SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: MBH or Kleeman Headers
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 27
Likes: 2
2007 SL55 AMG
MBH or Kleeman Headers
I have purchased yet not installed a 77mm pulley and an ECM tune from EC. I'm thinking I should install headers prior to Jerry sending me the tune. I realize the MBH are long tubes, and the Kleeman's are mids. A few questions......Is the price difference justified? Ease of installation of both? HP/TQ difference? Thanks!
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 955
Likes: 127
From: Kansas
2003 E55, 2003 SL55, 2014 CLS63, 2018 q50 Redsport, 1968 Camaro SS, 1999 Trans am Firehawk
twice the power gain out of the MBH vs kleeman's, but they are also more than twice the price. the kleeman's have trouble with welds cracking, due to the amount of stress the twisting of the exhaust system has on them. on the e55 there is an exhaust mount on the transmission that helps relieve this pressure. the failures on the e55 are usually due to this bracket not being reinstalled. on the sl55 this bracket does not exist, though latemodel21 if you search on the board has retrofitted the E55 bracket on his. I only wanted to do the job once and didn't want to worry about cracked headers later, so I went MBH.
the other way around the cracked header problem is you can install flex pipe, but that will cause you to lose power and they are prone to collapsing.
you can get the MBH 15% off if you wait for a sale. I originally bought kleeman and decided t sell them and buy MBH instead for a reason.
While you are doing the headers go ahead and replace all the plugs (you have to take off all the coils and plugs to reach all the header bolts) and replace the valve cover gaskets while you have those coils off. Also a good time to do motor mounts, since they will be easily accessible with the exhaust off and wont be easily accessible once you put headers on. Buy OEM motor mounts. you will find some corteco or other aftermarket cheaper, but that is b/c vendors advertise these aftermarket equivalents of the non-amg mounts. you will quickly destroy these weaker mounts. the corteco or other aftermarket mounts that are the AMG equivalent are basically the same price as OEM.
the other way around the cracked header problem is you can install flex pipe, but that will cause you to lose power and they are prone to collapsing.
you can get the MBH 15% off if you wait for a sale. I originally bought kleeman and decided t sell them and buy MBH instead for a reason.
While you are doing the headers go ahead and replace all the plugs (you have to take off all the coils and plugs to reach all the header bolts) and replace the valve cover gaskets while you have those coils off. Also a good time to do motor mounts, since they will be easily accessible with the exhaust off and wont be easily accessible once you put headers on. Buy OEM motor mounts. you will find some corteco or other aftermarket cheaper, but that is b/c vendors advertise these aftermarket equivalents of the non-amg mounts. you will quickly destroy these weaker mounts. the corteco or other aftermarket mounts that are the AMG equivalent are basically the same price as OEM.
Former Vendor of MBWorld
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 93
From: Valley of the Sun, Arizona
C63, SL55, E55, CLS55, ML63, C55
twice the power gain out of the MBH vs kleeman's, but they are also more than twice the price. the kleeman's have trouble with welds cracking, due to the amount of stress the twisting of the exhaust system has on them. on the e55 there is an exhaust mount on the transmission that helps relieve this pressure. the failures on the e55 are usually due to this bracket not being reinstalled. on the sl55 this bracket does not exist, though latemodel21 if you search on the board has retrofitted the E55 bracket on his. I only wanted to do the job once and didn't want to worry about cracked headers later, so I went MBH.
the other way around the cracked header problem is you can install flex pipe, but that will cause you to lose power and they are prone to collapsing.
you can get the MBH 15% off if you wait for a sale. I originally bought kleeman and decided t sell them and buy MBH instead for a reason.
While you are doing the headers go ahead and replace all the plugs (you have to take off all the coils and plugs to reach all the header bolts) and replace the valve cover gaskets while you have those coils off. Also a good time to do motor mounts, since they will be easily accessible with the exhaust off and wont be easily accessible once you put headers on. Buy OEM motor mounts. you will find some corteco or other aftermarket cheaper, but that is b/c vendors advertise these aftermarket equivalents of the non-amg mounts. you will quickly destroy these weaker mounts. the corteco or other aftermarket mounts that are the AMG equivalent are basically the same price as OEM.
the other way around the cracked header problem is you can install flex pipe, but that will cause you to lose power and they are prone to collapsing.
you can get the MBH 15% off if you wait for a sale. I originally bought kleeman and decided t sell them and buy MBH instead for a reason.
While you are doing the headers go ahead and replace all the plugs (you have to take off all the coils and plugs to reach all the header bolts) and replace the valve cover gaskets while you have those coils off. Also a good time to do motor mounts, since they will be easily accessible with the exhaust off and wont be easily accessible once you put headers on. Buy OEM motor mounts. you will find some corteco or other aftermarket cheaper, but that is b/c vendors advertise these aftermarket equivalents of the non-amg mounts. you will quickly destroy these weaker mounts. the corteco or other aftermarket mounts that are the AMG equivalent are basically the same price as OEM.
The most expensive headers of any brand are the ones you have to uninstall, fix and reinstall. To this day we have never had header crack, and thats across all makes we cover.
In the end the decision is yours and we would love to see a set of MBH headers on your car
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 955
Likes: 127
From: Kansas
2003 E55, 2003 SL55, 2014 CLS63, 2018 q50 Redsport, 1968 Camaro SS, 1999 Trans am Firehawk
Yea the cost of the raw materials in an mbh header alone are more than the price of the kleemanns. There's a pretty big difference in quality.
