snooozie

Wow!! That looks like a vintage manifold pipe out of an old 30's chevy truck!! This is not an AMG pipe where the original buyer paid 70k+ for the performance and engine i will be pissed if i am the original owner paying top dollar for metal pipes the size of a dollar coin.

Yeah...count me in for the long tubes headers if you can drum up enough buyers. I'll put my money up for one for sure.

BTW, is that the NA E55 manifolds or the 55K....looks like the ones I took out of my car.

snooozie

I just put this in my pulley thread...... People has been asking me about the AMS headers and pulley. i forgot to mention to all you newbies out there that AMS has been aquired by GPT and their website is www.GermanPowerTuning.com.

Also, just trying to help the Conn E55 community out there that wants to find a good indie shop that deal in these cars, you can pm me as i have a good indie shop that i use and would like to help out.

Rabbit CLS

Just some info for everyone. I purchased and installed a set of Kleemann headers last week from Kleemann Usa. First off the headers are made in China. The quality of them is not what I would expect from Kleemann. The welds where the runners meet each other on the inside could have been smoothed out. They are very lumpy and the hole itself is not even. The drivers side downpipe hangs low, needed to be massaged into place and rubs the heatshield on the steering knuckle. It actually got ripped off because my steering wheel got stuck while I was making a turn and I almost crashed, so I yanked the wheel to straighten out and it ripped off. I am in no way bashing Kleemann. I emailed Cory and voiced my opinions and concerns. He said he will let people at Kleemann world headquarters know about the issues. I still think that these will make more hp than AMS just by the design, but the installation process may be a little difficult for some do it yourselfers. Here are a few pics. I wish I took some pictures of the inside for you guys.

armaniE55

[QUOTE=Rabbit CLS;5226202]Just some info for everyone. I purchased and installed a set of Kleemann headers last week from Kleemann Usa. First off the headers are made in China. The quality of them is not what I would expect from Kleemann. The welds where the runners meet each other on the inside could have been smoothed out. They are very lumpy and the hole itself is not even. The drivers side downpipe hangs low, needed to be massaged into place and rubs the heatshield on the steering knuckle. It actually got ripped off because my steering wheel got stuck while I was making a turn and I almost crashed, so I yanked the wheel to straighten out and it ripped off. I am in no way bashing Kleemann. I emailed Cory and voiced my opinions and concerns. He said he will let people at Kleemann world headquarters know about the issues. I still think that these will make more hp than AMS just by the design, but the installation process may be a little difficult for some do it yourselfers. Here are a few pics. I wish I took some pictures of the inside for you guys.

Thanks for sharing. My plan has always been AMS as they are easy bolt on but your 1000% correct the Kleeman will make more power HP/TQ

what exactly got ripped off the heatshield?

Glad your ok. That could have been really ugly really fast if you were speeding and needed to bang a hard turn.

snooozie

Did you put it in yourself...wow....how do you weld the lower pipes to the downpipes? You weld them yourself? I think I can do the shorties after changing the wires and plugs but not the long tubes like Kleemann.

Rabbit CLS

the heatsheild itself ripped off. forgot to mention that with hard acceleration one of the downpipes rubs under the car creating a funny noise in the cabin.

yes i installed them myself and went to a muffler shop to have them welded up.

after work today i will jack it up and take pics

Peter_02AMG

Wow! they haven't fix the problem yet? These Kleemann headers and dwn pipes hasn't change much since I bought a set for my 02 E55 back in 2008.

Rabbit CLS

Seems they have been constructed in china for a while now. And before anyone says anything, both motor mounts were changed during the header install. My drivers side was actually busted

tsquare

Rabbit CLS " forgot to mention that with hard acceleration one of the downpipes rubs under the car creating a funny noise in the cabin."

Peter_02AMG "Wow! they haven't fix the problem yet? These Kleemann headers and dwn pipes hasn't change much since I bought a set for my 02 E55 back in 2008."

I am all for better performance, but not at the expense of making my car sound like a rattle-trap.

Kleemann - this product is weak - make it right or disclose before you sell it.

armaniE55

+1

Peter_02AMG

yup! my Motor mounts was replaced too and the buzzing sound and virbration under the floor panel drive me nut.

