SL-Class (R129) 1990-2002: SL 280, SL 300, SL 320, SL 500, SL 600, SL 60 AMG

SL/R129: R129 M113 Modifications

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Old Sep 21, 2022 | 12:26 AM
  #1  
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R129 - 2000 SL500
R129 M113 Modifications

Hey there everyone, I'm new here.

I have a 2000 SL500 with the M113. Im trying to do some performance based modifications to the engine and car in general. Not looking to build a race car, but more or less wake the car up a little bit.

I've been in contact with a few distributors of aftermarket components. Primarily looking for an ECU flash on a ME 2.0. Kleemann is the top contender as of now due to their ability to flash the ME 2.0 vs a ME 2.8. I found during my search this may make a difference. Does anyone have any suggestions for other tuners? Large or small. (VRP is too busy moving warehouses to help at this time, weistec refuses to touch the ME 2.0) I ask because I would like to eventually remove my Secondary Air and EGR to clean up my engine bay and avoid problems down the road. I know of VRPs available block off plates. Kleemann from my current understanding does not provide the software to remove these components and have the CEL be happy. (I'd rather not pull the bulb)

Besides that I'm looking at purchasing a set of kleemann camshafts or potentially a mild set of catcams. Does anyone have personal experience replacing these in a NA113? Any tips, tricks, or advice is appreciated.

Before someone says it, I want to keep my current engine and I'm not looking to swap a M113K unless my motor goes out down the road. Lastly, does anyone have any other "cool" modifications they would recommend or in general advice.

Thank you.


Current Mods- Strut Bar- Radio- Amp
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Old Sep 21, 2022 | 02:28 AM
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R129 SL55 AMG & W208 CLK55 AMG
Are you able to find a salvage engine from a W220, W208 or W210 5.4 AMG ?
Engine swap is straight forward and you can get even more power when you tune your ECU.
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Old Sep 22, 2022 | 02:48 PM
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Old Sep 23, 2022 | 03:10 AM
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Stay away from OE tuning, people have reported really bad experiences with them. Eurocharged has indicated that they would be able to provide a tune for my 99' SL, but I never pulled the trigger.

My first mod to the SL was remove the intake baffles on the radiator so that the intake is getting "ram" air from the grill.

The second thing I did was to replace the airbox with m113k airboxes and Y pipe. Again, same thing, "ram" air directly into the intake manifold.



Right now I'm looking into an exhaust, I'm probably going to go the CKS route for the muffler and possibly a custom x-pipe to replace the resonators in the middle of the car.

Last edited by SLGuy408; Sep 24, 2022 at 01:43 PM. Reason: Added picture
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Old Sep 23, 2022 | 04:29 AM
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The only issue with our ECU's is that we need to remove them and send them to the tuner.
And then hope when we get them back and re-install... everything works okay.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 01:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Ahmed
The only issue with our ECU's is that we need to remove them and send them to the tuner.
And then hope when we get them back and re-install... everything works okay.
Not necessarily, Eurocharged indicated that they would send a OB2 scanner tool to me, then I would upload the tune myself.

Although I would much prefer to have my car tuned on a Dyno but it seems unless you got a newer Merc no one will even bother to entertain that idea.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 11:33 AM
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Mercedes Swap Shop, he can make it me2.8, not extremely hard.


Tuning your are looking at 10whp probably and 10tq

Also make sure your transmission is good and serviced, buy a 150% valve body. Will shift much faster, one of the best mods every for a car with a 722.6

Catless should make 10/15 whp. Yes it will throw a check engine light. But from my Experience with me2.0 you have like a 5/6 start window where all the monitors are ran, and it will pass state inspection.


5.4 swap is the cheapest and easy way to go, 40 to 50whp and torque, maybe even more.


I built a custom intake for my w210 E55 and last night I made one for my 129, with some parts we had at the shop to see if it will work.


my 210 this made 18whp on my e55

my 129 not how it will look once finished. Using a different filter and a carbon pipe. Going to dyno it also. Going to make a heat shield also, run some tubing got more fresh air also.

