esafaeian

Hey guys,
Has anyone changed over the LMAs on the s2k? Is there any diy guides to this? Also did it reduce valvetrain noise?

Thanks

Slowcrash_101

It can, and it's really easy once you remove the rocker arm assembly, they're right there.

esafaeian

Thanks mate, I've tried oil changes and a valve adjustment and they didn't seem to help the issue so thinking of trying this out - if it doesn't help I'll put it down to noisy injectors and will just try to live with it. The ticks are just always there and it's annoying especially when driving next to walls or other cars haha.

Ps., I'm pretty sure it's nothing major with my engine - compression tests were around 215 all cylinders.

Slowcrash_101

It's really simple, they're like little shocks/springs that sit under the rocker arms and take up any extra motion, you just reach in and pluck them out. Slip the new ones in and put it all back together. Pay extra careful attention with the camshaft alignment it has to be DEAD ON perfect. Also be careful non of the rocker arms fall out of the rocker arm shaft. Aside from that just go by the bolt sequence in the manual, take pictures, use a cardboard box as a template and put all the cam bolts on there. Spec is 16 ft lbs. It's easier to install everything if you back out all the rocker arm adjustment screws, but then you'll have to re-do your valve adjustment. Pulling the rocker arms out of the dowel pins isn't as easy as the manual makes it seem. I use a big screwdriver, wrapped in a towel and find a place to pry up. Once you get the front off the dowel pins the rest follows. You can use a rubber mallet to tap the cam towers loose(they're numbered and must be reinstalled 1 towards the front of the car 5 at the back). Make sure everything sits nice and flush on it's dowels, and careful not to mar or scratch any journal surface. Tappin stuff with a rubber mallet is allowed.

esafaeian

Wow thanks for the instructions buddy! Really appreciate it... It seems a little bit of a daunting task for me to do, most I've done till now is fluid changes and brake pads so I might have to find a repair store that will do it for me. There's a garage here in my hometown and the owner has done tons of work on hondas, he's changed the LMAs on other honda engines but never a s2k and said he wasn't sure as to how complex it'll be so might charge me more than b16/18. Should it be the same level of difficult as with other vtec motors?

Edit: Is there any way of being able to tell whether the ticking sounds are indeed coming from the LMA without taking things apart?

windhund116

Have you already checked valve adjustment? And chain tensioner? I've never heard of these LMA causing loud noise issues --- unless the spring is broken or some such thing.

esafaeian

Valve adjustment was done 4k km ago and the TCT was changed by the previous owner. I've listened to a lot of TCT related videos and I'm pretty sure the sound is not TCT related. I have also used a hose as a stethoscope to try to listen to noises around the engine (placing it on the valve cover and around the spark plug cover) and the TCT seemed pretty quiet. I did notice the injectors tick quite loudly but not sure whether the issue is injector related, every time I change the oil I do feel like the noise decreases somewhat, but after a few vtecs it seems loud again. Below is a video of the noise -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HzRgrse5cA

windhund116

Not bad noise. Maybe, a bit of chain noise, from what I can hear.

Slowcrash_101

LMA's can cause noise they will eventually wear out and lose their springiness. Not that hard to do if you've done a valve adjustment. But they're all in exactly the same place in every engine that has them, so shouldn't be any different.

Hearing your engine sounds fine to me, it's supposed to sound a bit like a sewing machine.

Billman250

Never once have I seen a bad lma spring in an S2000, and I'm confident I never will.

Your noise lies elsewhere.