you would be better off modifying the the stock motor and leaving it N/A, I figure with a smooth intake, head porting, valves, schricks cams, ecu tune,

ML320 piston and sleeves, headers and a full exhaust, srt6 injectors, a twin plate clutch, you can easily make 350 Hp then add on some

juice (Noz lol), and your just too dangerouse to even be on the street. but I hope you have a $10,000 budjet. but if you slowly upgrade

over several years your wallet won't feel so light.

 

So, why spend $10,000 for 350 hp when you can spend $4,000 (or less) for 350hp?

I'm all about an N/A power house, but it seems like a lot more work than putting the SRT engine in there (if the computer works out like Lantana has found).

SQ

 

You weren't soling my thread, I just really don't know the feasability or specifics involved in doing a car that will still need all the "daily driver" accessories... Lantana has done lots of research on the subject because that is what he is trying to achieve... I'm just trying to make the fastest Crossfire on the planet. Hell, I don't even have glass in the car anymore...

 

I don't think you can do a v8 or srt6 upgrade on $4,000, calculating the cost of doing the srt6 upgrade into a Base crossfire, it will also cost you about $10k, and doing the V8 conversion is also gonna cost $10k and a lot of time finding a competant tech to programn it.

$4,000 huh? can you show your accounting for that project please ???

I've already figured it out, With all the aftermarket accesories out there for the M112 motor, I can easily spread it out over a couple years and still be up and running as a daily driver with no technical hang ups. but it will cost $8-10K to make the stock NA motor put out 350 hp.

 

It took me about 60 hours of work to get the "sand casting" roughness off of everthing above the block and get it down to a perfectly smooth, lightly polished finish, that included the molded lips (seam points) that are everywhere and the inside of every airflow surface... Then I took the valve covers and intakes to get them professionally (highly) polished.

The materials cost was probably $450 in Dremel attachments... But, I cooked 3 Dremel professional tools and kept returning them to the store I bought them from saying they were defective, because they died after about 2 days each... I finally replaced them with another brand of tool.

 

For the SRT Upgrade - you can do it two ways:

Take your '04 (or '05 or '06) limited, take it to the dealer and trade it for an SRT. You can pick up an SRT for 18-23K depending on the mileage. Guaranteed to cost you less than $10K unless you paid a stupid price for your limited and are going to pay a stupid price for your SRT.

OR, buy a motor off of LKQ for $2,400. That leaves you another $1,600 just for the electronics. I believe Lantana mentioned $250 for the 'unlocking' of the ecu? The rest towards the re-programming...I haven't researched this much, but I would have a hard time seeing $10K to put an SRT engine into a limited. $4,000 may be a little low, but $10K seems like overkill.

I obviously haven't looked into doing this because I decided to just trade up for an SRT. It was quicker, and the car will be worth more in the end (compared to a Limited with an SRT motor - not a V8). I also liked the added performance, visual, and ergonomical aspects of the SRT over the limited. It was a no-brainer.

How street-friendly will a 350 hp N/A M112 motor be?

Where is YOUR accounting on this (apparently you have done some research).

SQ

 

I will give you my accounting to date for the V8 and I do believe you could do the SRT conversion for about the same money. With the costs being similar I went for the V8 for resale reasons. There just isn't any way a Limited with a SRT engine will ever be worth more than a SRT. Currently I can only account for two V8 Crossfires in the world, 1 in the UK and 1 in Germany, NONE in North America. One of the two was for sale for $177,000 (I hope he got it).

Engine $2100, shipping form CA to Texas $280, C43 exhaust manifolds $299, One replacement valve cover and three missing coil packs $130, $40 misc. cleaning supplies and paint = $2,839.

To finish the project I still need: ECU unclock $250, program to car $250, Fan $200, = grand total of $3,539 My original budget was $4,000 so with the extra I should be able to get new exhaust gaskets, valve cover gaskets and water pump gaskets and two new SL55 intake tubes (air box to radiator support).

To do an SRT-6 engine I would get the engine, uncut engine harness, ECU and Dash cluster for the best price possible, add about $500 for ECU unlock and program. Doing the work yourself, you end up at about the same cost.

FYI:

Unlock ECU erases the information that is specific to the original car such as VIN, cluster codes imobilization codes. It becomes like a new replacement ECU.

