xviper

With regards to diff temp, "Modifry" and myself have recently started our threads on something we've been working on:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=189557
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=201218

RE: oiljet bolts. Be careful when you install them. They are at a funny angle and you can cross thread very easily and then you'll be faced with a nightmare. Here's somthing that might help you:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=102067

As for "launching", this can be easily done without hurting the diff. However, it can be easy to do it wrong. Here's a link that might interest you. Go to the one with the Comptech exhaust and view the first sound file listed there. You'll see a beautiful launch by Salaska:
http://s2000library.com/

I've been using Mobil 1 syn 75W90 GL-5 gear oil in the diff. If you go to the "Oil Journals" at the top of Under the Hood, you'll Road Rages recommendations for the LE fluid. Have a read and decide for yourself. I use Honda MTF in the tranny and it's worked well for me. Also, Mobil 1 10W30 in the motor (5W30 in winter).

RED MX5

I've been following RR's LE thread, but this one is easy. You've been using the Mobile 1 in your diff, behind a supercharged motor, and you've had your lube analyzed to insure that it is doing it's job. If it's working for you it will work for me. The 607 is probably great stuff, but I'll go with your extreme conditions and oil analysis for now.

I've been following the other threads you mentioned too, but they do fill out the "Care and Feeding" topic quite nicely. S2ki is a gold mine of invaluable information.

The launch video was cool. Reminds me of launching the old SS-350 Camaro. I guess launching is a part of the care and feeding as well. I don't have a clue how anyone else launches a car, or what might be the "proper" way to do it, but I've always assumed that there are two ways to screw up a car while launching. Clutches over-heat if they are slipped excessively, and things in the driveline are more apt to break if they are given heavy "shock" loading. Based on that belief I've always launched by releasing the clutch, smoothly but very quickly; slowly enough not to slam the crap out of the driveline as the slack is taken up, but quickly enough to make the tires do the slipping rather than the clutch. I tried "side stepping" a clutch ONCE, sometime back in the 60's, and the BANG when the slack comes out of the driveline convinced me that it wasn't a very good idea. Based on the small number of things I've broken over the years (some GM motor mounts) while launching, and the kind of clutch life I usually get, I have to believe that I'm launching my cars properly, but if I'm doing it wrong, I want to know about it before I screw up my Honda. If I'm not doing it right please tell me where I'm getting it wrong.

Being unfamiliar with the exhaust system used in the video I can't begin to guess what RMP he used for his launch. When I laid the little patch today I launched at about 3,500 RPM, and was able to get the clutch out and the tires spinning quite easily, laying several feet of rubber, and without banging the crap out of the driveline. It really feels like doing the same thing at a higher RPM will simply break the tires loose in the same way, without any shock to the driveline, and with very little clutch slip (a quick but smooth release). I guess I'll go out tomorrow and work up to higher RPM launches in reasonable steps, and see what happens. As long as I don't shock the driveline the worst thing that I'll do is fry the clutch and wear out the tires, and both can be fixed.
I'll let you know how it goes. If you don't hear from me you can probably assume that I either got busy doing something else, or broke something and am too embarrassed to post.

XV, between you, RR, UL, and a dozen or so other helpful S2ki members, I've learned as much about my S2000 in three months as I learned about the X-1/9 during six months of intensive "research." I've also saved more than the cost of my membership by purchasing a few used parts from S2ki members. The S2000 impressed me, but S2ki impresses me even more. This is a truly amazing resource.

Many thanks,

RED MX5

xviper

Launching at 3500 rpm on the stock car is waaaaay too low. This is very hard on the drivetrain. I suspect the Salaska thread was launching closer ot 6000 rpm or higher. With S/C, I launch (when I do and I don't often), I go at about 5000rpm.
Here is that thread about my Mobil and Redline Shockproof diff fluid analysis comparison:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=141409
I think, for my kind of climate, a thick gooey fluid like Shockproof is not such a good thing. I think this is partly why Road Rage recommends against it for those of us in the "winter belt".

RED MX5

XV, since we've been exchanging PM's, I almost forgot that I'd promised to post the results of my "test launch" yesterday. As I mentioned in the PM, the 3500 RPM launch was on warm asphalt with no gravel; a very low-traction surface, so the driveline stresses were minimal. Like having 155/78 tires on the back of the car.

As promised, I took the car out yesterday, and following your advice, tried a "proper" launch. Now I'm left wondering how the heck some guys are frying clutches at the drag strip. The clutch locks up almost instantly, and the tires take all the abuse (as it should be). You don't have to "shock" the driveline by sidestepping the clutch either, as a smooth/quick release breaks the tires loose with minimal clutch slipping, so I really don't understand the diff failures either. As we discussed, it's not a good idea to do repeated hard launches without letting things cool down between runs, but the driveline feels very solid, doesn't have to be pounded to break the tires loose, and the car is telling me that doing this kind of thing once in a while isn't going to hurt anything. (Knock on wood.)

Thanks XViper.

RED
[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
Launching at 3500 rpm on the stock car is waaaaay too low.

AgroBob

xviper,
I have a couple of questions about your narrowband a/f gauge installation:

1. Where did you choose to connect the gauge wires for power and ground?

2. How did you splice into the O2 sensor wire (C16 at the ECU)? Did you use some sort of crimp connector or did you cut the wire and splice in that way?

Thanks,
Bob

xviper

1. On the end of your fuse panel in the driver's side footwell, there are 3 empty power outlets. 1 is HOT all the time. 1 is HOT with ignition. 1 is HOT with dash lights.

I took power from the one tied to ignition and I used the grounding "octopus" on the frame just up and above the fuse panel.
2. I used a "T" tap and crimped it onto that wire.
The very top one (YEL/BLK stripe wire) is such a "T" tap.

AgroBob

xviper,
Just logged in and read your response - as always, thanks for the help and detailed information...

BTW - I dyno'd my car last week with the new Comptech S/C installed. My average runs were about 227 whp -- of course, I am at 5000 ft altitude so the SAE corrected (x 1.24) value is 281.5 whp.

-Bob