This is the 13th S2000 I've found with broken retainers during routine valve adjustment.

2003, 19k miles. Owner has one mechanical over-rev he knows of from about 8k miles ago.

For the first time, the 2nd intake retainer from the back does not APPEAR broken. but the 3rd one from the front is for sure.

Mild case, we'll set another date soon for AP2 retainers as the guy was pressed for time.

Search: carnumber13

I'll try to edit my other threads if I can find them

 

Can you comment on how many of those have been AP2's?

 

None.

And I'm confident I'll never see an AP2 with a broken retainer.

But I'm sure someone will pull a 5th to 2nd gear at redline and prove me wrong

 

The real question is, approximately what percentage of the F20C cars that you inspect have this problem?

 

This year it's about 25%. I think about 9 cars this year alone.

 

I've started to think that the tight shift pattern might be contributing to the high number of missed shifts. The longer throws on an Elise or Miata make it a lot harder to engage the wrong gear.

 

I've always wondered if RHD cars don't have the "money-shift" problem.

When people get excited, they tend to pull "in." In a LHD vehicle, that's a downshift... but in a RHD, that's an upshift.

 

Damn Bill...you keep doing this to me. I guess I might as well pull the head this year and take a look around. Do you recommend buying OEM AP2 retainers or going with Supertech Springs/Retainers (are these worth the extra money)?

 

^
well billman uses oem ap2...so i suppose that is what he will suggest.

 

You're right, but it's easy to avoid unintentional side pressure. When it is not needed, you either pull the shifter with your finger tips (3-4 or 5-4), or push it with your palm (2-3 or 4-3). That way it's impossible to apply side pressure, and the centering force of the shifter will insure that you get the center gears every time.

When going into second or first you need pressure to the left, so you point your palm to the left so that your natural tendency to pull under pressure ends up pulling in the right direction. If you don't wrap your fingers all the way around to the far side of the shift knob it is impossible to apply pressure in the wrong direction.

When engaging the upper gears (fifth and sixth) you need pressure to the right, so just point your palm to the right (thumb down), and push the lever without wrapping your fingers far enough around to create pressure in the wrong direction.

If you shove the lever rather than steering it around like a joystick, and position your palm facing the direction which needs pressure, it's pretty hard to miss a shift. When I get in a RHD car I usually bang the back of my right hand against the door trim a couple times reaching for the shifter, but as long as I have my wits about me enough to keep my palm pointed in the right direction I never have any trouble getting the right gear.

The downside is that a lapse can still lead to a missed shift. If I'm going from sixth to fifth, I need my palm pointing to the right so the natural pressure will hold against the centering force, and if I have a brain fart and go palm down and push with my palm, guess what gear the car goes in.

There is no fool proof solution, but "palm pointing" eleminates the problems associated with unintended side force.