Article: VTT Stage 2 turbo upgraded C218 CLS63 AMG with Eurocharged Canada M157 tuning and 722.9 trans upgrade makes 700+ whp and 800+ wtq

[KLR CLS]

About a month ago I got around to completing my stage 2 build using the first set of VTT Stage 2 turbos along with a built tranmission using AMS/Excedy Clutches and the Weistec deep pan. I also did a few other mods at the time including splitting the cooling circuit, custom turbo smart BOV, and all UPD pulleys. You may recall I posted pics of the VTT turbos, but here are a few for reminder. These are stock frame GT22 hybrids using Billet Impeller and larger non clipped exhaust wheels. The same wheels are good for close to 500 whp a turbo in other platforms like the ecoboost mustang, so there is good CFM capacity for sure.Full mods on the car are as follows:Turbo back full downpipes3" custom exhaust to tipsUPD Intake spacers and specter tubesUPD Crank and accessory pulleysVTT stage 2 turbos Eurocharged Custom Dyno tuneAMS Clutch upgraded transmissionInstallation: My car is RWD, and I was removing the transmission to be built, so I decided the motor would come out the old fashioned way, through the top of the engine bay vs dropping the subframe cradle. Overall it was a relatively easy job, akin to pulling any other motor. Did not even have to pull the rad out, just the fan assemble to make room. I removed the trans from below, removed all lines and harnesses above, and out she came on a cherry picker and load tiller. Best to have a couple of guys with you, one underneath, and one guy working the tiller, with another moving the hoist. As for the turbo install, it was smooth as butter given they are OEM frames. I probably went overkill, but I used all new hardware, gaskets, and oil feed and return lines. I have the parts list for those that may want it, but those parts totaled about $1100 CDN. Also did new mounts while I was there, for another $700 or so CDN. All that to say be prepared for ancillary parts costs along with install. you can probably get away with just gaskets on the lines, and not complete new lines, which would have saved about $500.Once the motor/turbo assembly was complete, we put it back in the car and waited for the trans to be built. I used a local re builder that specializes in 722.9 trans and they turned it around in 1 day. So after the install it toook me a while to get tuned do to having to work out some bugs. First car needed wet clutch adaptation for the trans. Then the shift adaptions and break in period for about 500 km, during which the car shifted erratic, inconsistent and some times not at all. I cleared all base adaptions after putting the trans back in, which may have compoound the problem. I spoke to someone else who had done the same build, and he assured me that it would get better once it learned adapations again. This proved right and trans is now 99%. I get the odd delay now and then at certain light throttle positions, but I'm sure its almost there. I tired a set of Brisk Silver core non projected plugs, and the car hated them. Consistent miss at idle, break up under boost, stalling and decel. I tossed those in the garbage and put in some NGK Iridium 8's and car idles and runs smooth as ever. The same weekend I fabbed up the BOV flange to the charge pipe, and got that installed as well. Finally ready to rock and roll.Intial Impressions: Once the car was running well, I start prodding a bit, but stayed out of much boost since I wasn't tuned yet. Car felt alot stronger down low, and spool characteristic did not feel changed from stock turbos. All that to say it felt promising, but familiar. A few more miles on it and I felt it was time to tune and see what we could do.Results: So I did not do baseline completly stock, but I did dyno the car after getting it tuned originally ( an early version of the Eurocharged tune by jerry over 2 years ago). The dyno results at the time were 580whp and 660 wtq. After that I added downpipes/exhaust and UPD intakes, but never did retune or dyno again, so don;t have true before and after build comparison. When I got to Eurocharged Canada, They got it right on the dyno to baseline the car as is. Car made 640whp and 717wtq, so pretty goood start. Having not had an M157 ECU with my SW version, Slav had to make a file from scratch. This took a bit of time, but let the car cool down a bit. As I am going to add a killer chiller and Methanol later in the fall, I wanted to run only pump gas (94 oct) and be very conservative for now. Given that and the temps of the day ( 28c and very humid) I was going to be happy with 700+ whp. Well we got there on the 3rd pull. 705whp and 830Wtq! This is pump gas only, no meth, and very conservative timing (mostly stock with 1 degree adder ). I didn't log boost on the dyno, but on the road later I saw 24psi in 4th. With cooler weather, meth and KC, I expect to run 28 psi and more timing. It should easily make 800whp in that trim. Here is the Dyno: Overall I am quite happy. Car looks/feels/sounds like a monster and has a ton more in it. It was great working with Tony @ Vargas TT to get these new stage 2 turbos built and brought to market and Slav and Vlad at EC Canada on the tuning. Also shout out to Salik at MB PowerHaus for helping me with the install efforts and letting me use the shop for a week. It takes a village....Tony has an interesting plan for these turbos so look for more game changing options from him soon. Feel free to hit him up for info on pricing and availability.Feel free to ask any questions

