Proven Modifications for Power - SLK 230

Firstly, a bit of background. My SLK is considered a “facelift” model, being a 2001. This means
aside from the obvious interior and exterior differences, there are some hardware differences
that you’ll need to investigate also, but I’ll include what I can to offset your search. I’ll list these
differences below in each section, starting with induction. From here on out, I’ll be using “pre”
and “post” in reference to the different versions of the R170 2.3L models.

INDUCTION

The pre models use the Eaton M62 supercharger that has an output of 1l per revolution. While
this sounds great considering the size of the engine, it’s underutilized by the car by being
underdriven to limit boost production by way of the ECU controlled diverter valve. This results in
around 5 to 6 psi, with some people reporting in as much as 7 psi at high rpm. “Subby” on
www.benzworld.org​ has ported his M62 for some incredible gains and lower IAT. The porting of
his supercharger is pictured below.

The M62 uses a pulley clutch to disengage the supercharger at low rpm to decrease noise. This
CAN be converted to a locked pulley and will work appropriately without the use of custom
tuning. The factory clutch is very large and underdrives the supercharger to produce low boost
levels while remaining quiet. As seen below, the pulley, supercharger body and the outlets are
completely different between the M62 and M45, but they can be interchanged if the intake,
boost manifold and supercharger mount is included with each supercharger. That being said,
the M62 used on pre cars has more potential for achieving higher boost levels.

The M45 displaces .8l per revolution and is installed in post facelift cars. In stock form, you can
see in the picture below that this supercharger uses a very small pulley, yet is still underdriven
when comparing Eaton's specification with MB spec. With a combination of crank and
supercharger overdrive pulleys, 12 psi can be achieved. This supercharger also utilizes a
silencer in the output side of the plenum. This is a giant restriction, yet does silence turbulent air
in the plenum at idle. This turbulent air sounds like “loose gear mesh” and can be misconstrued
as a faulty supercharger bearing. Removing this silencer, porting the inlet and utilizing
compound pulleys can net 15+ psi at max rpm, you'll also get the supercharger "whine" that
many other cars have. It's extremely pronounced on ported blowers.

The M45 supercharger on post models has been known in the past as being somewhat limited,
but in my case, overdriving the supercharger results in huge gains, in upwards of 14 psi at 5200
rpm. The M45 can also be ported as shown below. I followed this picture as a template for
porting my supercharger and returned the gains as I've claimed above. Porting an M45 WILL
make the supercharger noisy.

In my case, the higher boost levels are achieved almost immediately, with the aid of a well
programmed ECU tune, which we will explore later. In my opinion, Mercedes-benz utilized the
M45 in place of the M62 to reduce pumping loss.

Pulleys

As you already know, the M62 uses a rather large clutched pulley and the M45 uses a solid one.
An overdrive pulley can be installed on these superchargers to increase boost levels. A reliable
seller with an outstanding product is ​https://www.facebook.com/DolbyRicardo​. He includes a
pulley, hardware (if required) and a belt. Keep in mind that the M45 uses a pressed on pulley. It
can be removed using a standard pulley puller, a press and a deep well 12mm socket.

Other options available are crankshaft pulleys. ASP produces a one piece crank pulley/balancer
for around the tune of $500. You must send the pulley to ASP to have yours modified to
increase the speed of your supercharger. While this is nice, there are much cheaper and just as
functional options out there.

2.3L DOHC 16-valve 00-02 C230/SLK Kompressor Sports Coupe / Sedan

Another company called “MB-Motorsports” produces a billet aluminum pulley adapter that fits
over your existing pulley and is secured with six allen set screws. People in the past have
criticized this design, but I’ve yet to find anything wrong with it after many miles. It can be found
here.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kompressorkit-for-Mercedes-CLK-SLK-230k-Tuning-Pulley-Pulley-CL
K/113729854407?hash=item1a7ad3dbc7:g:l7sAAOSwTWxcw0dw​ It too includes a new belt
and all hardware to install. This will easily increase a stock vehicle by 30HP in 20 minutes.
I personally have found that MB-Motorsports pulley is a bit larger than ASP's and therefore will
overdrive a bit more.

Without tuning, using both a supercharger AND crankshaft overdrive pulleys, one can expect
around 50 HP when a hard reset of the ECU is done. But how can it be that simple?

