MBCNSW Dyno Day

The MBCNSW held a tech day at a dyno equipped performance shop today.   I was keen to attend as I wanted to understand how much power my ECE 560SEC is making.   Geting dyno time independently can be expensive, but through the club day it was very affordable.   The tech day was held at SR Performance at Wolli Creek.

On the Dyno, the following cars were tested:

• CLK350 C209
• C63 AMG
• 1974 350SL
• 1972 280SE 3.5
• 1987 560SEC
• 500SL R230

While my primary reason for attending the day was to find out how much power my engine is making, A dyno’s primary use is as a diagnostic tool.    Through the dyno, I discovered my car was running quite lean.   Not only is this bad for the engine, but it also meant that power is significantly lower than it should be.   For example, the other cars had an air/fuel ratio of 12-13, my car is around 17.     The resulting power is around 145hp at the rear wheels when it should be well over 200.

Based on my lean running finding, I drove home like a granny.   Before I use the car again, I will need to sort this issue out.

As you would expect, the modern Mercedes made good power.    I was very curious about the two M116 3.5 D-Jet cars.   This was an opportunity to compare two very similar engines – and see how they differ after 40+ years.     The operator of the Dyno told us that a good rule of thumb is that what the car is rated to do in KW is what it is probably doing at the rear wheels in HP.    This should mean a result in the mid 140s for both 350s.

The 350SL had a petrol leak from one of the injectors, but that didn’t stop it making 137hp at the rear wheels, 6 more than the 280SE 3.5.   I was impressed with the performance of both engines given their age.    They have obviously been looked after.

After the club finished, an E30 BMW with a modern M3 drivetrain was tested.   That car was really nicely done and made more than double the power of the two M116s!

I hope the MBCNSW make a dyno day an annual event.   It’s a great diagnostic tool, especially for the older cars.