Engine Locked up, Now Runs Great
#25
If you can hold off, I think you can just get a AAA roadside membership for 119/year and included is a 200 mile tow (along with 3 - 100 mile tows). Might be worth the savings if you can afford the time, you would have to wait 2 days after activating your membership to tow.
#28
Ok, So I finally got my car back Friday. Here's what happened.
Like I mentioned, I had my car carried down to Granite State Dyno, where Scott works so he could take
a look and let me know what I needed to get back on the road. Like lots of you suspected, he said that
I had a thrust washer failure. There was significant engine damage, and Scott suggested I needed to get
a new short block. The cost of a brand AP2 block from Honda was around $4,000 bucks, and installation was
right around $2,000. Didn't think I had many options, so I had it done.
They had the car for close to a month before it was done. I picked it up this past Friday, and it's running
great! Yeah, it was very expensive, but I'm so happy to have my car back. Part of the repair included aligning
the front end because they removed the engine through the bottom, and also re-adjusting the valves. It's running
so well and with the valve adjustment it sounds so smooth.
I asked Scott what he thought could have caused my problem, and he said he really hadn't seen it before and really
didn't know what could have caused. His only thought was that maybe with the car sitting for a long time over the
winter, the first start of the season might put stress on the washer because the oil had run out of the engine over
the winter. He did give me a suggestion of what I could do to avoid it. I told him that I had only had the car for
a short time, and really wasn't aware of how long it had sat over the winter in the past.
Scott seems like a great guy, and this place called Granite State Dyno is quite a place. They have 2 dyno machines
and while I was there I saw lots of great cars in and outside of the shop. Scott really knows our S2000's inside
and out. If I ever have any other issues, I wouldn't hesitate to head down and have Scott take a look. Hopefully
if I ever go there again, I'll be able to drive in, and not need a tow.
Hopefully we have a warm fall, so I can drive my car a lot before winter kicks in again. Most of all, I hope this is
the last of my major issues for a very long time.
Like I mentioned, I had my car carried down to Granite State Dyno, where Scott works so he could take
a look and let me know what I needed to get back on the road. Like lots of you suspected, he said that
I had a thrust washer failure. There was significant engine damage, and Scott suggested I needed to get
a new short block. The cost of a brand AP2 block from Honda was around $4,000 bucks, and installation was
right around $2,000. Didn't think I had many options, so I had it done.
They had the car for close to a month before it was done. I picked it up this past Friday, and it's running
great! Yeah, it was very expensive, but I'm so happy to have my car back. Part of the repair included aligning
the front end because they removed the engine through the bottom, and also re-adjusting the valves. It's running
so well and with the valve adjustment it sounds so smooth.
I asked Scott what he thought could have caused my problem, and he said he really hadn't seen it before and really
didn't know what could have caused. His only thought was that maybe with the car sitting for a long time over the
winter, the first start of the season might put stress on the washer because the oil had run out of the engine over
the winter. He did give me a suggestion of what I could do to avoid it. I told him that I had only had the car for
a short time, and really wasn't aware of how long it had sat over the winter in the past.
Scott seems like a great guy, and this place called Granite State Dyno is quite a place. They have 2 dyno machines
and while I was there I saw lots of great cars in and outside of the shop. Scott really knows our S2000's inside
and out. If I ever have any other issues, I wouldn't hesitate to head down and have Scott take a look. Hopefully
if I ever go there again, I'll be able to drive in, and not need a tow.
Hopefully we have a warm fall, so I can drive my car a lot before winter kicks in again. Most of all, I hope this is
the last of my major issues for a very long time.
#29
Did your car have the OEM clutch? Engine failure in these cars is rare, thrust washer is one of the more rare types of failures when they do happen. Typically a thrust washer failure occurs from a aftermarket pressure plate. There is a few who debate even OEM pressure plate and clutch in action on a cold car causes wear, I am not one of those.
To me this failure is pretty crazy and there is a missing bit of information that maybe only the previous owner is aware of.
To me this failure is pretty crazy and there is a missing bit of information that maybe only the previous owner is aware of.