So been toying with the idea of upgrading to a built darton sleeved forged shortblock. But before i do so or get the ball rolling on this i was wanting to hear thoughts an opinions on some stuff.

First off i have 132k on mine, its a daily driver, an its taken care of meticulously! Only use the best parts an before me was a 1 owner car older gentleman. He used mainly on highway .... never raced, never tracked, no mods, an very well documented service history. Burns no oil, no leaks, compression is within 5 psi of ea other. Only concern is i can hear the oil pump slightly groan at light throttle here an there, no chaining hitting just almost like power steering pump sound. After researching seems its the nature of the 5 gear oil pump an is very common.

My goals for the car is round 540 to 560 rwhp an current mods are 76mm clutched pulley, belt wrap kit, big front mount cooler, 010 bosch pump, race iq ecu custom tune, ec tcu tune. Changed the 280 pn 03-04 blower with 132k on it to the 4.65% faster 05 580 pn blower with 60k on it.

New mods coming soon mbh long tubes an mid pipe, magnaflow mufflers an resonator removed, meth injection, i have an 82mm welded section for the bigger TB but left off because of all the probs some have had. Gunna add 550cc injectors as well.

So just wondering thoughts on what i have ... what ive done ... an the weak point of the stock shortblock ... if i do go this way ill raise the static compression to 9.0 from the stock which i hear is round 7.9.

 

Top end work seems excessive just to get to 550hp

 

Wouldnt be top end work .... id be replacing the bottom end .... since i can port an have a superflow 600 flow bench i would probably work the heads a bit an rebuild em at the same time just because. Just being a daily driver i am just curious as to reliability an strength of the stock short block

 

Very strong, very reliable, I have run across very few threads involving people damaging the stock block.

You already planning on LTHs, meth, and 550 injectors. At that point probably just the 82mm throttle body would put you pretty close, and if you wanted to be certain the right combination of CP and SCP should easily get you there. I would try to do some searching, I think there are lots of people at or above that your goal driving around very reliably with only bolt-ons.

 

Thanks for the reply an thoughts .... i hve searched but dont seem to be many threads pertaining to the strength an limits lol hence why i was asking. I have an 82mm welded n ported back half for my blower that came with it just dont have the tb an was worried bout the hiccup alot seem to complain about.

 

Some examples to give you an idea how how attainable it should be with bolt ons:

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...o-results.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...o-results.html

In google do this search: e55 dyno site:mbworld.org
Then flip through the vast results to find a build path and power numbers that you like. Most of them will probably not include engine work. https://www.google.com/search?q=e55+...w=1536&bih=756

 

Your final mod list is very close to mine, and I daily drive mine plus put at least 50 passes down the strip every summer. All internals on mine are stock. I think if you keep the oil changed the internals of these will take anything you can throw at them with the stock blower and no nitrous. I wouldn't even consider building a shortblock unless you have already grenaded something, or if you plan on spraying nitrous or going with some big boost numbers.

 

I'm a newbie to this platform, but the weak point of this block seems to be the hypereutectic (ie; cast) pistons. Same as the 2nd gen CTS-V's. Obviously doesn't leave much margins for error like you have with modern forged pistons. With proper tuning and a properly running fuel system, who knows how much the 55K bottom end can handle though. But I'm with others in saying I wouldn't want to tear down this engine unless I absolutely had to. Rebuilding an engine might not be difficult per se, but rebuilding it so it doesn't drink oil and lasts 100k, 200k, or 400k miles is another matter completely. I've seen a $10k shortblock built by a very reputable shop that didn't make it 10k miles because some bearings ate themselves. Although no smoking gun, we were pretty sure it was a bad build because the engine went through too much oil since Day 1.

Have you considered just getting some nice wide bands? I think a lot of any weaknesses of the car can be mitigated if you can keep tabs on your AFRs at all times. I'm a fan of the Zeitronix Zt-4 and dual-display gauge for its unobtrusive install (in a driver-side vent mount). The cheap Bosch sensors it comes with aren't great but only the relative numbers really matter since you're not tuning with them.