Peter_02AMG

I didn't see a big different on the dyno, maybe 10-15hp

CharlyE500

Holly cow ! i didn't know they were made in China ! damn ! Cory told me they were made in Poland or some country in Europe...... To be honest, for NA55 will only pick up 20Hp top even with Kleemann. AMS i guess no more than 15hp. Either way, if its made in China i won't buy it even its freaking cheap.

armaniE55

agree- that's nutz. I mean I understand labor/cost but..... China?

snooozie

Hold on...before you guys jump into conclusion...unless there is a sticker or inprint, how do you know they are made in China?

impballr

If can you can find a set of VRP's, you should def go with those. Just look at some of the w211's making good power and times with those. I know we won't gain as much as the supercharged models, but they are still legit.

suicidal4life

You are not the only one this happened to. Similar problems with mine

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ader-pics.html Posts 35 and 37 deal with the floorboard rubbing issues.

I know Peter had a similar problem and at least two other people on the boards as well.

Still I'm happy with my Kleemann headers and the performance gains.

Rabbit CLS

I have first hand experience with chinese products as I used to work for an import performance shop. We used to sell them! lol they copy all of the expensive headers and sell them for less than half the price of the originals. I can tell by the type of stainless, the welds and the head flange material. All typical chinese construction. Also when I mentioned it in the email to Cory at Kleemann, he did not object to it. I cant post it because at the bottom of the email it says i cant post it in any public forum. If I said you had chinese products and they in fact , were not made in china, you would defend that right? Once again, I am not bashing Kleemann, just sharing my experience with the header.


I too am happy with the gains i have so far. The pictures in that thread are of a older, better quality header. There are badges welded to them that say Kleemann and a part number. Mine dont have that. The head flanges are separate, and they were totally polished. Even the welds.

suicidal4life

Didn't even notice the difference til you pointed it out. The one piece head flange solves one of the issues my headers had so I guess that is an improvement.

I wonder if Kleemann used a different fabricator when they reintroduced these headers recently at the lower price point. When I got mine I was told there were less then 10 pairs left in the US.

Fabio D

Man :S i install my kleemann headers without any issue. first time i drive the car i got the cabin vibration and only need to turn a little the driver side flange (it touch the heat shield when i floored the car), but this is the only issue, internally my headers comes with polished welds in all the pipes including collector, hanger fit propperly and pretty pretty happy with the result :S i respect the opinion of all, but i think the kleemann headers are one of the best improves to this cars and Cory has an exelent customer service

Chinese? :S heell!! i want to confirm that.

I forgot to tell i install the first gen headers (the head flange are separatly) the ones you install now i think is the new model with one piece head flange

Fabio Daniel

Rabbit CLS

i think you are correct. lower production costs.....lower selling price

yes you have the older style which i believe was made in europe somewhere.


okay here are some pics i just took. you can see where the heat sheild was rubbing the header and ripped it self off, where its hitting the floor, and the low hanging pipe








these are definitely chinese welds. the tig welder they use in the production plant is on or off. doesnt have a variable torch.


please dont take this as a form of bashing (again). even with all of the problems, they are the best you can get for the money and i will deal with it. performance is great and to top it off, the sound with an x-pipe is the best!! here is a short video of what I THOUGHT was a leak. I think its just "header noise". I have heard this same noise on domestic v8's with headers.

Fabio D

Holly cow. Yes i can confirm that, i have the older/first style headers. mines do not touch the rubber steering column aswell mine has the aluminium heatshield yet without any rub! the 5th pic you take is the same issue i got in my car the first run, but you can just turn a little the flange retight again and stop the cabin noise mate.. I do that and solve this issue

Edit: i forgot to tell you about the exhaust noise! Absolutly, is propper to the stainless headers. Is a sign of your car has stainless-steel headers

Fabio Daniel

snooozie

I think due to the long pipes, you might have to play with it (adjust a little, here and there) to get it fit right. Thats another reason why I don't want to deal with it. I am not a guy that can take it out and put it back in myself....hence will be back and forth to the shop on the weekends to get it done right....which will drive me crazy.

Yeah, when the headers first put in, it does have the sound...you are right, stainless steel headers!!!

Rabbit CLS

yea i realized i can turn then flange after i took the pic

62not63

I had a set of Kleemann headers and down pipes on my 2001 E55 and I wasn't very impress with it. Did not fit to well and did not make the numbers like Kleemann advertised.