E552006

I am getting a shop that does fabrication to do a set of custom intake pipes for my 06 E55. I will let everyone know how they turn out.
The two things that this will do is allow for heat wrapping around the radiator sections of the piping and also elimitate the factory kinks. They think they will be able to do constant radius pipe with mandrel bends.
I will post pics when done.
Josh

medici78

Are you planning on using aluminum?

E552006

Yes, polished or powder coated..

medici78

Unless you plan to route them somewhere else, I really don't see any gains to be expected.
Maybe you see something I don't?
The stock pipes seem to be a decent enough size, aside from the slight kinks on the driver's side pipe.

E552006

If there is gain it will come from 2 things, constant radius and heat shielding. They may also be made to stick out a little further from the radiator.

I am going to dyno before and after to see if there are any real gains. Let me be the guinea pig

It's been supposed many times that the difference in HP between the E and the higher HP 55's are intake induced. (If there really is a difference ) Let's see if there is any HP to be made there.

medici78

Can't wait for results!

Actually, the major difference is in the exhaust system. The E55 is the quietest of the 55 Kompressor models, but I am not sure how much effect it has on power.
Even so, all the cars tend to dyno around the same. Do a search on the subject.

CA_E55

This has been itching for a while and maybe this thread is as good as any to bring up the issue, its not my intention to throw water on your parade – aka your decision to modify the intake pipes, its just simply an attempt to put perspective to a very misunderstood issue.
Sometimes I think that if any AMG engineer is perusing these threads, he would probably cringe at the twisted intentions of us owners and use ‘their’ cars are exposed to - after all, MB is a German company and surely AMG has first and foremost their front yard in mind when designing and building these toys – can you hear ‘Autobahn’?
Boundary layers on anything resembling autobahn-speed is insignificant, maybe not nano-meters as today’s rage is to call even a fistful of music gadget, not even micrometers, but even if it is a tenth of a millimeter, the bottom line is the heat transfer in that boundary layer is totally insignificant to the total amount of air rushing into the engine at any speed above idle. Heat shield wrapping a plastic tube? How about spraying your rubber with alcohol before penetration – about equally effective in preventing whatever your ****y encounters as to keep a couple of air molecules from getting a bounce up the temperature scale when said molecule rushes through that plastic (did I hear insulator?) intake pipe at high speed…. aaahhh well I hear ya…. this is America, we live in and race in traffic jams…stop and go… for hours, than a 100 yard sprint to the next traffic light… there ain’t no Autobahn **** here…lets rape these marvelous machines with some heat wrap insulation…!!!

E552006

Sorry, I'm missing you a little on this. Your point is?
Yes..heat soak is a major issue concerning permformance levels on these cars.
That's why every major tuner makes sure there is a thermal barrier on as many of their aftermarket performance parts as possible. Auto manufacturers do things from a cost basis standpoint...not alway performance.
Heat wrap...ceramic coating..whatever you prefer.

CA_E55

Well, the question is, what kind of driving is it you do predominantly with your car? drag strip? heats-soak yes - open roads? heat soak no. By definition, heat soak needs time, specifically time to apply heat to a medium, in this case all the engine plumbing etc. and by extension to the air entering the engine. Once you are in motion, there is enough air flow to mitigate or eliminate heat soak.
Try it for yourself, its very easy when outside temperatures are a little on the low side - take your car for a ride on open roads for about 5, 10 minutes - bring it to a stop and immediately open the hood, touch the intake plumbing and you will have your answer.
Conversely, if you let your car idle or just sit for five minutes and check the same plumbing, its soaked with heat.... hence my question, what kind of driving you do?
I also have an A8, which comes with the ability to plug in the famous VAG-COM and lets me log engine parameters ad absurdum - its nice to watch what happens to the AIT in different driving/traffic conditions, and while I admit that turbo or supercharged engines have more plumbing to heat soak - the basic principle is the same for any engine.

AMG_55

i dont think i will help much unless u widen the opening a lot and bring it out a little past the radiator, i did a similar thing on my girlfriends slk320, but those intakes are greatly compromised, urs arent anywhere near as compromised, i noticed alittle more power and a little more torque down low
u might be better off getting a custom made full exhaust system and just sticking some free flow filters in the airbox

E552006

Golley Gee...Thanks for the advice, I never thought about these parameters...