 

how many miles are on your motor Joe just curious how close yours is to mine I have 132k on mine and im very meticulous as far as vehicle maintenance I change the oil every 6k only use mb filter and either 0w40 mobil1, 0w40 castrol euro, or the new one that Im very fond of is the german 5w40 liquid moly. I change plugs every year with ngk laser plugs and every 40k new trans fluid and filter as well as new diff fluid. I have been a auto tech since 17 in my grandpas shop been intpo racing for 20+ years owned everything from a 1400 rwhp 408 lq9 88mm single turboed 02 trans am, LS7 powered 99 camaro 6 speed 4.58 rear gears, turbo saabs, 05 audi S4 6 speed highly ,modded 4.2 V8, supercharged 96 jag straight 6, 99 supercharged v8 jag, modded N2O 02 330ci BMW 5 speed, and too many old muscle cars to list lol. But always love to tinker this is my first Merc but the e55 was one of my dream cars when it came out so had to get it and sell the BMW.

 

Yeah I ordered the wideband and the mount for the vent already it should be here by end of week

 

My car has 91k miles and probably over 150 full 1/4 mile passes on drag radials. I change the oil once a year in the spring before race season starts. I have always used the factory recommended Mobil1, but I may try one of the Fancy European brands next year.

Diff oil and spark plugs changed per factory maintenance schedule; tranny flush every 40k miles.

 

so a few less miles but none the less seems like urs has had a harder life than mine had before I got it. As I stated mine was a one owner, older guy never raced, modded, tracked, and mostly highway miles with lots of vehicle history and mostly maintained by dealer with records. It doesnt burn oil, smoke, or leak anywhere and looks amazing. I think your probably right that I am just be over paranoid ill probably just enjoy it until something breaks.

As for the fancy stuff I can say avoid the Motul 5w40 while good oil its very pricey noone carries it and for some reason I burned through this stuff like crazy, never burned any mobil 1 or castrol 0w40 euro and always use a can of BG 109 engine cleaner before I change my oil and use a MB filter. I tried the motul and for some reason it was burning .... but then again maybe i didnt fill it all the way idk. But this time I switched from that too german liquid moly 5w40 and it really seems to like it ... not trying to sound weird or like a sales man but normally I never notice my car running better after an oil change but it really does. An not like the old oil was all that old only had 2k on it. Let me ask you do you notice the oil pump making a lil noise here and there lower rpms almost like a power steering groan? I researched this and hear that its normal and common because of the 5 gear system inside the oil pump housing. I have great oil pressure and no problems with it no chain hitting noise or anything just a light groan here and there usually when cold, thought it was the new trans and may be I havent been under there to listen but the mb tech that did the new trans for me said its coming from the oil pump ..... but i cant hear it at idle has to be moving and he only checked it while idling on the rack so I dont know lol.

 

Mine was a pampered garage queen too. But then I got ahold of it. ;-)

Yeah, my oil pump groans too. I would normally just stick with Mobil1 but I read a post somewhere where guys were swearing by some (I think) German oil brand that quieted down the pump noise. It was a brand that I had never heard of so I'll need to go find that post and re-read it.

 

Well i will say the pump noise is almost gone with that new liquid moly but let me know what u find. Thanks for all the feedback. Me and the fam have been thinking of moving to oregon be nice to know someone that loves to race as much as me haha.

 

I found the thread: https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...g-right-2.html

The brand is Bizol and according to SICAMG (and others) it reduces the pump noise. Since it meets the Mercedes spec I may try it the next time I change oil.

Let me know if you ever make it up this way. I race the 'Benz in a group of guys who run everything from Mustangs to Subarus to Anything With an LS. There are several of us who run in the mid-11s range, plus we do autocross and 1/8th mile heads-up racing. Always looking for new members!

 

Well it looks like great oil which i assume they mean the green lol but question is where to get it haha. Liquid moly is also german made an 100% synthetic

 

Ive got 129k on my 06 S55 and I have about all the mods you do but a bigger pulley on the blower and I can tell you the MBH awoke a monster.. his rating of 40whp I believe according to him is even on the low side and I can tell you hands down that is the best mod I’ve done. The car pulls so much harder it’s incredible. To me a half throttle pull is as hard as an old full throttle pull. Plus the headers will help cool the top end down a bit.. also, once you put those headers on you can tell it’s pulling way more air because all you hear is that intake sucking air like crazy!

As for the oil I’ve seen even more posts on that Bizol and they all seem to say it’s amazing in this motor. I’m going to try it because the stock manifolds are triple walled for quiet operation and let me tell you, and I’ve verified it’s the case for everyone with headers.. if you thought the valve noise was bad on these motors before wait until you hear it with headers.. and my motor was very quiet compared to most I’ve heard..

 

Well i do like the sound of that an im thinking that the headers an midpipe are my next mod for sure.