Well, it's not.

When “compounding” the overdrive pulleys, your car will hit a boost limitation that is
programmed into the ECU. When the car sees 11 psi., the ECU triggers limp mode and fully
opens the diverter valve, releasing all generated boost therefore “protecting” the engine from an
overboost condition. As we all now, M111 engines have the ability to handle plenty of additional
boost. With a forged steel crank, rods, pistons and an 8.8:1 compression ratio, additional boost
is easily handled by this engine and we’ll cover that more later.

There aren’t many intake options available for pre and post models, especially due to the fact
that the area where the factory air cleaner is is the size of a large cinnamon bun. As seen below
in the rather large picture I was unable to shrink, a plastic 2.5” elbow with a 2.5” silicone boot
fitted to the intake tract along with an Edelbrock filter was able to be fitted with minor
modification to the inner fender well using a hammer. This alone lowered my intake temps
significantly and increased the ability of the supercharger to build more boost on the top end. On
my personal car, I am able to achieve 16 psi at over 5k rpm. When installing this, you'll notice
the 2.5" silicone boot will be quite tough to stretch over the flange on your intake tube. It will fit,
just keep working it around. A 2.75 or 3" boot will not fit. Also, the plastic elbow is a 2.5" x 45°
unit from "Sceptre" I sourced at a local "AutoZone"(don't use metal as it absorbs heat).
 Fueling

Both pre and post models use the same model fuel pump which happens to be more than
adequate for our application. However, pre models use a desirable “regulated return” style fuel
rail system and post models have a dead-head rail with a surge dampener. The pre model fuel
system is far superior to the post system as it can supply more volume and allows use of an
adjustable fuel pressure regulator. Below is an image of a post-style dead-head type fuel rail. It
does not allow for fuel pressure adjustments and the fuel pressure is regulated in the fuel filter.
As of this date, I have been unable to locate an adjustable fuel pressure “filter” to remedy this. I
have remedied my high RPM lean problems by using a pre-style fuel system, lifted from a 1999
SLK 230.
Below are several images of a retrofitted pre-style “regulated return” fuel system I have installed
on my post-model SLK. You'll need to unclip the hard fuel line from the firewall and bend it some
to allow the braided hose to align with the fuel inlet on the rail. Also, you’ll need to source an
M14 x 1.5 “5/16” barbed fitting to connect your new 5/16” rubber fuel return line to. This can be
found in the following link. ​https://www.ebay.com/itm/162337221552
This may look like a simple retrofit, but it’s far from it. The spacers on the intake manifold are not
only too short, they are at the incorrect angle for fastening down the rail to the intake manifold.
You will need to size appropriate spacers and bolts to take up space between the stock spacer
and your new (old) fuel rail, otherwise your fuel injectors will leak fuel from the cup and rail seals
since they won’t be aligned properly. I've found that if you shim the rail high up, where the
injector o-rings are more centered in the cups than bottomed, you'll get a good seal. Ensure you
use petrolatum (vasoline or liquid hand soap) on the rings to lubricate them as they go in.

When you run your return fuel line to the rear, you’ll find that your fuel filter (on post models) has
four ports on it labeled "mot, tank, can and pump". You’ll be removing this filter and installing a
pre-facelift model two port fuel filter. You’ll connect the lines as follows. The new line you’ve run
from the fuel rail back will connect to the line previously connected to the “tank”, you'll need a
double ended 5/16" barbed fitting to fix the one hose to the other. Do not use plastic.
Brass/steel/aluminum only. The one labeled “mot” will connect to the outlet of your new fuel
filter. The one labeled “pump” will connect to the inlet side of your new filter. You will need to
plug the one labeled “can" as this was a provision for evap that you’ll no longer be using. It will
not set a code if you plug well with a good seal. I strapped my new 5/16” return line to the
pressure fuel line that crosses over the rear differential all the way forward to the engine with
thick zip ties every 4-6" or so.

As you can see in the photo above, I’m using a 5 bar, VAG style adjustable fuel pressure
regulator. It does have rising rate ability and I have it connected to vacuum/boost reference at
the line that has the green zip ties on the throttle body. Also connected there is my 4 bar MAP
allowing use of an innovate boost/vac gauge.

