SLK_dude

I have a '99 SLK (Silver) and I dont think its a kompressor.....
I was wondering what i could do to the engine to improve it's performance.

Also if anyone had any suggestions on how to make my car look better....plz feel free to reply. I just got a bunch of money and i dont know what to spend it on for my car.

Thanx!!!

mastermind

Engine: If you indeed have the non-supercharged version, then the only reasonable way of increasing power is to increase displacement, and air flow (intake, exhaust, cams). The right place for this is the German tuner Väth (vaeth.com), close to Frankfurt. If you don't want to make the trip, they still can mail you the "peripherals" (carbon airbox, Supersprint header and muffler, cams). I think the other tuner to ask is MKB, but they're in Germany, too.

If you wanna sink money into exterior esthetics, you could upgrade to facelift looks by purchasing the parts from your MB dealer (is DIY job), or shop at Lorinser, Brabus, FAB design, Inden design, to name a few. I personally like the FAB parts best.

You can also slab on up to 19" wheels but ride quality and speed/acceleration will suffer, especially if you don't beef up the engine.

beantownrich

Kleemann or Renntech may have an aftermarket supercharger that could add up to 50% hp. I checked out the s/charger for the SLK320 it takes the HP from 218 to 331 and costs around $8.5k.

G'luck

mastermind

Neither Renntech nor Kleemann offer supercharger kits for the normally-aspirated 2.3L as far as I know, not does anyone else, for good rerasons. For one, the conversion cost would be far too high, it would be by far cheaper to sell the car and buy a 230L or 320 instead. Also, the non-supercharged version of the 2.3L lacks the stiffer block and stronger pistons of the supercharged counterpart thus limiting the boost you can safely apply. Swapping the engine may be an alternative but is very expensive too unless you find a cheap sample on the srcapyard, and a VERY good mechanic since some peripherals need to be re-arranged, along with some good programming of the transmission.

The Väth solution is by far the best, and those who have done it, have posted enthusiastic comments (185 hp without, 205 hp with Supersprint header/muffler and new airbox).

Lucas

Do you call your self " MASTERMIND"

Where do you get your info from ???? and why do you write
it doesn't come non supercharged with stiffer block and stronger pistons.

The non and supercharged 111 4 cyl. engines, are exactly the same.
The supercharged have lower CR, but no parts are made stronger or different in any way.

KLEEMANN had a 4 cyl. program of superchargers, but stopped producing it 6-8 month ago.

Stay with facts and don't write BS, some might belive you are right.

Brian_R170

Actually, mastermind is correct. The book "Everything About the Mercedes-Benz SLK" published by Mercedes-Benz Service, Stuttgart, lists the differences between the normally aspirated and supercharged 4-cylinders. Here are a couple items from that list.

"Noise has been reduced by ribbed reinforcement of the crankcase."

"The pistons are made from heat-resistant alloy with higher copper and nickel content, and the piston crowns have been reinforced."

This info applies specifically to the pre-facelift SLK.

mastermind

I can only hope that you're not speaking on behalf of Kleemann although you pretend to.

If you do, my advice for all readers is to stay away from Kleemann as they're oblivious to basic knowledge or/and mislead their customers.

Lucas

Relax boys

What they forgot to write in that book, was the 111 engine have had many face lifts since introduction in the W 202 body in 1993.

I have in person made over 500 supercharger installs, 50 enlarged dispalcement engines, SLK 230's where the OE Eaton
SC and intercooler has been trashed and replaced with quality stuff where out put has been in the 300 HP range on the 111 engine, so I have seen more than 1 from the inside.

The facelifts they have done to the SC 111, will also be found in the NA 111, but why should they point that out in the book.

If you want to see for your self, then take 2 engines apart and look

Brian_R170

The book was published in November 1996 (about 2 months after the SLK deliveries began in Europe). It compares the SLK's SC 2.3 and NA 2.0 to each other and to the NA 2.3 and NA 2.0 found in the E-class (W210) at the time. Certainly there have been changes since that time, but they were different at that time.

mastermind

Brian, I sent a corresponding question to MB Germany to get to the bottom of this. My source is Gerd Hack's book on supercharged engines which actually includes detailed drawings of both engines to exemplify what is being done to enhance longevity of SCed cars. Even if MB "upgraded" the NA 111 at some point in time, for some odd reason, how can the the poor customer know, that he's the lucky one? And finally, provided "Lucas" really speaks on behalf of the poor Kleemänner, the Danes seem to have discont'd their SC option anyways.

Lucas

The poor customer can know because he started this thread
by writing a SLK 200 from 1999 and the poor customer don't have to worry, because nobody tried to sell him anything.

If you go back to the first 111 engines, then they didn't have oil jets under the pistons, this also came later, the top shape of the piston has changed ect.ect.