Performance Upgrades & Tuning Discuss general performance and tuning enhancements for your Mercedes-Benz.

best headers?

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Old May 2, 2004 | 02:47 PM
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'79 300D, '85 300Dt, '99 CLK430
Question best headers?

I've searched the forum, and found everyone saying different things. Which are the best headers for performance gains? MKB, Kleemann, supersprint, or evosport?
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Old May 5, 2004 | 02:05 AM
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'79 300D, '85 300Dt, '99 CLK430
Any reply would help
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Old May 5, 2004 | 03:12 AM
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I have MKB headers in my car. They are beautiful, but very expensive. I don't know about the headers offered by the other companies, but I'm sure they are all quality products.
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Old May 5, 2004 | 07:10 PM
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'79 300D, '85 300Dt, '99 CLK430
Thanks Sleestack for the reply, I'll look into them this weekend. Someone else also has to have headers....?
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Old May 7, 2004 | 01:39 PM
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You should also look into Kleemann headers. The pic i saw is very nice! Almost positive i'm going with the Kleemann ones.
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Old May 7, 2004 | 05:24 PM
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all headers should be around the same spec.

i'd say go for supersprint for the best $/HP ratio.
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Old May 27, 2004 | 05:20 AM
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how much is the kleemann cost ? more expensive than supersprint. I got a supersprint header for my CLK320 but it wont' fit that is why i m looking into the kleemann one. where can i find some pic ?
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Old May 27, 2004 | 05:30 AM
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how much is the kleemann cost ? more expensive than supersprint. I got a supersprint header for my CLK320 but it wont' fit that is why i m looking into the kleemann one. where can i find some pic ?
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Old May 27, 2004 | 08:43 AM
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Originally posted by tery
how much is the kleemann cost ? more expensive than supersprint. I got a supersprint header for my CLK320 but it wont' fit that is why i m looking into the kleemann one. where can i find some pic ?
KLEEMANN does not make headers for V6 cars- only V8 models.
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Old May 27, 2004 | 09:15 AM
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CLK 55
headers

I have done a lot with cars and looked at the headers on the clk55. These are pretty good parts. You will not see any HP inprovement on a Natual aspired car. Maybe 5-10 at the top RPM only.

Work on the exhaust first. Cut the resonator.
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Old May 27, 2004 | 09:53 AM
  #11  
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Re: headers

Originally posted by gregc
I have done a lot with cars and looked at the headers on the clk55. These are pretty good parts. You will not see any HP inprovement on a Natual aspired car. Maybe 5-10 at the top RPM only.

Work on the exhaust first. Cut the resonator.
Pretty good parts?? It's a dual wall, log-type manifold with a 41mm collector! Talk about a nighmare from a mass airflow standpoint. The KLEEMANN headers feature a 62mm collector (for the W208 set, 70mm for the R230 and W211 sets). We've yet to dyno a N/A car with our headers, but testing with a few OBDII "performance meters" have revealed gains in the 20-25HP range. Much more on supercharged vehciles. IMHO, the stock manifolds only represent a pumping restriction and can only be improved upon.
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Old May 27, 2004 | 10:09 AM
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Sleestack...

Where did you get you MKB headers?...did you get anything else from them?

thanks
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Old May 27, 2004 | 01:51 PM
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Originally posted by jco-amg
Sleestack...

Where did you get you MKB headers?...did you get anything else from them?

thanks
I had the entire MKB 55 Hypertune kit, MKB differential and MKB sway bars installed during my first round of tuning. It was done by Oberklasse. Really nice kit, but a bit overpriced.
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Old May 27, 2004 | 09:09 PM
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That's great...somehow I missed that you were doing this

what car is this on?

I have heard good things about MKB form Germany and was planning on bumping up my 55 when it comes and MKB is first on my list

Are you happy with it?

Are outputs as advertised?

Did you send the car to Oberklasse or have it done locally?

Did they give a decent warrantee on their work and parts?

Thanks in advance
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Old May 28, 2004 | 06:03 AM
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All OE MB manifolds are essentially the same awful junk one model to the next. As CoryU mentioned they are a "log" type manifold with a tiny downpipe. MB uses the same manifold, for example, on a W211 E500 N/A as on the W211 E55 SC. Do you really think a 41 +/- mm down pipe can flow the volume of air to support 500+ hp with no restriction? We have measured upwards of 15 psi in the manifold at WOT on the 55 SC engine with EGT's over 850 C. Backpressure falls to 5 psi with our headers and downpipes, EGT's to 650 C.