The reason I’m showing this is that you WILL run out of fuel above 11 psi. it will begin to lean
out around 4400 rpm and become dangerously lean at 5000. With this installed I am able to
keep my WOT AFR in check.

Exhaust

As you probably have already found, many aftermarket exhaust manufacturers have either
abandoned the SLK in its entirety or have gone out of business. All hope isn’t lost, but you will
have to conform to some standards in order to keep your car emissions compliant AND to avoid
the car popping into limp mode due to a catalyst inefficiency code. I currently have no pictures
of the exhaust on my car, but can link you to components to produce the same style.

Firstly, what makes the factory exhaust so bad? The size, the resonator and the muffler…
Everything is too small from the factory for a car that puts out nearly 200 hp. It gets extremely
hot, restricts the flow with many internal bends and has several necked-down areas in order to
fit through certain areas. Contrary to popular belief, this can be remedied and fitted with
free-flowing, noise conscious exhaust that not only sounds good, but looks good too.
Start by removing all of the exhaust from the manifold back. Pre models use a metallic “crush
seal” on the pipe fitting, post models have a ball fitting. Cut the factory downpipe just after the
O2 sensor adapter. To fit your new 2.5” stainless exhaust, you’ll need a 2.25 ID to 2.5 OD
adapter. Yes, I said that right. 2.25 OD. The factory downpipe is slightly smaller than 2.25” OD.
Your new adapter will fit perfectly to the old downpipe and the new 2.5” exhaust.

Secondly, you’ll need to keep your factory catalyst if you have a post model, as your Siemens
SIM4LE ECU will not allow your tuner to turn off the rear O2 sensors. Don’t fret, we can modify
this to fit 2.5” exhaust by cutting off the 2.25 adapters and welding on new 2.5” stainless
adapters. This is very simple with an angle grinder fitted with a cutting wheel. After that, you’ll
just be cutting and welding various lengths and angles of 2.5” stainless pipe all the way back.
Make sure you only tack weld each component to allow for easy removal in case of a mistake.
You will be removing the entire tack welded assembly from the car and welding the entirety of it
on the ground to ensure no leaks. This being said, you can unbolt the exhaust from the manifold
and drop one sub frame strengthener and drop the whole exhaust system in one piece. It's very
simple.

Pre-facelift owners can actually run a high flow catalyst or even remove it completely if you wish,
as your tuner can disable rear O2 monitoring.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND STRAIGHT PIPE!!! It’s brutally loud. Even with a DTM muffler, things
can sound extremely unruly. I personally run a two chambered “Full Boar” welded muffler
immediately after my catalyst with a 3 x 5” oval tip. It sounds amazing. The muffler can be found
here​.

I also do not recommend the header for the M111 found on ebay. It does not flow correctly and
can actually reduce power due to the exhaust pulses hitting each other at a perpendicular angle
resulting in imbalances. Simply said, it’s garbage. When I get time, I’ll be making welded
stainless headers, but they’ll likely not be very cheap.

Fooling Limp Mode due to Overboost

Pre and post facelift cars have programming to protect the engine in case of an overboost
condition. Pre-facelift models use a MAF signal equating to 4.83v being maximum air flow.
When this voltage is reached, the ECU triggers limp mode and boost is bled off to 0. The only
way to reset limp mode is to shut the car off, wait 10 seconds and restart. This being said, limp
mode can be averted by use of a 4.7v 1w zener diode connected to the MAF signal wire to
ground. Ensure the line on the diode is facing the load and not ground. This diode will bleed off
any current above 4.7v, choking limp mode off before the ECU can see the overboost condition.
This is a cheap way of doing this on a pre-facelift model. Your Bosch ECU has boost maps that
can be modified to relieve this issue. On post-facelift models, you’ll need to apply this diode in
addition to the modification below.
As you might find, post-facelift owners, this doesn’t work for you. Well, this is a two-part process
for us as our Siemens ECU uses not only MAF, but MAP also. You’ll need to install a 4k ohm,
1w resistor inline of the signal return wire coming from the MAP. This gives the ECU the
indication that 7.8 psi of boost is being introduced into the engine at it's highest. Again, don’t
fret, this does not affect the A/R calculations and is only used in overboost protection. This
along with the 4.7v diode mod will get you out of limp mode for good.