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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by eurochargedw210
Mercedes Swap Shop, he can make it me2.8, not extremely hard.


Tuning your are looking at 10whp probably and 10tq

Also make sure your transmission is good and serviced, buy a 150% valve body. Will shift much faster, one of the best mods every for a car with a 722.6

Catless should make 10/15 whp. Yes it will throw a check engine light. But from my Experience with me2.0 you have like a 5/6 start window where all the monitors are ran, and it will pass state inspection.


5.4 swap is the cheapest and easy way to go, 40 to 50whp and torque, maybe even more.


I built a custom intake for my w210 E55 and last night I made one for my 129, with some parts we had at the shop to see if it will work.


my 210 this made 18whp on my e55

my 129 not how it will look once finished. Using a different filter and a carbon pipe. Going to dyno it also. Going to make a heat shield also, run some tubing got more fresh air also.

Also your secondary cats, deleting those makes power on an m156, I could see it making power on a 113.

Probably an x pipe and close as you can get it to the transmission.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 12:24 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by eurochargedw210
Also your secondary cats, deleting those makes power on an m156, I could see it making power on a 113.

Probably an x pipe and close as you can get it to the transmission.

Also C43’s came with 5.4 cams. You could get a set of 5.4 cams and have them installed also. Maybe 10whp. Not really sure.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 01:35 PM
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001 s600, 94 sl600
Anything other than a Cat-delete and good "tune" is very marginal gain. Changing fuel injectors is PART of a good 'tune."
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Kebowers47
Anything other than a Cat-delete and good "tune" is very marginal gain. Changing fuel injectors is PART of a good 'tune."

What? The intake on my e55 made 18whp, that’s more than the tune and cat delete.

Also why would you change your injectors? Maybe install new injectors of the same size.


Also a new intake manifold, maybe egr and air injection delete also.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by SLGuy408
Stay away from OE tuning, people have reported really bad experiences with them. Eurocharged has indicated that they would be able to provide a tune for my 99' SL, but I never pulled the trigger.

My first mod to the SL was remove the intake baffles on the radiator so that the intake is getting "ram" air from the grill.

The second thing I did was to replace the airbox with m113k airboxes and Y pipe. Again, same thing, "ram" air directly into the intake manifold.



Right now I'm looking into an exhaust, I'm probably going to go the CKS route for the muffler and possibly a custom x-pipe to replace the resonators in the middle of the car.
99-02 sl500's dont have resonators
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by sushipaste
99-02 sl500's dont have resonators
Yea, I've just found out that the cans directly under the drive shaft are not resonators as someone had told me, but instead are secondary catalytic converters that cannot be removed and replaced with an X pipe.......well not legally anyway.....O well.
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Old Sep 24, 2022 | 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by SLGuy408
Yea, I've just found out that the cans directly under the drive shaft are not resonators as someone had told me, but instead are secondary catalytic converters that cannot be removed and replaced with an X pipe.......well not legally anyway.....O well.

Its 100% legal to remove the secondary cats. They aren’t monitored by the car. They are know to make power on m156 cars when we moved. But yes these cars can definitely use an x pipe.

I would like to actually see a dyno from using the m113 intakes.
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Old Sep 25, 2022 | 04:15 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by SLGuy408
Not necessarily, Eurocharged indicated that they would send a OB2 scanner tool to me, then I would upload the tune myself.

Although I would much prefer to have my car tuned on a Dyno but it seems unless you got a newer Merc no one will even bother to entertain that idea.
Well, Eurocharged can answer that for you. The OP's car is a 2000 and mine is a 99.
Same ECU.
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Old Sep 25, 2022 | 11:59 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by eurochargedw210
Its 100% legal to remove the secondary cats. They aren’t monitored by the car. They are know to make power on m156 cars when we moved. But yes these cars can definitely use an x pipe.

I would like to actually see a dyno from using the m113 intakes.
Yea, since they are after the rear 02 sensors I don't think the computer will care, but as far as the Smog ****'s in California....it's just not worth the trouble.

