400E exhaust mod - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

88260e · #16 03-11-2010, 01:58 AM

Y-pipe and muffler magnaflow are in

Going to talk to the Muffler shop tomorrow

gsxr · #17 03-25-2010, 03:36 PM

It will sound nice, and drop a little weight when you lose the resonator, but there will be a negligible power gain.

88260e · #18 08-09-2010, 06:41 PM

Had the Magnaflow muf and y-pipe installed today!!! Sound nice still alittle to quiet for me, but it is a benz so it seem to go well with the car!

Beastie · #19 08-11-2010, 06:17 PM

I agree with GSXR. The Timevalve bypass for the center muffler is not cheap I have purchased 2 ( do not ask why) and the 2nd one about 3 years after the first had gone up about $100.00 +/- However that said it is a quality product.
I weld and have used mandrel benders but these guys are masters. If you are gonna keep the car the better quality material that time valve uses is worth it for longevity. I also have installed a Renntech exhaust. It is still fairly quiet until you wake up the V8. Personally almost everything I have read and spoken to others about for this car is that unless you are gonna spend some big bucks for a full on custom your results from the exhaust is minimal. I did read somewhere that a member had ditched the MB Cats and installed Cats from a late Model Corvette, however I can not confirm this. The seat of the pants feel
from what I have done is good but no real specs. Now though I have been told that I am the last person on the planet to buy an ASR defeat switch ( waiting)
and it is my understanding that that makes a huge difference in drive-ability and getting the power and RPM's to the pavement.
Alan

400Eric · #20 08-12-2010, 12:51 AM

Speaking as the owner/driver of the documented quickest N/A, 2.24 geared, 4.2 MB powered car in the universe, who takes his M119 to the 1/4 mile dragstrip often, I can, will, and do say that after cat exhaust mods do help on these cars, especially on the 4.2s cause they come from the factory with more restrictive exhaust systems than the 5.0s do.
Regards, Eric

gsxr · #21 08-12-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beastie

Now though I have been told that I am the last person on the planet to buy an ASR defeat switch ( waiting) and it is my understanding that that makes a huge difference in drive-ability and getting the power and RPM's to the pavement.

Alan,

The ASR defeat won't make a huge difference. If you are having traction problems on the street, the first thing is to get wide /stickier rubber. Next up would be a limited-slip differential. I have LSD in both my 500's but I only turn off ASR at the dragstrip to warm up the tires. I leave it active at all times during normal street driving. Note that ASR requires the same diameter tires front & rear, if there is any significant difference (greater than 1-2%), ASR will engage far more often and become annoying. For a non-staggered wheel setup, all four tires must be the same size. That said, ASR defeat is relatively cheap, it's just a nuisance to install... took me 4-5 hours on my 500E.

gsxr · #22 08-12-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

... I can, will, and do say that after cat exhaust mods do help on these cars, especially on the 4.2s cause they come from the factory with more restrictive exhaust systems than the 5.0s do.

Eric, the real test would be to run the car with the stock 400E resonator / muffler, and then test it again with the 500E setup. I've done this on my E420, at the dragstrip, and saw no change. You are running with nothing behind the cats, right? That might free up a few hp but it's still peanuts... no magic 10-20hp gains here. The 400E resonator inlet is maybe 5mm smaller diameter than the 500E. I need to take some photos of both.

400Eric · #23 08-12-2010, 09:34 PM

Well then I guess the 500E exhaust is more restrictive than I thought it was.

I love ya Dave but I disagree. I'm running steady, consistent uncorrected 14.4s now at a 1100' track in 2400' D/A with nothing more than the headlight panel mod, the exhaust mod, some toluene, cool engine temps, and a 92 ECU. That's a full 9/10ths faster than the stock 93s ran corrected. We are also pulling 99 MPH trap speeds uncorrected vs. the stock 93's corrected 93 MPH. These are all mods that everybody, including you, said don't make that much difference. Well, they do.

And for the record, a good after cat system shouldn't cost any appreciable power over my "nothing" set-up.

I intend to run the E420 (Benzer 4) at the track with the stock exhaust, go back to the pits, hack the stock crap off, and then run him a few more times and then report the results. I didn't do this with Benzer 3 as I had already hacked the stock crap off before I had ever taken him to the track. Before I can take Benzer 4 to the track though I need to sell some cars first and raise money for tune-up parts! Somebody please buy my M103s and/or Uncle!!!
Regards, Eric

gsxr · #24 08-13-2010, 02:55 PM

Eric, be careful comparing to a single magazine test report. My '95 E420 ran 95-96mph at sea level in bone stock form, which is already 2-3mph faster than that '93 test car, and a few tenths quicker too. The 93-95 should all peform the same, as they had the same mechanical configuration & specs.

