SL55 AMG, SL63 AMG, SL65 AMG (R230) 2002 - 2011 (2003 US for SL55 and 2004 for the SL65)

SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Is Port Matching The Exhaust Manifold Worth It With Port/Polish Heads?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Oct 12, 2014 | 06:51 PM
  #1  
V12TTenthusiast's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 930
Likes: 24
06 SL65AMG, 13 Tesla Model S 60kwh, 02 Jaguar S-Type 3.0, 12 S550 4 Matic, 07 E320 Bluetec, 06 LX470
Is Port Matching The Exhaust Manifold Worth It With Port/Polish Heads?

So hopefully my billet turbos come back by the end of this week/early next week. I already have my cylinder heads back from the machine shop, which is surprising since I thought I'd have my turbos back sooner than my cylinder heads. But before I have my tuner put all the parts back together, I was wonder is it worth port matching the exhaust manifold for better flow since the heads are port and polished.

I was thinking at first not to bother and drive it as it is with the heads and the billet turbo and record my progress then port them out next time I need engine mounts in my car.

But I did engine mounts around 50k mark last summer and surprisingly I'm at 63k right now (I guess not driving my car during the winter plus time my car was in the shop for LSD/ABC Issues/Exhaust/ and current mods ate up alot of time)

So I prob wont need engine mounts for another 40-50k+ so it may be a long time before I have the engine out in which I can remove the turbos.

I figured even though it will only show very minimal gains, but everything will be flowing even better but I wont have a before and after chart.

So is it better to do it now since its out anyways, or do them next time I have to pull the engine out and that way get a before and after picture.
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2014 | 06:21 PM
  #2  
NEMES1S's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, NE
2005 SL600, 2016 ES300h, 2012 Hayabusa
If it was me I would port match intake and exhaust stuff while it is all torn apart otherwise you end up tearing it all apart and then paying to tune it again. The only reason I wouldn't is if you are running the shop and just want to be able to say here is your gains if you do this: and if you do this:
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 12:20 AM
  #3  
V12TTenthusiast's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 930
Likes: 24
06 SL65AMG, 13 Tesla Model S 60kwh, 02 Jaguar S-Type 3.0, 12 S550 4 Matic, 07 E320 Bluetec, 06 LX470
Nope I wish or I could save myself 3-4 grand of labor lol, I guess if more 65 owners had billet turbos I'd know what base numbers would be vs port matching them, but I told my shop to go ahead and grind them away to match.

On a side note I just ordered all the gaskets, nuts, screws I needed to put my turbos and heads back, in total it was over 80 little parts lol
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 10:08 AM
  #4  
NEMES1S's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, NE
2005 SL600, 2016 ES300h, 2012 Hayabusa
80 parts....the last turbo build I did (granted it was on a 4g63) I think had like 40 for a complete engine rebuild
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 01:04 PM
  #5  
V12TTenthusiast's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 930
Likes: 24
06 SL65AMG, 13 Tesla Model S 60kwh, 02 Jaguar S-Type 3.0, 12 S550 4 Matic, 07 E320 Bluetec, 06 LX470
Its a lot of bolts and screws to put it back together, here was the list I had to make to cover all the parts I needed to replace.

28 Head Bolts (14 for each side)
2 Cylinder Head Gaskets for each side
28 Valve cover screws (14 for each side)
2 Cylinder Head Cover Gaskets
1 Throttle Body Gasket
2 Intake Manifold Gasket
2 Exhaust Manifold Gasket
24 Screws for Exhaust Manifold (12 for each side)

Total of 89 tiny parts lol,

I may need to get 4 more screws for the throttle body, but if I need it, it won't be as hard as installing these other parts. I didn't want to take a chance on any bad bolts/screws that could be damaged that would require me to remove the engine agian
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 01:09 PM
  #6  
NEMES1S's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln, NE
2005 SL600, 2016 ES300h, 2012 Hayabusa
Probably not a bad idea, and I suppose a tiny drop in the bucekt on this project
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 01:30 PM
  #7  
V12TTenthusiast's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 930
Likes: 24
06 SL65AMG, 13 Tesla Model S 60kwh, 02 Jaguar S-Type 3.0, 12 S550 4 Matic, 07 E320 Bluetec, 06 LX470
It wasn't that bad about 510 including shipping from a close by MB Dealer (Annapolis MD) they give a good discount on all the parts they have, I saved about 100 dollars then paying from other dealers near Washington D.C.
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 03:12 PM
  #8  
RaceHorse's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 59
CL65
Hey don't get caught up in peak gains, you will probably build boost a slight bit quicker and have more power under the curve even if the peak gains aren't huge. Air in and out start to play a big role after everything else is upgraded. Look at the gains picked up on our cars with just exhaust, intake and pump gas. Get everything put back together and hit the track before winter, that will be the big test.

On side note, I hope you bought a couple dropsy nuts and bolts, You don't wanna come up short. By the way, I've had an LSD for over a year now, it was one of my favorite mods.
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 16, 2014 | 03:31 PM
  #9  
V12TTenthusiast's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 930
Likes: 24
06 SL65AMG, 13 Tesla Model S 60kwh, 02 Jaguar S-Type 3.0, 12 S550 4 Matic, 07 E320 Bluetec, 06 LX470
If I loose a bolt or a nut I'm gonna go crazy lol, I was talking to the part's guy on the phone he said they don't keep these parts in stock so first they have to check there warehouses and if they have no luck there then they have to order them from Germany which can take a week
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:00 PM.

story-0
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT 4-Door Coupe trades combustion for software, synthetic noise, and more than 1,100 horsepower.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 20:08:15


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-2
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-3
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-5
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-6
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-7
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-9
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE