I decided I'll do some paying work tomorrow 🤣

Suns out, roofs down, been out to play, nice long run.

Car is amazing, I'm so pleased I did this conversion

Back in the Workshop, full vehicle check, nothing to report, no leaks, nothings fell off it, everything is nice and tight, jobs a perfect 'un.

I'll run it on SDS in a minute for the last time for now, I doubt I'll find anything though.

I may not need that Shift Kit, Shifts are settling down now it's getting some Miles, must be learning it's Adaptives and Clutch Fill Times which makes sense.

I been playing with the Cruise and LIM through the 40 limits here and there, all good working as it should !!

I'm not brave enough to try it on the Road with Traction Control set to Rolling Road Dyno Mode yet, I'll reserve that pleasure until I can actually book some Track Time at Knockhill !!

TTFN, Cheers Dave

 

Andrew is awesome isn't he!!

He also provided some much appreciated help with my ECU hardware/software issues!!

Congratulations on getting it sorted, glad you are up and running!!

Jared

 

Had it up to 140mph today...…. some dude in a mid 2000's lowered, tinted, loud exhausted, blah, blah Audi A4 wagon got to smell my exhaust as he got smaller in the rear view.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't ready to get outrun by a completely stock looking Chrysler Crossfire.

Jared

 

Nice one

I've already heard on the grapevine that 2 of our local Drunks have been spouting their mouths off in a local shop where my missus works ...........................

Local Woman "What is your husband doing driving that Car around on Trade Plates he overtook me at some insane stupid speed"

Mel "He is a proper Garage Business owner who holds Trade Plates, he is Road Testing it, which is an allowed use of Trade Plates, and you shouldn't be driving along, weaving all over the road, whilst Drunk should you, now go forth and multiply !!"
Well it wasn't actually "Go forth and multiply", it was just a 4 letter word followed by 'Off' but ya get the gist

To be fair, the 2 that are moaning are notorious, and not the norm, most of our locals are nice folks and always fascinated by the various projects I have on the go

Cheers Dave

 

Got some more parts on the way!!

This morning I ordered the transmission from a wrecked SRT-6 with 35,263 miles on it. I also ordered the K-Tag programmer that was recommended by another member so I can update my TCU software.

From FCP Euro, I ordered a timing chain kit, and the timing cover gasket kit.

The engine will be coming back out of the car to change the timing chain. While the engine is out, I will yank out the transmission and swap it out.

I will probably wait to install my Needswings Cat Free mid pipe until this time as well.

Installed the new brakes and lines a few days ago..... I think I should go back and spray the calipers Silver.

Jared

 

Bead blast them first if you can, also a rebuild kit is really cheap.

 

Hi @lotsofspareparts

Couple of things I did, which may help you or someone else ................

I used a W220 TCU but got a guy to create a new SCN String as I have a non W220 Ratio Diff, mine is 2.87 C Class, W220 uses 2.82 but too big for SLK Rear Subframe. The guy also added the manual mode where it upshifts only at red line and never kicks down. M mode is now where W used to be, but by using a later CAN Com Shifter from a later W203 etc you can get all 3 modes on the Winter / Comfort switch.
I suspect Andrew might be able to help you with Programming a TCU

I see you've just replaced Brakes, but maybe for the future .....................
What I did is covered in detail in my Thread on SLK world, there are some flat bar caliper spacers to fabricate, and need different length Caliper Bolts, also have to drill and tap the Rear Threads out to a fine M12 thread, I can't remember exact sizes hence the reference to my SLK Thread .................

It's basically W220 Calipers Front and Rear, W204 Estate ~300mm Vented REAR Discs, and W203 330mm FRONT Vented Discs, man it stops on a dime !!

Why upgrade the Rears ? ............... Simple it helps the Traction Control keep up and not 'Barbecue' the stock rear non vented set up

I am using 18" Wheels, ET35 with 255 / 35 x 18 Rear Tyres, and same wheel size with 235 / 40 x 18 Front Tyres, SLK's 16" Wheels don't go over the Discs at the front, I suspect 17" will clear but haven't tried,

Now, from your pictures I see you have new springs, I have fitted 5 "burl" front upper pads to mine, but still a tad low, so may I ask what Springs and Spring upper Pads you used ???

Cheers for now, Dave

 

Hey Dave, my springs are stock... they're just really clean.

I considered going with bigger brakes, but truthfully I just wanted a basic better brake setup. Can't say it stops on a dime, but it is a dramatic improvement over stock. I was pleasantly surprised, and very happy with the performance to price ratio.

I would like to know what upper pads you used and where did you get them? I need to raise the front of my car 1/8 to 1/4in.

Andrew will be helping me with the TCU coding.

Jared

 

Hi Jared @lotsofspareparts

Mercedes Parts, the Spring Pads are available in 1 burl, 2 burl up to 5 burl being the thickest, can't remember the part number but they are all listed in my Build thread on SLK world, I have issues with my main workshop Computer and don't have all bookmarks on the one I'm using right now, but if you can't find 'em holler back and I'll see if I can dig the p/n out.

They cost around £7.00 each on my trade account.

In case you don't know, burls are the little rubber dots on them, 1 to 5 these identify the thickness higher the number the thicker so higher they lift the Car

Oh, btw same pads on the rear end, so you can tune ride height all round

Start at page 17, (February this year) that's where all the real conversion work starts, started with Brakes :-

https://www.slkworld.com/threads/slk...533795/page-17

There is some other cool stuff before P17, thread starts from just before I bought the car, things like the factory look Android fit with steering wheel control etc

HTH, Dave

 

Hi Guys,

A couple of jobs ticked off the Snagging List today ..............

