UKSilverArrow
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2007
- Messages
- 100
- Car
- W218 CLS350cdi + Repsol Honda Fireblade.
Hello, new here, so this is my first post, also my first Mercedes and I've just given it it's first mod. Not much compared to some of you guys but it's a start.
Only 2 weeks into ownership but really dissapointed with the exhaust note. I had to take the engine top cover off to make sure it was a V8, sounded more like a six.
Checked out posts on exhaust mods but didn't want to play around with the cats so settled on replacement silencers but wanted to retain the original oval tips, not so easy.
Okay so when you're a little bored, you've got a shiney SL and a garage full of heavy duty tools what are you going to do? What's the worst that could happen apart from a little blood loss which to me has always been acceptable and usually inevitable when breaking out the power tools.
First off I removed the silencers and of course gave in to the temptation to give it a run around the block. It was fun but way too loud and I didn't think the sound suited the car. This showed me I was going to need to fit a silencer of some sort.
I wanted to see what was going on in the original silencer so never one to ignore my curiosity I let loose with the angle grinder. Once I'd opened it up it was clear to see why the silencer was so restrictive.
Next I linked the inlet and outlets with a perforated tube then packed the body of the silencer with wadding, didn't get any pics of this as I didn't want to get any more blood on the camera, finally welded it all back up and refitted.
Now I've got an SL that can be quiet and refiined below 2,000rpm but with a great rumble through the rest of the rev range and sounds good in a refined sort of way. Not too loud but you know it's there.
Made a fairly crappy sound clip by dangling a mic out of the boot so it's fairly loud but gives an idea of what the effects of how the butchery sounds.
http://www.gardner-property.co.uk/SL500soundclip
Acceleration feels more urgent and the engine picks up better, although the fuel consumption has gone down the pan but that's probably because I've had it locked in third and enjoying the rumble.
David
Never ignore an urge to take something apart, you never know you may be able to put it back together again as well.
Only 2 weeks into ownership but really dissapointed with the exhaust note. I had to take the engine top cover off to make sure it was a V8, sounded more like a six.
Checked out posts on exhaust mods but didn't want to play around with the cats so settled on replacement silencers but wanted to retain the original oval tips, not so easy.
Okay so when you're a little bored, you've got a shiney SL and a garage full of heavy duty tools what are you going to do? What's the worst that could happen apart from a little blood loss which to me has always been acceptable and usually inevitable when breaking out the power tools.
First off I removed the silencers and of course gave in to the temptation to give it a run around the block. It was fun but way too loud and I didn't think the sound suited the car. This showed me I was going to need to fit a silencer of some sort.
I wanted to see what was going on in the original silencer so never one to ignore my curiosity I let loose with the angle grinder. Once I'd opened it up it was clear to see why the silencer was so restrictive.
Next I linked the inlet and outlets with a perforated tube then packed the body of the silencer with wadding, didn't get any pics of this as I didn't want to get any more blood on the camera, finally welded it all back up and refitted.
Now I've got an SL that can be quiet and refiined below 2,000rpm but with a great rumble through the rest of the rev range and sounds good in a refined sort of way. Not too loud but you know it's there.
Made a fairly crappy sound clip by dangling a mic out of the boot so it's fairly loud but gives an idea of what the effects of how the butchery sounds.
http://www.gardner-property.co.uk/SL500soundclip
Acceleration feels more urgent and the engine picks up better, although the fuel consumption has gone down the pan but that's probably because I've had it locked in third and enjoying the rumble.
David
Never ignore an urge to take something apart, you never know you may be able to put it back together again as well.
says me thinking