[Sticky]

Completely forgot Vargas had an option here.

705 whp is quite nice!

Going to do a writeup shortly.

[Sticky]

Great results and details here from BenzBoost member @KLR CLS. His username certainly is appropriate as his C218 generation Mercedes-AMG CLS63 is putting down huge numbers. How about 705 wheel horsepower and 858 lb-ft of torque at the wheels?

Big, big numbers. So big that he needed an upgrade for his 722.9 transmission.

Here are the full details in @KLR CLS 's own words:

About a month ago I got around to completing my stage 2 build using the first set of VTT Stage 2 turbos along with a built transmission using AMS/Excedy Clutches and the Weistec deep pan. I also did a few other mods at the time including splitting the cooling circuit, custom turbo smart BOV, and all UPD pulleys.

You may recall I posted pics of the VTT turbos, but here are a few for reminder. These are stock frame GT22 hybrids using Billet Impeller and larger non clipped exhaust wheels. The same wheels are good for close to 500 whp a turbo in other platforms like the ecoboost mustang, so there is good CFM capacity for sure.

Full mods on the car are as follows: Turbo back full downpipes, 3" custom exhaust to tips, UPD Intake spacers and specter tubes, UPD Crank and accessory pulleys, VTT stage 2 turbos, Eurocharged Custom Dyno, tuneAMS Clutch upgraded transmission Installation.

My car is RWD, and I was removing the transmission to be built, so I decided the motor would come out the old fashioned way, through the top of the engine bay vs dropping the subframe cradle. Overall it was a relatively easy job, akin to pulling any other motor. Did not even have to pull the rad out, just the fan assemble to make room.

I removed the trans from below, removed all lines and harnesses above, and out she came on a cherry picker and load tiller. Best to have a couple of guys with you, one underneath, and one guy working the tiller, with another moving the hoist. As for the turbo install, it was smooth as butter given they are OEM frames. I probably went overkill, but I used all new hardware, gaskets, and oil feed and return lines.

I have the parts list for those that may want it, but those parts totaled about $1100 CDN. Also did new mounts while I was there, for another $700 or so CDN. All that to say be prepared for ancillary parts costs along with install. you can probably get away with just gaskets on the lines, and not complete new lines, which would have saved about $500.

Once the motor/turbo assembly was complete, we put it back in the car and waited for the trans to be built. I used a local re builder that specializes in 722.9 trans and they turned it around in 1 day.

So after the install it toook me a while to get tuned do to having to work out some bugs. First car needed wet clutch adaptation for the trans. Then the shift adaptions and break in period for about 500 km, during which the car shifted erratic, inconsistent and some times not at all. I cleared all base adaptions after putting the trans back in, which may have compounded the problem.

I spoke to someone else who had done the same build, and he assured me that it would get better once it learned adapations again. This proved right and trans is now 99%. I get the odd delay now and then at certain light throttle positions, but I'm sure its almost there. I tired a set of Brisk Silver core non projected plugs, and the car hated them. Consistent miss at idle, break up under boost, stalling and decel. I tossed those in the garbage and put in some NGK Iridium 8's and car idles and runs smooth as ever.

