leeK9

i am currently looking for an S2000 for the summer months

i have spied one in my country

its a 99 AP1 JDM model in white

mods
amuse manifold
skunk2 decat
skunk 2 dual exit exhaust
staggered 16'' TE37's
buddyclub coilovers
140,000 kilometres on the odometer

the car was for sale last summer but with me trying to sell my car t buy it the s2000 sold before i got my EK9 sold ( which took only 4 days to sell )

now the current owner has gone to australia for work etc and a friend of the current owner has contacted me wondering if id be interested in buying the car now seeing as i am in the market for an S2000

so i got in contact with the previous owner who is well known for having some real well sorted motors and he also works for honda as a mechanic, i asked him about the car seeing as it is no skin off his nose what he says, he said that when he bought it he was supposed to be sold with a timing chain kit as when cold and at idle the chain would rattle a little, he never got the kit and sold the car on soon after to buy a white JDM evo 9

now i have asked him about the timing chain and he says that when changing the timing chain on an s2000 the head need to come off which also means replacing bolts and gasket but i was in my local honda dealer earlier on today as i would be somewhat well known from my previous car and a few of the mechanics lending a hand on it and they say that all i need is the tensioner and chain and possible guides but guides would need inspected before possible replacement but that more importantly the head does not need to be taken off to replace these parts

which i find strange as there is buckets of space on the front of the engine bay

so who is right?

i got some prices from my local honda like this

chain 14401-PCX-004 138L €115+vat
tensioner 14510-PCX-005 €257+vat
and 2 guides which may not be needed at €121+vat and €99+vat

so assuming i dont need the guides im looking at €450 with vat included without any labour charges

does any of this sound right?

prices are always high in honda in ireland

emac0408

You probably only need the tensioner. Rattling timing chains are a common problem in S2000's. You could just repair the one currently in the car.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=808383

ljsimp

There are many posts regarding the timing chain tensioner. The noise is the tensioner itself. A few members on here (ie billman) sell modified tensioners or you can sandblast the worm gear which for me has lasted over a year.

You do not need to replace the chain, and even if you did most likely all you would have to do is take off the valve cover not the entire head. All other honda's I have worked on I just removed the valve cover.

DO NOT purchase a new Honda tensioner the problem will return. Search the forum for timing chain tensioner.

leeK9

thanks for your reply

this forum is very big and confusing as im new here

leeK9

yes i have read a few but was just confused as to why one honda worker would tell me that it is a head off job and another would say not

the car has 140km, does this seem about right for the tensioner to give problems or is it just how lucky you get?

ljsimp

Honestly the tensioner is probably the #1 problem on this forum. I see this weekly and the miles vary. Mine had issues at 75k I removed the tensioner (2 bolts), removed the worm gear, and my buddy sandblasted it. See the worm gear polishes over time so it does not hold its grip, then it rattles.

Read this find someone who has a blaster, save yourself $200.
https://www.s2ki.com/home/2010/08/08/diy-ti...ment-or-repair/

leeK9

thanks guys

so it is a given that this is the most likely culprit of rattling and slack chain when cold and when idling?

do the timing chains ever need replaced as a matter of interest?

face

Actually, there might be a chain problem.
I own a 2001 EU Type V S2000 that I bought last year with 77000km on board. I didn't get to enjoy it to much because I will only drive it at the track where it definitely belongs if you take into account the condition of Romanian roads :|

My car does rattle when cold but when it warms up the rattle does not go away completely, it just is quieter and a little slower in frequency. Either cold or warmed up you can only hear it at idle.

I changed the TCT 100km ago, suspecting the same problem that we all encounter at a point, although the rattle is much slower in frequency that the one clearly identified to come from the TCT (that you can hear in the videos in the TCT Replacement thread)

The rattle did not change at all with a brand new TCT, so I'm planning on replacing the chain and guides, possibly even the oil pump chain as soon as I can get the car out of the garage after the winter.

ljsimp

I suggest starting with the TCT fix, or a replacement via billman. Then move forward with face's suggestion.

Billman250

A new tensioner is a band aid. The unit is flawed in its design, plain and simple.

If you have noises after a new TCT, you need a modified TCT.

EVEN IF you change the chain AND guides AND TCT, the problem can return in as early as 8k miles.

Sandblasting the worm gear has proven highly effective....appears to have over 95% success rate... If that doesnt work, I can help you rid the noise permanently.