Break Nationals Tuner Jams section and place 1st Place and Best in Show in the Ultimate Class. I will be conducting further tuning on the Lexus soon, and I expect I will boost it safely to between 850 and 950 HP at the rear wheels, and probably around 1,000 ft lbs of TQ.

Incidentally, I assembled my engine and balanced and blueprinted it myself, so I understand a massive undertaking of a project. I brought this up because My 2010 E550 Coupe is my daily driver...I never planned to modify it at all...But the bug has it me and I wanted to explore what was possible at a reasonable cost and keeping the great reliability of the car...Of course, Several have posted up on this forum asking what can be done...And the general consensus is sell it, get a bi-turbo, or an AMG. I get it. Of course, for us E class coupe lovers, there is no AMG.

So, I looked into a newer bi-turbo coupe, black on black, just like mine...And here is the issue...I have only ever bought (2) cars brand new in my life due to the massive hit I took each time I went to sell my used car from the new price i paid. I also financed those two cars. I stopped financing cars and I bought clean, low mileage, one-owner, never-been-smoked-in, 1-2 year old cars after that...And I pay cash, since I drive lots of miles due to my career, and I dislike car payments.

Why the prelude??? Because I looked recently at a bi-turbo 2013, low miles, one owner, black on black and they wanted to kill me on my trade, so the net, net was a whopping $21k out of pocket just to buy the car...Then I would have to take it to RennTech, Kleeman, WeisTec, or one of the other tuners in the MB World, and drop even more cash. All of this, when I own a street terror monster Lexus that is probably the nicest SC coupe on the planet...It is certainly a one-of-a-kind SC400. I built the whole car...Engine, drive train, suspension, wheels, brakes, steering, interior, body, and paint. I spent over $100k on all of the upgrades...Several I did myself, several I commissioned out as I am not a fabricator/welder. I am still tweaking it until this day...

So, I don't want another "project", but a "little more "umph" and improvements would be nice...Until I decide to drop the cash for a used 2017 C63 Coupe, or better yet, a used 2016 AMG GTS, which is probably what I will do...

So, after researching what is available, I decided to purchase a brand new set of Kleeman Headers and Cat delete from Cory at Kleeman USA, and I bought the My Genius from OE Tuning for their Stage 2 tune.

I have received both, and they will be installed within the next few weeks...The headers and the new Map from OE...I would have used Kleeman, but I had to send off my ECU, and with OE, no need with the My Genius. Plus, if I find a good deal on a 2012 Black/black E550 Coupe and what I do is not enough on my current coupe, I can always use the My Genius on the Biturbo Coupe. So that is money well spent.

For the potential gains, I spent about $2k including install...Not bad for a NA car and the expected gains.

I will dyno the car before and after and let you all know by posting up the dyno results on this thread. Then, for all of you NA E550 Coupes, or otherwise, I think they will work on the sedan as well, you can decide it it is worth it to you.

I'm posting some pics of the header kit from Kleeman, which is a nicely built stainless set, constructed out of 304 stainless, 4 tubes into a single merge collector, cat deletes have the bungs already welded in place for the primary and secondary 02 sensors, and the My Genius is top quality as well.

We'll see what we get, and of course, the all important "buttometer" is always important as well.

Ryan

DTRMND1

Here's the pics of the hardware for my E550 C.

Ryan

DTRMND1

Just a couple pics of my Lexus I bought...Sorry I am posting this on a Mercedes forum...Just letting know I'm for real...

Ryan

DTRMND1

A few more...

ffr2014

My Genius will not work for 2012 E550 Coupe, bench flash of ECU is only option for the M278 TTV8 engine.

Nice work on the Lexus SC! Look forward to seeing your mods on the NA E550.

DTRMND1

Thanks for the kudos on my Lexus! Yeah, I did not research that...I just made an assumption the My Genius would work on the later model. Thanks for the correction.

Well, we'll see what happens on the performance mods...Again, nothing like the AMG's, but maybe a decent improvement.

2010_E550

Welcome. Beautiful SC. I wanna see those results. I'm interested in the headers and tune, as well.

DTRMND1

Thanks! I will post up!!

