NYCGLK

Hi all,
My friend is planning to take his daily 2014 E350 to race track for his first ever event in a couple of weeks. While E350 is far from ideal, it will be his first time, weather will be cooler and the car will be on its all-seasons so I think naturally there will be limit to how hard it will be pushed.
We are going to put ECB yellow pads up front and we have pretty new rotors. We'll also put fresh ATE200. Transmission fluid, diffs fluids, new brakes and brake flush were done earlier this year and we just did an oil change.
Has anybody taken their 350 or 550 to track? I imagine stability control will be going nuts and transmission will be rushing up-shifts.

KEY08

Wow, not something I would expect anyone to do with a non-AMG Mercedes. Sounds like you are addressing the brake function properly, and that is the number one concern with a heavy sedan. I will guarantee if pushed hard expect it to go into limp mode.
My Shelby GT350 is a track focused car with special coolers for oil, transmission, differential, etc and can be driven hard without concern for going into a limp mode condition and ruining your day. I hope he has fun, but if you are looking at regular track days he may want to buy a different car more suited for it.

NYCGLK

yea it won't be dedicated track for sure, just a taste of track to see if that's something he might like enough

S-Prihadi

The younger twin brother of E350, E400 that is..... at the track ( fun but hard drive ).
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...helin-ps4.html

arcnspark

What is the temp rating of the brake fluid?
I have use ATE 600 deg. For years in my Porsche race car.

ccww

@S-Prihadi takes his E400 to the racetrack and is a wealth of technical knowledge. He may have some valuable advice for you.

NYCGLK

wow that's a lot of info there. Surprised to see how hot coolant got. Were abmient temps high? We will be lucky to hit 20C and it will be 20 min sessions so I hope temps stay manageable.
Glad to see brakes were ok, that's my biggest concern.

NYCGLK

I don't remember off hand but temp rating is kinda useless. It's a dry boiling point, which is theoretical and wet boiling point is based on certain percentage of water according to DOT if I recall correctly.
Lower rated fresh break fluid > higher rated old fluid.

On my race car I use motul 600 and bleed before every event and sometimes during if I'm changing wheelss

arcnspark

Dot 5 IIRC

S-Prihadi

30 - 32C is typical of my ambient temp. Tropical country, its either HOT or WET but still HOT
Your friends E350 probably does not get 344mm rotor and 4 piston caliper as standard... yes ?
Due to the E400 labeled E400 AMG ( poorman AMG LoL ) is how they sell E400 in my country, I got 344mm rotor and 4 piston calipers both by Brembo.... among other goodies.
If the E350 brakes is say 90% as good as what I get, that should do okey I am sure.

Safe n fun drive....

nota_amg

...unless the oil filter loosens!

KEY08

oh please. I had more faith in you. I have a canister filter, like a Mercedes, but thanks for the comment. Now go and blow up your TT

LILBENZ230

I can't imagine tracking my E350.. it is perfectly competent, but that does not sound fun at all.

DFWdude

I assume we're not discussing a drag strip, but a real road course with RT and LT turns, hills, dales, etc.

I would not waste my time, but that's just me. Something about my 2-ton sled with screaching tires... not because I'm gong fast at all, but because I'm constantly looking in the mirrors and pulling off line to let nimbler cars pass. That would get really old, really fast.

LILBENZ230

The E350 really is super competent on the road. Cruise on the highway at 90mph? Sure. Even on back roads, the car has higher limits than me. I flip back and forth between the twin-turbo Macan and the E350 a lot. The Macan has way more torque, 40 more HP, and massive 6 piston front brakes. Even jumping from that to the E350, it never feels like it needs more power or bigger brakes. But I can imagine it would become a complete basket case if really pushed. I don't know if you'll actually be able to break it, though. These things are pretty robust.

hyperion667

WHaaaat?! This is a gag right? LOL!

Hmm, "I really like the way my V6 kicks it on the track!" Isn't something I have heard anyone say......on this forum anyway

Having said that: it might actually be sort of fun
Please let us know how it goes

nota_amg

whoa! take it easy...you obviously haven't seen AdamLZ's video where that happened. Supposedly a issue with more than one of the 350's. Engine harmonics loosen the spin-on filter and catches the motor on fire???

At least the earlier ones did, glad you got the upgrade. Wanna race?

KEY08

2015-16 had the spin on and Ford changed to the canister for 2017 on. Ford provided instructions and a filter wrench so they could be torqued property. Some guys didn’t follow instructions and others safety wired them. For those that failed, Ford just handed them a new $30,000 engine. I will race at any track that isn’t straight. Lol

nota_amg

DAMN! lol

pierrejoliat

Well I for one can't wait to see that! So it's halfway between Austin and Chicago? www.HallettRacing.net ?

nota_amg

okay, so we just need to find a track with only one turn, just past the start/finish line, then a looooong straight!

well, probably not THAT long...

KEY08

Ha! You will smoke my ***. Remember I also drive that amazing beast, untuned, but I know the power it can display from a dig. The GT350, even with 526HP was not developed for that kind of work. Different focus. 👍

nota_amg

coupled with the fact I make quite a bit more than 526hp...yeah, that might happen. but yes, totally different focus.

pierrejoliat

Funny, in the seventies I had an AAR "Cuda, lime green, I took it to Nelson Ledges our closest road course, it was terrible! my Volkswagen Scirocco was faster in lap time, the 'Cuda would blow it away on the straights and the Scirocco was faster through the turns, My buddy had the sister car, a Challenger Trans-Am, 340 six pack, He would pass me on all the straights and I would pass him in the curves! Good times...

nota_amg

I was an avid roadracer with the "24 hours of lemons" series for 7-8 years(15 races), got a lot of seat time at MSR Houston. Been a while since I was able to do this...maybe I need to call up the old teammates and see if we can get the band back together!

I do miss it...