The same weekend I fabbed up the BOV flange to the charge pipe, and got that installed as well. Finally ready to rock and roll. Intial Impressions: Once the car was running well, I start prodding a bit, but stayed out of much boost since I wasn't tuned yet. Car felt a lot stronger down low, and spool characteristic did not feel changed from stock turbos. All that to say it felt promising, but familiar. A few more miles on it and I felt it was time to tune and see what we could do.

Results: So I did not do baseline completly stock, but I did dyno the car after getting it tuned originally ( an early version of the Eurocharged tune by jerry over 2 years ago). The dyno results at the time were 580whp and 660 wtq. After that I added downpipes/exhaust and UPD intakes, but never did retune or dyno again, so don;t have true before and after build comparison.

When I got to Eurocharged Canada, They got it right on the dyno to baseline the car as is. Car made 640whp and 717wtq, so pretty good start. Having not had an M157 ECU with my SW version, Slav had to make a file from scratch. This took a bit of time, but let the car cool down a bit. As I am going to add a killer chiller and Methanol later in the fall, I wanted to run only pump gas (94 oct) and be very conservative for now.

Given that and the temps of the day ( 28c and very humid) I was going to be happy with 700+ whp. Well we got there on the 3rd pull. 705whp and 830Wtq! This is pump gas only, no meth, and very conservative timing (mostly stock with 1 degree adder ). I didn't log boost on the dyno, but on the road later I saw 24psi in 4th. With cooler weather, meth and KC, I expect to run 28 psi and more timing. It should easily make 800whp in that trim.

Here is the Dyno:

Overall I am quite happy. Car looks/feels/sounds like a monster and has a ton more in it. It was great working with Tony @ Vargas TT to get these new stage 2 turbos built and brought to market and Slav and Vlad at EC Canada on the tuning. Also shout out to Salik at MB PowerHaus for helping me with the install efforts and letting me use the shop for a week. It takes a village....Tony has an interesting plan for these turbos so look for more game changing options from him soon. Feel free to hit him up for info on pricing and availability.

Feel free to ask any questions!

[Sticky]

Awesome, awesome post @KLR CLS. Cleaned it up a bit and promoted to the front page.

Anyway, who is this Canadian 722.9 transmission upgrade expert?

[KLR CLS]

Transmission was built by Bob @Toronto Auto Transmission. Great service and turn around. They are also a renntech dealer so have been around MBs for years, and they all personally drive modded AMGs

[Sticky]

Transmission was built by Bob @Toronto Auto Transmission. Great service and turn around. They are also a renntech dealer so have been around MBs for years, and they all personally drive modded AMGs

Wasn't aware of them, thank you.

[Bowser330]

According to others threads in the forum, the real issue with the 722.9 transmission is the TCU programming. Any work done on the TCU front?

Note: Sticky you may need to update the title of the thread since it says "772.9"

[Payam@BMS]

Great results man, especially on pump gas! Sounds like there's definitely more in it whenever needed.

[KLR CLS]

According to others threads in the forum, the real issue with the 722.9 transmission is the TCU programming. Any work done on the TCU front?

Note: Sticky you may need to update the title of the thread since it says "772.9"

Building the transmission to handle 1000ft/lbs and addressing launch characteristics are different things. With this level of torque the stock trans would be toast. With the wet clutch adapatation car seems to launch pretty well. but its just tire smoke right now. Bottom line these cars will never launch like a TC trans, because there is no converter to load up, and the TCU governs wet clutch apply pressures and rates. I am working with some others on options for that.

[Bowser330]

Building the transmission to handle 1000ft/lbs and addressing launch characteristics are different things. With this level of torque the stock trans would be toast. With the wet clutch adapatation car seems to launch pretty well. but its just tire smoke right now. Bottom line these cars will never launch like a TC trans, because there is no converter to load up, and the TCU governs wet clutch apply pressures and rates. I am working with some others on options for that.

Thank you for the reply and good point, they are indeed different things...

Please keep us posted on the developments for those TCU options, there are many of us looking for improving the launch characteristics even on tune-only cars

[Sticky]

Note: Sticky you may need to update the title of the thread since it says "772.9"

Crap. Thanks, good catch!