V8 Crossfire Conversion Diary

[CrazyInBlack]

Originally Posted by LantanaTX

Here is a little something to keep us motivated. Since the SLK is the Crossfire's closest cousin I thought this McLaren SLR / SLK swap looked interesting. Here is the text that I found with the pictures:

"Stare as long as you like, it's not a Photoshop job. That is the 617-hp McLaren SLR motor shoehorned into the bay and sticking through the hood of a Mercedes SLK. If the forum posts are true, the owner appears to be a Mid-Eastern rally champion named Mohamed Bin Sulayem. The story goes that Sulayem performed this transplant because his other supercars weren't suitable in the traffic-clogged streets of Dubai. He liked the comfort and ride of the SLK, but felt it was a little weak on power. Needless to say, he's alleviated the SLK's shortcomings and then some."

DAYMN!

[LantanaTX]

I was speaking to Gary at LET Mororsports today and he is very familiar with Mercedes electronics and has done many performance projects inluding tuning a normally aspirated 55 engine that had the factory supercharger installed. He also does custom performance tuning in the ECU for Crossfires and Mercedes. He mentioned that the best way to get the V8 conversion to run like it came that way was to start wiith a new or returned to "virgin" unlocked V8 ECU. He went on to say that most of the tuning would have to be done in the developer mode of the Star Diagnostic Sytem (SDS/DAS). He said he willing to help with this if we run into trouble but felt it is very doable. In the case of the Crossfire, he said I may have to play around a little by selecting chassis R170 or probably have to slect something similar that came with a V8 like a clk500 ect. He siad differences in gear ratios in the trans and dif can be worked out in developer mode. He also made a point to say that if you are starting with an unlocked or new ECU, DO NOT turn the key before you should as the ECU will lock.

[LantanaTX]

Kanzus,

Here is a good web site that explains what you can do in developer mode in the Star DAS. Read carefully as it looks like you wouldn't want to be sitting in the car while using this mode! In this mode it looks like you can make your own selections about engine and gear ratios if the chassis you are working on did not come with the engine you are installing. I believe to use this approach you would need a new ECU or you will need to unlock the one you have. Beckman Technologies can unlock your ECU for $250 USD.

DAS Developer Mode User Guide

Welcome to Beckmann Technologies!

[kanzus]

LantanaTX,

Thank you for information, the tutorial you sent is very similar to one at www.jcrecordings.com website in whitch you can find more information about DAS, you can also buy some stuff.

I have now finished installing the engine and gear box in its housing and I'm trying to finish various fixations.

I faced a problem of transmission shift axle , because the origin axle was fixed with 3 bolts instead of 4 bolts in AMG 55K Gear box. I'm trying to recover the attachement (three bolts) from the original box and set it on the 55 box. If this method does not work, I have to change the whole rear axle from the gearbox up to wheels which will be expensive enough.

I am aware that the AMG transmission lines are strengthened compared to other models, but I prefer to continue with the original until exhaustion.

Karim.

[LantanaTX]

If you can get a 55 drive shaft you can take take drive shaft and your original drive shaft to a drive shaft shop and they can make one to fit your car. At least that is how the street rodders over here get it done.

[kanzus]

Originally Posted by LantanaTX

If you can get a 55 drive shaft you can take take drive shaft and your original drive shaft to a drive shaft shop and they can make one to fit your car. At least that is how the street rodders over here get it done.

Unfortunately i couldn't find shops as you explain, I'll see tomorrow how i can solve it, if ever swapping the end of gearbox won't be possible, I will create an adaptaotor for it, I'm working wright now on it with 'Solidworks' software.

Karim.

[LantanaTX]

Originally Posted by kanzus

Unfortunately i couldn't find shops as you explain, I'll see tomorrow how i can solve it, if ever swapping the end of gearbox won't be possible, I will create an adaptaotor for it, I'm working wright now on it with 'Solidworks' software.

Karim.

Street rodding is pretty big over here so drive line shops are fairly common. if there is a shop in france that builds american style street rods ('32 ford, 34 Ford etc.) they may have a source for you to get a drive shaft made. Also driveline shops often work with the big trucks. Hope you are able to resolve the problem.

"solidworks" sounds complicated!

[kanzus]

Originally Posted by LantanaTX

Street rodding is pretty big over here so drive line shops are fairly common. if there is a shop in france that builds american style street rods ('32 ford, 34 Ford etc.) they may have a source for you to get a drive shaft made. Also driveline shops often work with the big trucks. Hope you are able to resolve the problem.