Heat Shield made and fitted for PAS Feed Pipe ✅ ....









Exhaust Brackets removed, Etch Primed and coated Satin Black ✅ ....



Next job, when some bits arrive will be Emotion Exhaust I'm waiting on a 4mm One Way Vacuum Valve and a 12 volt adjustable Timer Relay Circuitamabob, then I can sort that out how I wannit which is basically Open for ~ 5 Seconds after start, and then after that only on Full Kickdown WOT, "switch off-able" from in the Car

Back soon

 

congratulations on a successful build ! I’m personally still stuck as far what I want do as far as a power plant option. On one hand I want to swap In a m112k motor and turbo it rather than using the super charger but on the other hand a N/A v8 seems simpler.

does the guy/girl who did the programming for your ECU be interested in helping me come my ecu when the time comes for my swap ? I plan on buying a ML320 soon as my daily and making the xfire the race car.

 

It depends, if you are going to use an NA V8, then yes I am sure he would be happy to help.

As far as the turbo idea, he's not really a tuner. He knows how to swap the hardware for the V8, and he knows what firmware needs to run it.

Good luck, I've got just about 5k on my swap now and it's great!! Perfect daily driver!!

As a matter of fact, I got to watch a new SI Civic get smaller in my rear view mirror today. He was taunting me, and I let him have it!!

Jared

 

I've hit the 5000 mile mark with the swap so I decided to pull the spark plugs to check color and run another compression check. Lowest cylinder was 190 and the highest was 197.

Car is still running great and is still my daily driver. I am sorry to say that I am ready to inject more power into it..... maybe a Kompressor??

My SRT transmission arrived a while ago as well as my Needswings Cat-Less Mid Pipe exhaust, but I haven't installed them yet because I'm waiting for concrete to cure.

I decided it was time to buy a 2 post lift and do some renovations out in the shop. Installed 17 new fluorescent lights, modified the truss above where the lift will be positioned, and poured 2 new pads that are 4ft by 4ft and 24 inches deep. Each pad weighs 4,800 lbs. I bought a 9000lb lift, but poured enough concrete to support a 18,000lb lift should I decide to upgrade one day.

Jared




SRT6 transmission with 35k miles

Needswings Mid-Pipe


All the gaskets and seals required to change the timing chain/guides

Timing chain and guides

 

And some pictures of the concrete work and the lift.....

Jared

 

Hiya Jared, nice one man, loving it all, wish my Workshop was as big as yours, i do have a 2 post 4000kg lift in mine, but really reallly need a much bigger workshop with three 2 posters and a 4 poster plus a big bay for standing a Car and stripping interiors, we have enough land but it needs groundworks and filling in before adding a huge concrete base, water and drains / electricity nearby, perhaps one day lol

I love the Needswings Stainless Mid section, might eventually treat my Car to that at some point in the future, basically I fabricated my own version by deleting the secondary Cats, but it is only factory parts and steel Tubes so won't last forever in our climate

 

I'm pretty excited about the lift, had to buy another project to distract me from it.

Found a really cool "art deco" forklift for $400 It's a 1955 Transitier 250. It would be too long of a story but it was sitting for 25 years, everything, and I mean everything was seized up.... including the brake meaning we chained it to a tree and drug the tilt trailer out from underneath of it. I've now got it running and driving. Just ordered parts for the brakes, and a fuel pump rebuild kit today. Slave cylinder is another victim of seizing while sitting. Fuel pump worked but was leaking gas into the oil.

Jared

 

Cool! I love 1950s to mid-1960s American industrial design. It was a high-point of "Industrial beauty" that today has been removed from the design process in the never-ending quest to squeeze the last bit of copper out of a penny.

 

Got the forklift running and driving and doing everything it's supposed to do. Pretty cool machine. I am guessing it was parked 25 years ago because the clutch was toast. Had to replace the clutch disc, clutch slave cylinder piston cup, brake master cylinder, brake slave cylinder, rebuilt the fuel pump, new belts for the hydraulic pump. I'm halfway through a 12v conversion, just need to buy the 12v kit for the generator.

Also got the lift installed!! This is certainly going to make like a whole lot easier!!

Jared

 

Jared, Just a few words--my name is Mike, 69 years old and have been wrenching on just about anything since 1965 (dad owned a garage), gasoline-diesel-propane-n gas-and a little hydrogen! I enjoyed your posts from the beginning of the swap and would like to thank you very much for the detailed info! I have been saving a 06 XF coupe w/27k miles on it in hopes of doing the swap you just completed, I have a 2003 -5.0 out of sl500-19k miles. In your thread someone asked if you were a mechanic and your reply was "not certified mechanic"- after seeing your work, and after hiring Many certified mechanics in my past years you would surpass most of them! ( I am ASE cert master, automotive, diesel, school bus, advanced electrical, as well as 46 certs from Cummins, 12 from Cat, and a few more) Again THANKS-

 

Hi,

I run a small indie MB shop, and I can certainly agree with what you say, like many advanced DIY'ers Jared does a good and thorough job, unlike some of the horrendous work I see in my shop from so called professional local garages

I did my R170 SLK with a 5.0 Engine and Trans, from a W220 S Class, plus a 2.87 C Class Diff ...............
See my posts above. Actually fitting all the parts you'll have no trouble, it is getting the Motor ECU right that is the biggest PITA, (and Trans ECU if you use a different Trans & Diff), I did a lot of that and got it running and driving, but I had an issue with it posting Misfire Codes even though it wasn't actually misfiring !!

However, thanks to Jared plus another very good and helpful guy on this Forum I managed to sort out the issue I had

Link me into your thread when you start work, I'm a 58 year old "hot rodder" and always interested in this stuff

Cheers for now, Dave