I and my wallet share that concern Quite simply, I'm very eager to see what if anything breaks first. I've refrained from saying so, but ultimately I'm looking to make around 350 rwhp.

Will it be on the stock motor and how long will it last? I don't know, but if the little Mercedes motor has half the guts of a Toyota or Ford then I'm in good shape. Hell, people had the same concern when I was running 575bhp on my ford 4.6l up from 300bhp. Then again when I routinely ran over 300bhp on a 1.8l from 138, then yet again when I ran 400bhp on a 1.8l from 180bhp. All on stockinternals.

Still a lot depends on the tune, the individual motor build quality, and last but not least, the luck of the draw.

Besides, ultimate goal aside, I still have a lot of common sense and the tuning process and how it goes will ultimately tell the tale.

I will start out very conservative, and turn her up a little at a time, checking multiple things along the way. I'll probably end up pulling the oil pan and checking rod bearings, compression and other indicators dozen times or more. We are talking about a months long process here that will stop whenever I start to see signs of something giving way. I can generally catch a problem before it goes critical. On the off chance that I do not, I'll build a stronger and better motor next time. It's all a part of the game!!

Sorry for all the edits but I'm trying to type and format this on my iPhone.