"solidworks" sounds complicated!

There is a good tutoriel courses of solid works 2009, you can find torrents easily on the net .

Karim.

[LantanaTX]

Being Smog legal:

I checked with the state of Texas and while my engine is a 2002, I must pass emmisions for 2004 which is the year of the car. Typically you must pass smog for what ever is newer, engine or car. I know this is also the case in California where I am from and this is probably the case for all states. CA requires going to a state referee for the first test/approval. Texas does not. since i will be reusing all the emissions equipement from the Crossfire I am hoping I will pass.

[kanzus]

Hello Tuners,

the exchange of rear gearbox connector finally worked, one to four arms against the three arms so that the shaft can be connected.
It was pretty annoying because I had to plant a special tool diameter of 30 to extract it.

I finished the whole bottom of the car, including the exhaust and the connection of the oxygen sensors (O2).

Now it remains to connect the radiators including the compressor, and I do not know how or where to put it because the CLK is not designed for a model Kompressor.
I expect a first attempt to start early next week.

Hearing from You
Karim.

[kanzus]

Hello friends,

Yesterday, I finished the installation of the mechanical part, which was quite long, because I met a lot of surprises. The engine is now installed in the front carrier axle, the transmission is fixed to the shaft, the supercharger is connected to pulleys .. everything is fine.

Today I intend to make a first attempt to start . That's how I found myself:
I intend to use a bosch ECU ME2.8.1 taken from V8 CL 55 AMG normally aspirated.

I desolder the Eprom (5P08C) from original ECU and I welded it in place of that on the CL 55 ECU (I swap eprom because it contains car data, remember both ECUs are similar Bosch ME2.8).

Regarding the management of the engine, I replaced the program of the Eprom 29F400BB with another one taken from CL 55AMG Kompressor, so the ECU can manage the engine with the supercharger (Remember original Eprom is for management normally aspirated 55 engine).

I will scan faults codes with Xentury DAS Develepement in User Mode.

If eveything is fine I'll start the engine .

How do you feel about that guys ?

[LantanaTX]

Sounds very exciting! Can't wait to see how this works!

[Egodriver71]

I still question the chip swap from the V8 computer to the V6 computer without swapping in the extra injector drivers.

I would think the v8 chip would not like that it cannot see two of its injectors.

[rodimus]

This must cost a small fortune, no??


I didn't read the entire thread, but wouldn't just be easier and cheaper to buy the car the engine was meant for??

[stevieb]

Originally Posted by rodimus

This must cost a small fortune, no??


I didn't read the entire thread, but wouldn't just be easier and cheaper to buy the car the engine was meant for??

Probably, but what fun would that be??

[LantanaTX]

Originally Posted by rodimus

This must cost a small fortune, no??


I didn't read the entire thread, but wouldn't just be easier and cheaper to buy the car the engine was meant for??

Yea, that wounldn't be any fun at all. Some of us love doing this kind of work.

[kanzus]

Originally Posted by rodimus

This must cost a small fortune, no??


I didn't read the entire thread, but wouldn't just be easier and cheaper to buy the car the engine was meant for??

Mercedes Benz does not offer 55 AMG Kompressor engine for CLK model, it only offer a normally aspirated engine and not supercharged.
Making this kind of conversion means enhancement in an obscur world.
Hacking Mercedes and bosch technology need a lot and tons of research, that's the goal.
I intend to reach more than 500 Horse power, a Ferrari F430 has only 490 HP.

Think about that friend.
With regards.

[LantanaTX]

Karim,

Have you thought about specifying a differnet chassis when you go into SDS such as E55 which did have the Krompressor? Just a thought becuase I will have to do this since you cannot select Chrystler Crossfire in the Star system. I was told to select R170 as this was the closest but because there was no R170 with a V8, I may have to select R171 or CLK500 and then use developer mode to program to my transmission and diff gear ratios.

[LantanaTX]

I discovered something interesting when I was researching what my transmission gear ratios where. the normaly aspirated Crossfire and SLK320 the same fifth gear ratio as the V8 MB ratios but all the other gears are slightly lower than the V8 ratios. The SRT/SLK32 uses the V8 ratios. I think I want to start out with the V6 ratios as that will help acceleration since I also have 3.27 final drive and most of the V8' and SRT' have 3.07


I was checking into this because you have to know all the ratios when programming the car.

[bluecoupe]

Bump for update....please!