Get the brand new '03.

 

Barry

Looking at those two bolts it appears that the old style 2 hole version has a considerably larger hole than the newer bolt.

It almost appears that even though the newer bolt has 4 holes as opposed to two, you might have more volume of oil flowing thru the older 2 hole style bolt.

In addition, is the intake where the oil enters the bolt any different from the two bolts?

 

Thanks Guys the info and your thoughts are great keep them coming it helps to get them The VIN# on the 2002 ends with 9172 so I suppose that it is not been sitting on the lot for more than a month and it would also seem that it is the new bolt design.

 

I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions from the last four digits on the VIN.

I have a 2002 with a last four numbers of 9843, purchased in October, but I know it was on the lot for several months prior to that date.

 

Yes, I think it is safe to assume that VIN# JHMAP1 11472T009172 was manufactured after VIN# JHMAP1 11472T008801. I think it is safe to assume that VIN# JHMAP1 11472T009172 will have an engine number higher than 1028807 and it will have the newer style oil jet bolts. It is easy to check. Call up the dealer. Tell him it matters to you. Ask him to look on his dealer's invoice for that car from AHM and read you the serial number of the F20C1 installed in the car with VIN# JHMAP1 11472T009172.

There are numereous threads discussing the two hole oil jet bolts vs the four hole bolts. This much is known.

All the S2000s up to mid-production MY2002 had the two hole. In mid-2002, the Honda switched to the four hole bolts.

The two hole bolts are no longer available from parts. Only the four hole bolts are available now.

In Europe, Honda recalled all the cars with the two hole bolts and put in four hole bolts instead, saying this would improve lubrication under certain conditions.

No where else in the world has Honda recalled S2000 cars with the old style bolts.

Woodwork, an engineer who works for AHM and who lurks on this board, said that the oil jet bolt update was to address a problem other than the #4 cylinder scoring problem that had plagued a very few F20C engines. AHM said we don't need the new bolts but Europe does because we don't drive our cars the same way.



There are four observable differences between the old and new bolts: the new bolts have four holes instead of two; the new bolts have smaller holes; the new bolts have their holes in a different place on the shaft; and the new bolts have a differnt tension on the spring inside the bolts.

If it were me, there's no way I'd buy a car with the old style bolts. I paid $278.28 to have my dealer change me over to the new style bolts.

All in all, I'd buy the '03 unless I got the '02 for $2,000 less than the '03 or unless I liked the color better, or unless I got a free 7 year 70,000 mile $0 deductible warranty with the'02 from AHM.

By the way, if someone thinks the two hole bolts are better and wants to buy mine to swap out the newer style for the older style, mine are for sale for $278.28 plus shipping.

 

I'd go for the '03 UNLESS I didn't like the color and preferred the color available in the '02. If I went for the '02, I'd try to talk them down a few more hundred dollars on the price.

The other thing I would personally consider besides verifying that the engine number is greater than 1025386 is the mileage on the cars. I'd take an '02 with 10 or 20 miles on it over an '03 that had 100 or more miles on it because you can bet those miles were not gentle.

 

The '03s are also all pimp red.

 

RedS2, isn't that a beautiful Silver/Black in your avatar?

 

Barry,

Since I now have my dream car I need to set my sights higher for the unobtainable. Unless I win the lottery. Silver is also a hell of a lot easier to maintain and will be the color of my next car.