PDC

Many, many thanks to Mike and Patrick! Today, my tech installed Mike's Kleemann S/C pulley and Patrick's 160 degree thermostat. All I can say is WOW! I made a couple of hard presses on the way to the shop this morning as well as this afternoon on the way back and I can tell I'm driving a different animal. Certainly not at the level of you guys who also have headers and throttle bodies, but that Kleemann pulley makes a difference you can FEEL at WOT. I wanted to get a pre and post dyno pull, but Imagine Auto is the only place close by with a dyno and they were booked up. So, I will schedule a pull sometime soon and see where I am. Mike gave me a GREAT deal on his in-the-box pulley and Cory at Kleeman said he would flash my ECU for only $1k IF I decided it needed it. Cory indicated that most of the gains from the pulley are available without an ECU flash, but that I will definitely need the flash if I step up to headers. So far, so good. I will say that with the new stat, my temp was rock solid at 80 degrees the whole way home - even during "enthusiastic" driving. Pat's stat is a must have! This car is a BRUTE!

chiromikey

hey paul,

glad everything met your expectations! it's an addiction so consider yourself warned when the next mod idea creeps into your head.

jangy

Wait, I missed something here. Why did you not want your K pulley?

sly55

whats the main benefit of the thermo mod?

PTE

Thanks for the KUDOs. I will be taking some extras to the Atlanta Meet . Hope to put some faces to the Names. Thanks again ___PTE___

PDC

Jangy, I think Mike had a Kleemann Pulley that he bought from an individual and was pleased enough with the results of that mod alone that he went with a full K2 Kit that included yet another Pulley in the package price. Rather than swap out the one that was already installed, he listed the new one that came with the kit on the Bay and I snapped it up. As far as the cooling mod, as I understand it, heat is one of the single biggest drains on power with these boosted motors. Running the cooler stat simply allows the cooling system to open wide about 10 degrees cooler than the factory 87* C thermostat. Maybe no additional power in and of itself, but it allows your motor to perform at its power potential longer and under more aggressive driving conditions. Every little bit helps! I know my car floated noticably above the 80* mark all the time before swapping the stat, and now it doesn't budge off of the 80* mark, even when "thoroughly enjoying the car's full potential" shall we say.

Kens-E55

Actually, if you can get the coolant @lower temps, it will help increase performance!! By cooling the fluid, it will then reduce the intake air temps as this is the coolant running thru the "charge cooler"

enzom

Even with a lower thermostat, don't you still need to reprogram the fan? The thermostat just sets the lowest operating temperature for the engine, you still need to do something else to get it that cool, don't you?

PDC

Good point, Enzom. I actually did the 10 degree fan mod within 72 hrs of deliver of the car - along with Star Diagnostics lowering of about an inch and a "just so I could sleep at night" oil change. I did my homework on this board before I even began shopping! I think the Evosport or RennTech cooling "kit" is the way to go but truth be told, I really don't drive my cars very hard. I'm pretty easy on 'em most of the time and I just want to know I have a bit more bang than stock for the few occasions that you really need it. I don't track my car, so I honestly don't think I would ever get to the edge of the benefits the full cooling kit offers. Between the fan mod and Patrick's thermostat, I should be fine with my style of driving. Yeah, I know, we'll see how long that philosophy lasts.

zdkdeeier493

What exactly IS the thermostat mod. I know the -10c mod is a STAR adjustment, but is the thermostat also a simple reprogramming or is there hardware involved?

PDC

Eleanor, look up "160* thermostat" in the search feature. You should find several threads about board member PTE who actually cobbles up a "custom" thermostat using a factory original piece. Instead of not opening wide for full flow until close to 190 degrees, it opens wide at 160*. Pretty cool. This was one of the first things I did to my old Pontiac Firebird way back in high school after shoe-horning a 1964 389 into it. Helped keep things cool.

zdkdeeier493

Awesome, will do. Thanks for the heads up.

enzom

Thanks. I hope you set it at "+10" and not "-10". I know, counterintuitive.

PDC

Yes, I had them set it at +10. Since it really is counterintuitive, I actually found the screenshot of the Star Menu here on the board and printed it off to take with me to the dealership. I did the same thing with lowering procedure and handed it to my service advisor. I was afraid they would think I was a pain in the rear differential, but they actually were appreciative and indicated that "enthusiasts" like me are really the only time they get to play around with the more esoteric settings and mods.

Ghostrider

Check your PM's!!!

PTE

I'm clear & open ? Just answered Dragon AMG & siswati

Ghostrider

I was trying to get a hold of PDC, to see if we lived in the same area. He mentioned Imagine Auto and they just completed a little project on my car. They are a great group of guys to work with.

PDC

Hey, I've checked my PMs but my inbox is empty! No telling what's going on there. Feel free to email me directly at: paulcramm@hotmail.com. Yes, I live here in OP around 135th and Quivira. LOTS of street racing up and down 13th on Friday and Saturday nights! Mostly ricers from the sound of it. Now that 135th is torn up between Antioch and 69 highway, the racing activity has slowed down a bit. But I digress. Dig the photo on your signature block!! But I digress again. Anyway, yeah, the guys at Imagine Auto are really great guys and absolutely know their stuff! When I bought my E55, I actually was one impulse away form picking up a clean, low mileage 911 Turbo that I had found down in Springfield and had already priced Imagine's various upgrade packages. I ended up with the E mainly because it seemed a bit more practical as a daily driver and I figured I would get more actual butt-in-seat time with the E than the 911, which would probably end up garage art: "Look... but don't touch" The E is just the perfect combination of driving comfort, classy looks, brute performance, hint of the "sleeper" factor, but lots of thumbs ups from those in the know. My next mods are going to be a black anodized grill and the cool E63 style lip for the trunk. I would like to add the Kleemann headers and ECU flash in the spring.

Ghostrider

Yeah, she's a keeper...

That's sounds pretty cool and you are off to a good start. These E55s keep me intrigued, puts me in the mind of a four door German Supra. Maybe we should hit up the races some weekend. I will get at you so we can work something out.