You and me both, I've yet to find a tuner that will dyno tune this old of a Merc.
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Old Sep 25, 2022 | 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Ahmed
Well, Eurocharged can answer that for you. The OP's car is a 2000 and mine is a 99.
Same ECU.
Mine is a 99 as well, just relaying what was told to me.
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Old Sep 25, 2022 | 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by SLGuy408
Yea, since they are after the rear 02 sensors I don't think the computer will care, but as far as the Smog ****'s in California....it's just not worth the trouble.

You and me both, I've yet to find a tuner that will dyno tune this old of a Merc.
I removed my secondaries when I had my 01 sl500. Doesn’t set a check engine because post o2 sensor. I sold it before cali smog was due so no ideas about that.
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Old Sep 26, 2022 | 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by sushipaste
I removed my secondaries when I had my 01 sl500. Doesn’t set a check engine because post o2 sensor. I sold it before cali smog was due so no ideas about that.
I can attest to it not setting a CEL. One thing I have done is remove the catalyst material itself from the secondary cats. A month after I purchased the car my driver's side started to rattle internally. Disconnected the exhaust pipe and went to work with a hammer and prybar. Messy, but remedied my rattle. I also don't know if it will pass emissions, as my state doesn't do monitoring/testing.

In the future I may have an x-pipe installed, and would enjoy to replace the muffler to give the car a better tone.
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Old Sep 26, 2022 | 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted by eurochargedw210
Mercedes Swap Shop, he can make it me2.8, not extremely hard.


Tuning your are looking at 10whp probably and 10tq

Also make sure your transmission is good and serviced, buy a 150% valve body. Will shift much faster, one of the best mods every for a car with a 722.6

Catless should make 10/15 whp. Yes it will throw a check engine light. But from my Experience with me2.0 you have like a 5/6 start window where all the monitors are ran, and it will pass state inspection.


5.4 swap is the cheapest and easy way to go, 40 to 50whp and torque, maybe even more.


I built a custom intake for my w210 E55 and last night I made one for my 129, with some parts we had at the shop to see if it will work.


my 210 this made 18whp on my e55

my 129 not how it will look once finished. Using a different filter and a carbon pipe. Going to dyno it also. Going to make a heat shield also, run some tubing got more fresh air also.
When you refer to a 150% valve body, what vender are you referring to? And is there any programming that needs to be had after that sort of an install? Thanks much.
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Old Sep 26, 2022 | 01:47 PM
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Southern hotrod.

It’s one of the best mods for a car with a 722.6 transmission.
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Old Sep 26, 2022 | 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by MBtechMN
When you refer to a 150% valve body, what vender are you referring to? And is there any programming that needs to be had after that sort of an install? Thanks much.

No programming at all.
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Old Sep 28, 2022 | 03:12 AM
  #23  
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https://www.vrpspeed.com/product/e55...horty-headers/

EDIT: Never mind, they wont fit an R129.

Last edited by SLGuy408; Sep 28, 2022 at 03:15 AM.
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Old Sep 28, 2022 | 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by SLGuy408
https://www.vrpspeed.com/product/e55...horty-headers/

EDIT: Never mind, they wont fit an R129.


Not worth it, on top of everything VRP makes being junk.
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Old Oct 22, 2022 | 06:41 AM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by sushipaste
I removed my secondaries when I had my 01 sl500. Doesn’t set a check engine because post o2 sensor. I sold it before cali smog was due so no ideas about that.
Originally Posted by MBtechMN
I can attest to it not setting a CEL. One thing I have done is remove the catalyst material itself from the secondary cats. A month after I purchased the car my driver's side started to rattle internally. Disconnected the exhaust pipe and went to work with a hammer and prybar. Messy, but remedied my rattle. I also don't know if it will pass emissions, as my state doesn't do monitoring/testing.

In the future I may have an x-pipe installed, and would enjoy to replace the muffler to give the car a better tone.
For you guys that removed or gutted the secondary cats on a 99-02, was there a noticeable improvement in sound and performance? Maybe at least better throttle response?
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