DTRMND1

Here is the Dyno. Nice numbers, and it was 90 degrees this afternoon!! Car is bone stock. I plan to flash ECU this afternoon and upload Stage 1 before Header and Cat Delete. I will re-Dyno on Friday with the Stage 1 Tune so you can see that. Next Tuesday, the car gets Header and Cat delete, and Stage 2 Flash from OE Tuning.

Heads Up to those of you that use OS X, My Genius not currently compatible with Apple. Need Windows computer or Windows installed on your Mac.

Dyno today:

2010_E550

Nice. At 15% drivetrain loss you are right at 386 crank HP. Not sure if that is the correct % but never the less still impressive. How many miles on the car?

DTRMND1

Thanks! 90k miles on my car, but never missed a maintenance...I always maintain my cars...

Ryan

2010_E550

Any updates?

dudley07726

You have 90k on your MB? Has it always been reliable? Any problems? Very interested as I own my 2013 and will be keeping it for quite a while.

DTRMND1

Your percentage was off, but still nice numbers and this is a Mustang and very conservative...

DTRMND1

Yes...I got 355 at the rear wheels in 100 degree temps! That was with the Stage 1 Tune, before headers and cat delete. If the temps were lower, I would have had even more...

I did not get a copy of the dyno as there was a problem printing, but it stays in the record, so I will get it and post up soon.

The car is at the shop: FS Tuning, in Orlando is installing it. The headers are on but they needed a few extra accessories...Be ready on Thursday. I have a few pics to post up of the headers installed from the bottom of the car.

Once completed, I will add Stage 2 Tune...Can't wait as this should be a very good change.

Ryan

DTRMND1

It's been very reliable! But yours is a bi-turbo...Even better...And you can tune a lot of additional power if you want to spend the money...

Ryan

Late

interested to hear the exhaust note after the headers go in with a cat delete.
Going to need some sticky rubber to put the extra power down
Keep those updates coming!

2010_E550

What is the correct % ?

2010_E550

Nice. I think you may get another 20 whp with the headers.

Can you explain what else you needed to install the headers?

DTRMND1

You take off the drive train loss from the BHP, not add to the WHP. So, assuming a 15% drive train loss from BHP to WHP, the BHP would be approximately 418. Example, 418 x .85= 355.3 WHP. Again, assuming a 15% loss...

Ryan

DTRMND1

The sound is superb! I picked up my car today...Not too loud at all! I was concerned that it would be too loud and drone into the car...Not at all. Just a little bit crisper, a little bit louder, and at WOT, sounds more like an AMG V8. Really nice, IMHO!! At normal throttle, it is sweet...Kleeman built a great set of headers and the cat delete.

Now, I have not yet added the Stage 2 tune...But let me tell you this...The response of the car is now night and day difference!!! In Sport mode and with traction control off, my car snaps my head back now...The response is significantly different!! I could not stop smiling!!!

I am very happy that I did this. I will dyno next week sometime and send you the updates...I can't wait to add the Stage 2 tune!! BTW, now, when I step on it from a standing start, it rips the rear tires, and the front end literally lifts up at launch...It feels like the engine awoke so much that it is now forcefully pulling the car forward...Where before it was a smooth push, now it more like a muscle car when I step on it!! If I drive it normally, car is exactly the same. Best few thousand upgrade I have ever spent!!!! Period!! Car is really fun to drive...Gonna add a few additional personal touches to it...Little bit of CF outside in the right places, a rear CF diffuser, a front CF lip, a rear deck CF spoiler, some additional badging...Some different wheels...

See the pics...FS Tuning did an excellent install...Note I added the two stainless Flex Tubes and they were then spray painted with black ceramic paint...Also, there were some additional bolts needed to bolt every thing up. All the underside body panels fit back up. One had to be trimmed a little on the edges as the exhaust sits a little lower right where the Flex Tubes are welded in...I think anybody that has a NA Coupe or Sedan that wants more oomph, and does not want to buy a Bi-Turbo or an AMG, and they don't want to break the bank, Do this upgrade! Again, this is a different car...It is Fun to drive!!

2010_E550

Damn, I need this.

ffr2014

Nice work! I look forward to seeing your dyno results.

a100steaksauce

Where did you buy the kleeman headers?

sick Lex

DTRMND1

I reached out to Kleeman USA in Colorado, and bought them direct from Cory.

Ryan