Reprogramming the ECU is the process that you would go through if you had a bad ECU and had to replece the one you have. It is a process of associating the new ECU with all your systems and options. The ECU will learn the VIN and other information. After the third start the ECU locks itself with the new data.

 

As mentioned before - if Lantana gets this figured out (especially at that budget), I may quite possibly buy a base crossfire with an auto and follow suit. That is going to be awesome, especially within that budget.

For the record - this is for an automatic car. I think the manual tranny may throw a twist in all of this (as HDDP has mentioned), therefore skewing the pricing considerably.

SQ

 

Holy Cow! You're telling me you did the whole V8 swap for around $4,000... that's incredible!

Well I know what I want for Christmas.

Great Job LantanaTX and HDDP!

 

Since my car is an automatic I haven't given much thought to a maunual trans, but there definetly is the potential to be a whole new bag of worms. I believe the manual would bolt up just fine, but not sure about its ability to handle the extra torque of the V8 which is about 30-40 ft lbs more than the SRT.

 

Rolling into the throttle softly and no speed-shifting will keep an under-rated transmission alive for a long time. I know from experience (500+ rwhp with a stock mustang T5). I grenaded the block before the transmission.

The electronics would be my concern, especially after reading HDDP's past experiences.

SQ

 

Lantana you are my freaking Hero dude!!! HDDP you as well don't be jealous.

Seriously, having finished the Porsche project I'll be ready by spring to persue this avenue. Lantana, if at all possible could you do a write up of the entire process from beginning to end? I'd be willing to pay you $50 to $100 just for the documentation that details from begining to end my friend.

That way all we have to do is go shopping.

Also, if you're mechanic is successful could you ask if he would be willing to work on other forum members cars?

This is just to damn sick!

 

Totaly aggree about making a T-5 last. That is what was in the Cobra in my gallery. I did forget that the real potential bag of worms with the manual is making the Electronics happy. Could be a big problem or no problem at all.

 

HDDP, Where you able to get the valve covers apart? They seem to be two piece but can't get them separated?

 

Yes I did... They are sealed with liquid gasket... Be careful not to pry them apart with a screw driver because you may break the lip... Best way to do it is to use a heat gun and a 1" putty knife wedged into the seam and slowly seperate the upper from the lower... The heat softens the liquid gasket...

 

Lantana, Since you have the engine on the stand while it's awaiting the transplant, here is what my buddy Mike at http://www.mercedesengines.net/ suggested... This may sound crazy to you as it did to me, but Mike is one of the biggest MB engine rebuilders on the west coast...

Drain all the oil and remove the oil filter. Fill the engine with Kingsford Charcoal Lighter Fluid (about 6 qts)... Re-seal the oil filter cap, remove the pin from your engine stand so it will rotate back and forth... swing the engine from side to side 45 degrees for a few minutes, making sure not to go much further than 45 degrees because you don't want the "CRAP" in the bottom of the engine to come into the cylinder walls... Do this like it was a washing machine cycle, back and forth...

Drain the oil pan again... You'll see some really messy CRAP come out of the engine... This is most of the sludge, varnish and metal patricles that have accumulated in the oil pan, pump, and flow channels...

Then, fill the engine again with Charcoal Lighter Fluid... But, this time over fill it with 2 qts more than your oil capacity or until you see the liquid at the base of the neck of the filter housing... Then let the engine sit on the stand for a week or so... This will allow the lighter fluid to seep into the cylinder walls, valve guides and valves to break apart the carbon and varnish build-up...

After a week or so, drain the fluid... When it's all out, put a few more quarts in and do the washing machine cycle again and drain it immediately... You should see fairly clear liquid by now, or something like weak coffee...

Then, while your engine is sitting and waiting for transplant, overfill the engine with oil by about 2 quarts, or until the oil is visible in the neck of the filter housing... This will help keep the moisture out and also re-oil all the walls...

PS: Drain the excess oil from the engine before you fire it up for the first time...

 

Ohhh Sooo Prettty !!!

 

Like I said earlier in this thread, my iPhone sucks for photos... But, the new engine is re-assembled and ready to be installed... Now this is one sweet looking AMG engine with new Schrick Cams, ported and polished inside and out...

Now to pull the old engine install the new Spec 4 racing clutch, run the plumbing for the new IC cooling system and get the car to Brian Sakata for the Motec install... All must be done before 1/15/08 for the start of the racing season... Anyone got some extra time to help me ?

 

More bad pictures from my iPhone.

 

more bad photos.