Just Bought My First S2000...Necessary mods?
12-15-2019, 06:33 AM
#21
Here is my list for newly purchased low mileage ap1 - (I've done this twice now).
Replace engine oil and filter, replace transmission oil, replace dif oil, replace brake and clutch fluid, replace antifreeze.
Inspect and replace (if needed) air and cabin filters.
Replace spark plugs just on age. I believe the recommended age limit is 8 years. I changed plugs on an ap1 8.5K miles that I owned a while back, and it actually made a noticeable difference in the performance.
Inspect, and adjust valve clearances if out of spec - carefully inspect retainers while the valve cover is off and replace with ap2 ONLY IF CRACKED.
Alignment to OEM specs.
New tires if tires are old or worn which is likely.
Full detail including engine bay and undercarriage.
Wash top and apply vinyl top treatment of choice.
New radio headunit with blue tooth connectivity.
On the clutch fluid - I recommend making it a practice to use a turkey baster or similar syringe type tool to suck the fluid out of the fluid reservoir and then fill with fresh fluid every time you do an oil change. It is a simple task and in my experience it almost completely eliminates the fairly common problem of a leaking clutch master cylinder.
On the banjo bolt issue - I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole unless you are driving on the track a lot, or regularly driving at extremely high speeds for long periods of time. Even then, I would want it done by a pro who has done it before. Lots of stories about disasters from cross-threading in these pages. No stories about ruined engines with the original banjo bolts that I have seen - and certainly not from folks driving hard on the streets.
On the cracking valve retainers - the fact that the car has low miles and was owned by a mature person (some of us prefer the term "mature" v. "old"
), does not mean that the car was not mechanically over-rev'd, which is the problem that can crack the retainers. Driving hard in VTEC a lot does not crack the retainers. Its miss-shifts that force the engine to over-rev that cause it. Mature folks who drive conservatively can miss-shift just as much (maybe more) than aggressive drivers. So, I would check them. They will likely be fine. But, its nice to know they are ok, and set a baseline on your valve clearances to get off to a good start. I would not change them if they are not cracked. But, some will recommend changing them. I have a new to me ap1 that I've driven for one season, (about 5K miles). I have not checked/adjusted the valves yet. I need to do it.
BTW - I agree with the comment about resisting mods. You have a wonderful car. It needs no mods to be an absolute joy. We are all tempted to make mods. RESIST!
Replace engine oil and filter, replace transmission oil, replace dif oil, replace brake and clutch fluid, replace antifreeze.
Inspect and replace (if needed) air and cabin filters.
Replace spark plugs just on age. I believe the recommended age limit is 8 years. I changed plugs on an ap1 8.5K miles that I owned a while back, and it actually made a noticeable difference in the performance.
Inspect, and adjust valve clearances if out of spec - carefully inspect retainers while the valve cover is off and replace with ap2 ONLY IF CRACKED.
Alignment to OEM specs.
New tires if tires are old or worn which is likely.
Full detail including engine bay and undercarriage.
Wash top and apply vinyl top treatment of choice.
New radio headunit with blue tooth connectivity.
On the clutch fluid - I recommend making it a practice to use a turkey baster or similar syringe type tool to suck the fluid out of the fluid reservoir and then fill with fresh fluid every time you do an oil change. It is a simple task and in my experience it almost completely eliminates the fairly common problem of a leaking clutch master cylinder.
On the banjo bolt issue - I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole unless you are driving on the track a lot, or regularly driving at extremely high speeds for long periods of time. Even then, I would want it done by a pro who has done it before. Lots of stories about disasters from cross-threading in these pages. No stories about ruined engines with the original banjo bolts that I have seen - and certainly not from folks driving hard on the streets.
On the cracking valve retainers - the fact that the car has low miles and was owned by a mature person (some of us prefer the term "mature" v. "old"
), does not mean that the car was not mechanically over-rev'd, which is the problem that can crack the retainers. Driving hard in VTEC a lot does not crack the retainers. Its miss-shifts that force the engine to over-rev that cause it. Mature folks who drive conservatively can miss-shift just as much (maybe more) than aggressive drivers. So, I would check them. They will likely be fine. But, its nice to know they are ok, and set a baseline on your valve clearances to get off to a good start. I would not change them if they are not cracked. But, some will recommend changing them. I have a new to me ap1 that I've driven for one season, (about 5K miles). I have not checked/adjusted the valves yet. I need to do it.BTW - I agree with the comment about resisting mods. You have a wonderful car. It needs no mods to be an absolute joy. We are all tempted to make mods. RESIST!
Last edited by rpg51; 12-15-2019 at 06:38 AM.
12-19-2019, 03:10 AM
#22
Agree with all previous comments regarding taking care of routine maintenance first.
A weighted countersunk shift knob is one inexpensive, easily undone modification that makes a decent improvement in shift feel. I'd highly recommend it.
Tim
A weighted countersunk shift knob is one inexpensive, easily undone modification that makes a decent improvement in shift feel. I'd highly recommend it.
Tim
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