MB will use the same ex manifold on all engines in the same chassis- EG: W208 CLK 430 and 55 will have identical PN's etc.
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Old May 29, 2004 | 03:09 AM
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Originally posted by BrandonG
Backpressure falls to 5 psi with our headers and downpipes
What brand is this?
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Old May 29, 2004 | 10:37 AM
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Originally posted by 999hpCLK
What brand is this?
KLEEMANN
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Old May 29, 2004 | 11:55 AM
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Originally posted by jco-amg
That's great...somehow I missed that you were doing this

what car is this on?

I have heard good things about MKB form Germany and was planning on bumping up my 55 when it comes and MKB is first on my list

Are you happy with it?

Are outputs as advertised?

Did you send the car to Oberklasse or have it done locally?

Did they give a decent warrantee on their work and parts?

Thanks in advance
This was done on my CLK 3 years ago during my firsr round of tuning. I was very happy with the MKB 55 Hypertune Kit. The components were high quality and the performance gains were as advertised. The kit worked wonderfully with the Kleemann SC installed in round 2. I have no complaints about MKB parts and feel that they really make some great stuff for MBs. That being, said, the kit was extrememly expensive. With the increasing availabilty of similar parts from other reputable companies, hopefully the MKB pricing has come down a bit.

Actually, I'm not sure if it was MKB's pricing or Oberklasse's markup. I shipped my car to Oberklasse. I wasn't totally thrilled with my Oberklasse experience. I have alot of respect for their principal owner, Jerry, but they don't really have their act together when it comes to running a business. Furthermore, while their work on the engine work was top notch, I question their decisions on some other components. Hopefully they have a better manager now.

I don't remember anything about the terms of their warranty. I never had a problem, so it never became an issue.
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Old May 30, 2004 | 01:18 PM
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Thanks alot for the evaluation...if I go the MKB route I want to use a local shop so I can track the work and have a place to drop in on that knows the car...thanks again

Last edited by jco-amg; May 30, 2004 at 08:26 PM.
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Old Jun 6, 2004 | 02:35 AM
  #20  
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Exclamation I always thought that the stock manifold was restrictive...

Originally posted by CoryU
Pretty good parts?? It's a dual wall, log-type manifold with a 41mm collector! Talk about a nighmare from a mass airflow standpoint. The KLEEMANN headers feature a 62mm collector (for the W208 set, 70mm for the R230 and W211 sets). We've yet to dyno a N/A car with our headers, but testing with a few OBDII "performance meters" have revealed gains in the 20-25HP range. Much more on supercharged vehciles. IMHO, the stock manifolds only represent a pumping restriction and can only be improved upon.

Note that I said "manifold" and not headers, since I wouldn't call the stocker a header. In addition to the above mentioned points by Cory, isn't it also logical to assume that the Kleeman headers promote some exhaust scavenging as well? I have YET to hear even one semi-negative thing about Kleeman, and they have my upmost confidence!!

Cory- Would you mind PM'ing or e-mailing me a price for headrs for my 03 209 CLK55? Thanks in advance!!


Best regards,
Matt
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Old Jun 9, 2004 | 11:40 PM
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Guys what about Evosport headers they look really good.
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Old Jun 10, 2004 | 12:47 PM
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Hubert,

Actually, we are finishing our W211 E55 Headers as we speak!

Stay tuned!
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Old Jun 10, 2004 | 04:28 PM
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Ben do You still have them for W210 E430 because I dont see them on Evosport page no more. If yes what are the gains with Kleemann Kompressor and please e mail me the price of them.
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 02:54 AM
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MKB Price Any Ideas

Hello everyone ,
This is my very first post on the forum and would like to let all know it is a really forum and one can get all knowladge possible about thier mercedes here .

I have a C180 well thats what is available here in India and the other varient introuduced recently is the C200K but its very very expensive ,

I was wondering how much are the MKB kits - I mean the headers and the exhaust . Any ideas .

Thank you very much
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