amok55amg

OK folks ……. now it is the time and this is the place ………. build thread started for upgrading my SL55AMG from 2003. Many plans and wishes but not sure where this will end…………………….

Started when the AC compressor gave up …. then notice the bearing for the supercharger was gone too – have bought the smaller pulley and tune from Eurocharged … also just have some carbon stuff come in …… next up is to pull the engine out for upgrading the headers ……. next month …….. any suggestion for maintains/upgrade when the engine is out are welcome.

To be continued ....................

cal1

You are going to like the extra boost and tune from EC. It really wakes the little beast up.

kustom2k1

"next up is to pull the engine out for upgrading the headers"
Your pulling the engine just to install the headers?

amok55amg

Well - not only - will try and improve/make headers myself ..... also two holes underneath each airintakes which could prove to be warnout engien mounts ... and at the same time changing the AC.

Don't think it's that big a job ........ or am I mistaken? Any good advise?

overZealous1

i think the big job part will be removing the engine. lol.

let me know what you come up with on the flanges. if you have some made i might be interested.

Ekselent

Interesting

amok55amg

It only took five minutes for the actually pull – and I was alone all the way ….. Thought it should be more difficult …… the greatest challenge was the dismantling of the steering pump …… but I know now how I should have done it in the first place. It took me a extra working day than expected …. Blaming the cold … since it’s not that encouraging working under the car when it’s -13 C and no heating.


Discovered a leaking hose for the ABC, a “homemade” welding on the left engine mount, wrong heat protection (what was left of it) on the wiring to the alternator (was change in 2009 at MB in Italy), a bad cable for the AC compressor, a cracked plastic airbaffel, torn insulation at the firewall, a broken plastic wheelhouse part, bearing gone in the supercharge compressor and of course the wrecked AC compressor.


For anybody planning to do this; if you’re not experience and determined, then make sure you have your car on a lift and not on jack stands – it takes it tolls when working under jack stands. Will dare to state this is interesting …. not funny thou ….. and the best? Don’t need to feed the stealership for the man hours …. and this way I’m sure everything will be done properly!

overZealous1

brrrrrr.... you need atleast a big space heater.

cal1

And maybe a bottle of Absolut siting in a snow bank.

Capn

Wow, that's quite the project. Atleast you got the equipment to start working on it.

amok55amg

So; …. what can I say …… I took OZ advise and didn’t try to lift the compressor myself and by a coincident this hoist with the winch fitted the exact measurements of a pallet … I only had to make the foundation – the hoist etc. I had on another machine …… not a big job at all – then, as always; safety first has been taken care off and a correct working height was also one of the benefits ….. it works perfectly)

The compressor looks like a big turkey when it’s hanging there .. ha ha … kind of funny looking I think … but what’s not that funny is the leak from the transmission ;((( …. it also seems like oil is coming out under the transmission too ….. ahhhhhh … hmmmmm …. looks like a lot of extra work just came in for Christmas? ………….

Hey - next time your under your car check for a greasy propeller shaft and surroundings – just where it’s is attached to the transmission.

kustom2k1

You should just put new gaskets in all around. Which headers are you going to use?

barberfirestop

That is one heavy looking engine and trans, how many miles you have on it, or in your case Kilometers?

overZealous1

ya, i about blew an o-ring lifting it over the grill! smart thinking there!

cal1

Since you have the motor out and separated the compressor, you might want to consider phenolic spacers between the block and compressor and the intakes. I have them on the intakes, but I can't tell you if they did much because I don't log IATs. EvoSport claims up to a 100 F drop.

amok55amg

Gaskets… yeahh – will check STAR tomorrow … maybe at the same time go for a torque converter updated?
Headers …. yes …. been thinking of Kleemans + sports cats but that will mean cutting and welding - not that the job is the problem but …… you see – if my car can’t go through the control (every year) then I’m left with a car I cant drive ;(( and a lot of work … again …… so when thinking a little ahead then I think the smarts will probably be to go for Rentech … they should go direct on my original cats …. and Eurocharge tell me the gain in power will be the same as Kleemans ???????


https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-...s-headers.html


Yea …… kilometers … bought in Italy in April 2011 and a drive back home of 1500 miles … most on German Autobahn)))) …. at that point 127.000 km. now at 151.000 km.



by the way OZ … why did you take the compressor off the engine? for the fuel rack conversion?


