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In order to receive the full benefits of the long tubes i would suggest having it tuned properly.
Any other supporting mods? What headers are you currently looking at?
I've been considering MBH Longtubes myself but I've also been looking at the idea of some shorty's, if i can find them 2nd hand. I like the idea of a simple bolt-on option just to let the car breathe a little better, and also retain the factory Cats. I can then adjust the rear section of the exhaust how i want for a little more rumble.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
As impractical as this is, you should drive a car with headers and exhaust mods first if you can. I bought a different car (my E46M) from a Eurocharged dealer. Eurocharged used to (or still does) make a lot of mods for these cars. His S55 had all of them, more power, headers, exhaust, lowered, and he wanted me to drive it to show me the difference.
I hated it, and didn't think about mods again until my OEM supercharger pulley went years later, at which time I went with the safest, most minimal mods available -- and I'll probably revert those back to stock, like in the next couple months.
The car was best when it rolled off the line IMO. Change that at your own risk. But at least try to sample before you buy. You've been warned.
OP, you may want to try a secondary cat and resonator delete before headers. I had a bug up my a$$ for the MBH long tubes....kind of still do....but with my mild 83mm pulley and tune, I think headers would make the car obnoxious and take away from what the car was destined to be....but to each his own. I removed secondary cats, resonator, and had 3" pipes with X-pipe installed, retained factory mufflers. It's still somewhat civil until I get on it, then you know it's not stock. There is quite a difference from the factory exhaust.
I'm in the same camp as MAW though. If my car was pristine with low miles I probably would've left it alone. Another note on headers, don't cheap out. Poor fitment and leaks will make you hate life.
Last edited by S_Holford; Feb 10, 2024 at 10:44 PM.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by S_Holford
I had a bug up my a$$ for the MBH long tubes....kind of still do....but with my mild 83mm pulley and tune, I think headers would make the car obnoxious and take away from what the car was destined to be....but to each his own. I removed secondary cats, resonator, and had 3" pipes with X-pipe installed, retained factory mufflers. It's still somewhat civil until I get on it, then you know it's not stock. There is quite a difference from the factory exhaust.
Any sound clips? Any drone in the rear? Any sound deadening?
Headers bring too much sound into the cabin for me. The reason I haven't done this is the car is so long I'm concerned about rear seat drone. On my M3 (which is maybe half this length LOL), I put dynamat in the doors and floors to keep some of the engine bay buzz saw out of the cabin, to great results. I'm thinking of doing the same here in preparation for this exact mod.
I did resonator delete on the Allroad 4.2, which is about this same size (it already had an X from the factory), but there's more drone in that car than I'd want in this one. I did an exhaust on the 500E but kept the resonator, again to retain the character of the car. All speak up when asked and sound great doing so.
I still think bone stock is the way these cars will be best represented down the line, looking at how other Benzes have aged (500E, W140, etc) especially when there's no performance benefit. But "to each his own" is the adage there, for a reason. If there's no rear seat drone and/or it can be "fixed" with Dynamat, then there are options. But I personally think AMG nailed the sound on this car -- gurgle around town but as soon as you flex your right foot the beast announces itself. And I sincerely doubt they left any performance on the table with something as simple as headers.
Any sound clips? Any drone in the rear? Any sound deadening?
Headers bring too much sound into the cabin for me. The reason I haven't done this is the car is so long I'm concerned about rear seat drone. On my M3 (which is maybe half this length LOL), I put dynamat in the doors and floors to keep some of the engine bay buzz saw out of the cabin, to great results. I'm thinking of doing the same here in preparation for this exact mod.
I did resonator delete on the Allroad 4.2, which is about this same size (it already had an X from the factory), but there's more drone in that car than I'd want in this one. I did an exhaust on the 500E but kept the resonator, again to retain the character of the car. All speak up when asked and sound great doing so.
I still think bone stock is the way these cars will be best represented down the line, looking at how other Benzes have aged (500E, W140, etc) especially when there's no performance benefit. But "to each his own" is the adage there, for a reason. If there's no rear seat drone and/or it can be "fixed" with Dynamat, then there are options. But I personally think AMG nailed the sound on this car -- gurgle around town but as soon as you flex your right foot the beast announces itself.
maw
I’ll have to get some sound clips one of these days when I’m not working like a slave. Come to think of it no drone at all.