Meanwhile after installing the different LH module, my car ran an uncorrected 14.95 @ 95.76mph (which corrected to 14.258 @ 100.47mph... that's 500E territory, folks), right on target with your car. Except I had no headlight panel mod, stock 400E exhaust, on pump gas, and (!) into a slight headwind. Granted, for both those times, the gas tank was on reserve (approx 100 lbs lighter than with a full tank) but that should only translate into 1 tenth / 1 mph difference.

Translation: Both our 4.2L are nearly equally fast, but mine is doing it without the extra mods (only with the '92 LH module). I don't believe the intake & exhaust modifications are the reason for your car's stellar performance, I think that magazine test car was a dud! Also, both our cars are putting out at least full rated power (no mechanical problems).

Side note: There was a 400E at my local track a couple weeks ago and it was slooooow... low 16's at high 80's. No idea what was wrong with it.

Have you posted your M103's on Craiglist yet? You can set the ad so people have to call you, since you don't like email...

400Eric · #25 08-14-2010, 02:44 AM

Well, if we are talking corrected times then we are talking a 14.03 @ 101.78 MPH and a 14.014 @ 101.068 MPH on my end. I have no doubt that you will see E/Ts like that too but you'll have to do the headlight panel mod and the exhaust mods first though.

That is unless you cheat and put some 2.82 gears in there.

Wasn't that run you quoted above run sans the rear seat and some other stuff too?

Why don't you turn that 400E guy onto our two sites here so he can learn about his car?

I'll resort to Craig's list if I have to but I'm very afraid that that route will only lead to the type of buyer who only views my Benzers as appliances and will drive them into the ground. Hardly the future I'd like to see for them.
Regards, Eric

gsxr · #26 08-14-2010, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

Wasn't that run you quoted above run sans the rear seat and some other stuff too?

Nope! I never pulled the back seat out on the 420. The spare tire was in the trunk as well. I also have ASR, heated seats, twin orthopedic seats, roller blind, and rear reading lamps... all available options. That's gotta add some weight compared to your car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

Why don't you turn that 400E guy onto our two sites here so he can learn about his car?

It wasn't his car. He's a pro racer with an 11-sec muscle car, and his usual car was getting prepped for an upcoming major race. He was just entering the Import race for fun with the borrowed 400E... he had never raced it before, and had only driven it a couple of times. It had ~220kmi, btw; and I think it was a '92? Anyway, since it wasn't his car, he wasn't particularly interested in learning more about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

I'll resort to Craig's list if I have to but I'm very afraid that that route will only lead to the type of buyer who only views my Benzers as appliances and will drive them into the ground. Hardly the future I'd like to see for them.

You've got to emotionally detach yourself from the cars. Don't ask what they will be used for or how they will be cared for... you need the $$$ and the space. Just take the money, hand over the keys & title, and smile as they leave. They served their purpose and it's time for them to move on.

400Eric · #27 08-14-2010, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsxr

Eric, be careful comparing to a single magazine test report. My '95 E420 ran 95-96mph at sea level in bone stock form, which is already 2-3mph faster than that '93 test car, and a few tenths quicker too. The 93-95 should all peform the same, as they had the same mechanical configuration & specs.

I forgot to address this. I always quote that particular test (C+D 3/93) because it contains the quickest E/T I have ever found for a 93. (There is that 92 though that ran 15.2.) If you know of a quicker published E/T for a 93, by all means feel free to post it.

We've covered before the many reasons why magazine cars are faster or slower than they outta be. One thing I keep seeing though is how the long term test cars are often a couple tenths faster at the end of the test than they were at the beginning of the test because they are more broke in. This would explain some of the gain we are seeing. Also, I've noticed how my 95 seems to have a lot more low end torque than the my 93 does even though my 95 is still in a horrible state of tune. Maybe the 94-95 EZLs gave back some of the ignition advance that the 93s were missing? We already know that the 92 EZL was pretty generous with the advance which might explain why C+D"s 92 was quicker despite having a lower compression ratio and less power than the 93-95s.

It sounds like the owner of that 400E doesn't care much about it what with the way he's letting this other guy race it. Maybe you should try to buy it and save it from that existence!

Emotionally detach myself from the 300E? You weren't there that day we spanked that Lexus GS in that top-end brawl. That was and is a bond forged in battle! Those are the tightest bonds there are!
Regards, Eric

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