Mid-mod Issues

If you’ve done all of the above modifications and have stage 2 tuning, you’re likely approaching
300+ hp. Our little 8 inch clutch now becomes suspect. Mine has started to slip under heavy
boosting.

You’ll also find that our 330cc injector are reaching the end of their usefulness. You’ll want to
make the jump to 550cc injectors at this point, as you’ll be getting lean at higher rpms. You'll
need high impedance, Siemens wide body injectors. These can be sourced on eBay for under
$80 US. Do not install these without tuning. The idle mixtures will be so rich that you'll foul plugs
and destroy your catalyst.

Some people have reported negligible gains from removing the “screen” from the MAF. Don’t do
this. There is a perfectly good reason for the screen to be there. It straightens turbulence
entering the MAF caused by the sharp bend in the charge tube just before the MAF. Removing
this allows the MAF to measure erroneous readings and can actually reduce performance.

I have found that running an AFR at WOT under 10:1 can hurt performance. That being said,
I’m now adjusting to a 12:1 ratio and getting great output results.

Traction Woes

Now that you’re approaching 300 +/- hp, you’ll find that traction on WOT can be a thing of the
past. The little bright “!” light on your dash will become your new irritating friend. With options out
there for a limited slip ranging from $1000 US to over $2500 US, you may not be interested in
doing such a thing as it’s become nearly half of your SLK’s value to perform.

Worry not, other options are available.

Disclaimer: DO NOT confuse the following device with a “Phantomgrip” LSD that has become
so notorious for ruining the gearbox in many JDM and VW FWD transmissions.

Below is a “RacingDiffs.com” progessive limited slip. These retail for under $300 US and are not
only reliable, but easy to install and durable enough for daily driving. They utilize the same
friction disk material as used in ZF and other LSD units used in JDM and German automobiles.
As seen above, the unit is comprised of two pressure plates, four high tension springs, two
friction disks, a new pin for the differential gears (to improve ramp angle on pressure plate) and
installation allen screws, brackets and an instruction booklet. This process is very easy and
requires only basic tools to perform. Seen below is the progressive LSD installed into my stock
differential. It took under an hour to install and four hours total from start to finish. The unit works
by having a set preload on the friction disks applied to the differential gears. This results in
approximately 25% lock under normal driving. When torque is applied to the ring gear, the
plates are forced in differing directions, resulting in the center pin forcing even more pressure on
the pressure plates giving you even more lock, up to its maximum lock, somewhere around
50%.
My impressions of this unit after 10k miles of driving are as follows:

Traction is greatly improved from a stop. Even situations where a loss of traction would occur in
the past are quelled. The heavier you accelerate, the firmer the link becomes between the two
wheels and the more planted the car feels while exiting turns under hard acceleration.

Two wheeled burnouts and drifting have become possible, even with the fact that ESP/BAS
cannot be fully disabled. The rear wheels are spinning at similar rates so it’s not tripping the
system’s yaw wheelspin limit as often. The light blinks while drifting, but there is no brake pulse
or throttle modulation happening.

The Future: Turbocharging

Yes, I said it. Turbocharging IS an easy and possible endeavor. There will be some caveats
though. The main ones being, all of the MAF/MAP electrical mods, the AFR retrofit and stage 2
tuning will all be required, in addition to the diverter valve being placed underneath the hood,
plugged in, but not plumbed into the system to avoid a DTC being set (for you Siemens ECU
owners). A turbocharger WILL fit under the hood inplace of the supercharger/bracketry and
appears to be able to be easily connected to the stock intercooler charge pipes. There is
adequate room to install not only a manifold up pipe to a turbo, but also a down pipe that will
connect to the exhaust in the FACTORY LOCATION!!!

Currently, one manufacturer makes a turbo manifold for the M111. Mosselman. The problem is
that the manifold isn't made for the SLK as the T3 flange is turned upright and outward, making
mounting a turbo to I impossible without massive changes to the wheel well and relocation of
several components.

This should stop anyone. Just make a u-bend from the stock manifold flange and route the pipe
under the crossmember back up where the supercharger mount was. There should be more
than enough room to do this.

As of right now, I currently am experimenting with a compound remote turbo/supercharger

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