I honestly feel like this is how an AMG vehicle should have come from the factory. It’s not too loud but something someone would expect from a performance car. When you hammer it WOT, it’s a different car.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by S_Holford
I’ll have to get some sound clips one of these days when I’m not working like a slave. Come to think of it no drone at all.
I honestly feel like this is how an AMG vehicle should have come from the factory. It’s not too loud but something someone would expect from a performance car. When you hammer it WOT, it’s a different car.
Agreed... just a hair too much Sonderklasse... but only a hair... it's close enough that if you don't touch it you're good and if you don't do too much you're good.
I personally think just an X instead of that center resonator thing would be perfect, but the guy I would have do it for me is the one who keeps talking me out of it😂. He's a Benz legend, long time friend and also has a 500E, so we go back and forth on whether to touch this car too heavily.
A really good set of headers will be made of material thick enough there will be zero additional noise under hood. Nothing like the cheesy headers we have all heard from under the hood of too many American cars. A proper exhaust system with bigger cats and cross tube will flow more without check engine lights or stank for those following you on the freeway. Did just this for a friend’s Brabus K8. Mellow when driven gently.... NASCAR out the rear when being a savage. Zero drone. Zero drama after several years now. No failed exhaust gaskets or leaks. But not cheap. Improvement in power over the headers and stock exhaust the car was equipped with when Jay purchased it. Brabus fit the car with a bigger crank pulley to spin the superdupercharger along with more charge cooling via bigger pump and an additional heat exchanger. The car rips. It would handily show my ‘06 E55 taillights. Ahhhh good times.
Agreed... just a hair too much Sonderklasse... but only a hair... it's close enough that if you don't touch it you're good and if you don't do too much you're good.
I personally think just an X instead of that center resonator thing would be perfect, but the guy I would have do it for me is the one who keeps talking me out of it😂. He's a Benz legend, long time friend and also has a 500E, so we go back and forth on whether to touch this car too heavily.
maw
I get that and can respect it. My car isn't a complete turd, but it had a neglected life before I got it so I don't mind some subtle resto-mods. If I were to buy another it would be nicer. The older I get the less I enjoy turning wrenches....often anyway.
Custom or off the shelf for the headers and downpipes? How much extra room is there for larger downpipes?
maw
Headers fitted to Jay’s K8 are an off the shelf thing that included downpipes, cross pipe in the middle. I forget if it included cats or if we added them. We got to move O2 sensors as they wouldn’t fit where the kit put them. There was a fair amount of effort put into making it all fit but is worth the effort.
Sounds good, actually a little louder then i was expecting so i really appreciate the video!
Maybe I'll start with just an X-Pipe and Secondary cat delete and see how that sounds, then work my way from there.
Regardless, sounds awesome. I wonder why it threw a belt. Do you have a 3-5 Piece pulley kit installed by chance? The reason i ask is because when i installed my 5 Piece UPD kit, I had a spacer flipped and it threw all of the pulleys off. I went through an HD Belt before i realized pretty quickly. Once i got that straightened out i haven't had any problems.
Sounds good, actually a little louder then i was expecting so i really appreciate the video!
Maybe I'll start with just an X-Pipe and Secondary cat delete and see how that sounds, then work my way from there.
Regardless, sounds awesome. I wonder why it threw a belt. Do you have a 3-5 Piece pulley kit installed by chance? The reason i ask is because when i installed my 5 Piece UPD kit, I had a spacer flipped and it threw all of the pulleys off. I went through an HD Belt before i realized pretty quickly. Once i got that straightened out i haven't had any problems.
- Joe
Thanks Joe, that's why I'm shying away from headers for now....not to mention the cost for the ones I've been eyeballing.
I need to go out to the garage and give everything a good once over now that the engine is cool. The belt has been on for almost 2 years without issue and the belt wrap kit was on the car when I got it.
I hope it's not the crank pulley. I've been down that road before!
Last edited by S_Holford; May 4, 2024 at 04:56 PM.
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