A replacement M157 engine costing $11,500 is only the beginning of this E63 AMG resurrection, as the project combines a full engine swap with larger turbochargers, downpipes, cooling-system work, and custom tuning. The creator attributes the original engine failure to spark-plug orientation and argues that a cylinder-head casting issue may be involved, while explicitly framing that conclusion as his own rather than a demonstrated fact. Adjusting the spark-plug sealing rings on the replacement engine is an unusual detail that gives the rebuild a more specific technical purpose than simply dropping in another used motor.
The installation itself provides plenty of mechanical substance. New gaskets and hardware accompany the bridge pipes, turbo coolant lines, intake manifold, fuel lines, ignition components, exhaust pieces, vacuum plumbing, wiring, and other hardware, while an updated heat-exchanger pump is installed as preventative maintenance. The extremely tight relationship between the engine, subframe, and coolant plumbing also illustrates why completing much of this work while the powertrain is out of the car makes sense. Small explanations about the boost-control system, cooling circuit, and inaccessible connections help keep a long assembly sequence understandable.
Starting the replacement engine creates the project's best tension because success is not immediate. After cranking to establish oil pressure, the engine initially refuses to fire, requires additional diagnostic work, and then runs with intermittent misfires. Rather than immediately declaring victory, the team watches the misfire counter, performs an electronic compression test, allows the engine to reach temperature, and continues checking its behavior until the misfires disappear. The passed compression test and eventual clean running provide reassuring evidence, although they do not by themselves prove the engine's long-term health.
That caution proves worthwhile when a coolant warning appears during a wide-open-throttle third-gear logging run the following morning. The leak initially raises the possibility of something difficult around the turbo installation, but inspection traces coolant to a hose connection with a weak clamp, which is replaced before the dyno session. It is a satisfying minor diagnosis after a much more alarming symptom, though the repair receives relatively little follow-up testing on camera before the car is subjected to further hard use.
The dyno work adds credibility by showing that tuning is an iterative process rather than presenting one dramatic horsepower number as the entire exercise. The first pull produces a stated 575 all-wheel horsepower and 720 pound-feet of torque, followed by repeated changes to wastegate control and timing as the team works through inconsistent results and heat soak. Eventually the car records 592 all-wheel horsepower, short of the hoped-for 600-plus territory but still a substantial result. Claims about what the same calibration might produce in a rear-wheel-drive E63, or what cooler conditions could achieve, remain estimates rather than demonstrated results, and the team sensibly stops rather than chasing a headline number indefinitely.
The final road drive is arguably more convincing than the dyno figure because the rebuilt E63 starts, shifts, launches, and returns to the shop under its own power after the earlier uncertainty. The creator's enthusiasm for the transmission, all-wheel-drive traction, dynamic seats, cosmetic condition, and comparatively analog W212 character gives the conclusion a genuine ownership perspective. At roughly $25,000 invested by his estimate, the project also becomes more interesting than the original $9,000 purchase price suggests: this is no longer simply a cheap AMG rescue, but a deliberately upgraded performance sedan that he intends to daily drive.
Pros
- Provides substantial hands-on mechanical detail throughout the engine installation, turbo upgrade, cooling work, exhaust installation, first start, diagnosis, and tuning.
- Treats the initial misfire seriously with live misfire monitoring and an electronic compression test rather than immediately assuming the replacement engine is healthy.
- The unexpected coolant leak creates a useful real-world troubleshooting sequence and is traced to a specific hose-clamp problem.
- Dyno tuning is shown as an iterative process, including disappointing runs, heat soak, wastegate adjustments, and conservative timing rather than only showcasing the best number.
- The final road testing gives the rebuild a satisfying payoff while showing that the creator values drivability and reliability over pursuing maximum possible power.
- Workshop teamwork and the creator's obvious enthusiasm keep a lengthy technical project energetic and approachable.
Cons
- The theory that a cylinder-head casting issue contributes to dangerous spark-plug orientation is not established beyond the creator's own investigation and reasoning.
- The repaired coolant connection receives limited demonstrated validation before the car returns to hard driving and dyno testing.
- Speculation about rear-wheel-drive horsepower, cooler-weather performance, and potential sub-three-second acceleration goes beyond what is actually demonstrated.
- Multiple promotional segments, side projects involving other Mercedes models, equipment discussion, and recurring jokes noticeably extend an already lengthy rebuild.
- The final 592-wheel-horsepower result falls short of the anticipated 600-plus figure, with limited dyno time and heat soak leaving the tune somewhat short of a definitive finished benchmark.
Turning a failed $9,000 AMG into a functioning, larger-turbo performance sedan makes for a rewarding mechanical story because the process includes genuine uncertainty rather than an effortless transformation. Careful diagnosis, conservative tuning, and a successful road test outweigh the speculative performance claims and lengthy promotional detours, while the unresolved question of long-term reliability appropriately remains beyond what one successful build session can establish.