Ohh yes Cal ….. I have been looking at those for some time now ….. and for some reason the cable harness under the supercharger is “chew” on ….. and one of the piping for the cooling … like the supercharger has been moving back and forward??? …… maybe the heat? … maybe under some dis/samplings at a point in time ….. strange …. but those spacer will lift the compressor a bit … how much? …. also give more room for the fuel rack mod. hi cal … did you read my last PM about those fuel injectors? just PM me when you have investigated … I have a workable solution for us ….

To all of you hard-roadings-sl-55k-smel-of gasoline-guys out there: Merry Christmas … and hopefully you will all find some hard packages for you “beast” under the Christmas tree!

cal1

I am not sure of the answer on the difference in thickness between standard gasket and phenolic. I will get an answer though. Obviously, it was no big deal on the intakes.

Check your email regarding the fuel injectors.

Thanks! Merry Christmas to you as well and to all fellow SL guys. The only smell of fuel I have been getting lately is from my snow blower. I think it needs some mods though.

overZealous1

took it off for that and the fact i wanted to see how everything was hooked up and set up. painted it when off too.

amok55amg

http://www.eurocharged.com/products/...-engine-detail

Eurocharged Phenolic Spacers for IAT control.
Help keep the IATs under control with our new spacers. The spacers come as a pair, and are installed under the supercharger. New gaskets are required- not included. (4) - Above and below the spacer. The picture shown is for the v6 and for reference only


This must lift the compressor and give a little more space between .....

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-...where-buy.html

amok55amg

So; some progress ... but things take time ..... most time goes with registrar spare parts I need - o-rings and gaskets - I got hundreds - it's a 12 year old engine - driven around in Italy ..... and time has taken it toll on it .... I see rubber/gaskets don't hold .... what I thought was a leak from the transmission turned out to be a leak from the engine - (trans also leak tho) gonna change every bit I come across since I have the best opportunity with the engine out. It's a pleasure to could be able to walk around it .... my lifting devise is working over all expectation - couldn't have done it whiteout it. Also; notice the stainless steel plate - always a good thing to have when you working with greasy machinery - very easy to clean and nobody will ever notice you have been there....

Also made some new jack stands since I got started on the exhaust ... these are super - very stable so no worry crawling under the car .... will get a 100 mm. more combining them with my old jacks .... wait and see.

Exhaust - design (on paper) are almost done - long headers with "2-to-1 collectors" - delete all four exist cats - down in a cross-over out in two single again and further on in two HJS 200 sport cats further on a cross-over again and delete exist mufflers - replaces with pipe and further on in exist AMG exhaust with rear mufflers and that means I stay with the 70 mm. pipe all the way through - was thinking of 3" but don't think the extra work is worth it.

RAWAMG

What are you doing with the tranny? Are you going with a different torque converter?

I would love to take my engine out & replace all the seals, gaskets, & mounts... I have watching you guys talk about the mounts & am interested in a solution that would need replaced all the time (I know different thread)

amok55amg

Was looking into changing the converter but with the driving I'm doing it's not necessary..... no one to race around here ha ha ha .....

Mounts - first was aimg for stainless but now I think aluminium will be best ..... will get back to this but it's not on the top of the list .... my engine is in pieces!

amok55amg

Converter is OK - no metal swarf present - so thats good .....and with that I have reached the end of the road when it comes to take the engine block/transmission apart .... (still have to work the supercharger) but now I'm starting to go the other way - putting things together again - with new gaskets/o-rings/seal rings etc. puhhh .... if I didn't have accesses to EPC this will not have been possible ..... what a nightmare .......
For cats to the exhaust I'm left with the choice between these two: 200cell/HD tuning catalyst up to 560 HP and 200cell/HD tuning catalyst up to 700 HP ...... which one to chose?

You will probably say it depends on my tune but even if I go over 600HP this 560HP cats will still work? - they just have there best performance with no more than 560HP? (less back pressure with that dimension) ... would prefer the smallest one since both are big as "wine barrels" and I'm fighting for every millimeter under there ..........

overZealous1

dang amok, you are really good at making brackets to hold things! hahaa. jk. looking good!

amok55amg

yeah - brackets lots of time had gone with that too ....... but I like to have it proper fixed .... being in control ...... hope to follow-up with high standard for the rest of the project