After two and a half of s2k ownership, and reading these boards, I've come to the conclusion that the oiginal 00 to 03 s2k suffered from two problems which hindered it from being the best sports car ever built. The first (not the subject of this post) is that too many arrived with too much front negative camber and rear toe in, causing understreer and premature tire wear. Easily fixed. The second (the subject here) is the virtually blocked off stock air intake which , at best, is limited to hot air from the radiator top, which has reduced low rpm performance. With the advice of xviper and others, I have insulated the intake from hot air, and constructed a direct tunneled path from the grill to the stock airbox, plus provided an additional air intake from the hole in the passenger side fender well (ala PRM and Comptech).Cost? $59 with parts left over for two more!. Results? 2.5K rpm to 6k in about the same time as 6k to 9k. No potential hydrolock problems. My dealer's service manager has seen and approved.

Question. Why did Honda cripple these cars like this? Anybody else think it's a damn shame?

Thanks,
Richard

 

I disagree. I don't think there is much at all wrong with the OEM intake. The results of all the intake mod dynos I've seen confirms this. Much effort resulting in little gain.

I'm glad you are happy with your result, but wouldn't you expect a car to do a lower 3000rpm (even 3500) in less time than a top 3000?

Get some dyno results and quantify your findings and we'll be much more impressed

AusS2000 (creator of the Aus Air Intake Extension)

 

I disagree. Alignment tuned for handling rather than tire wear IS the way to do a sports car. Many increase negative camber while staying at the low end of the rear toe-in spec.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dolebludger
The second (the subject here) is the virtually blocked off stock air intake which , at best, is limited to hot air from the radiator top, which has reduced low rpm performance.

 

sounds like your problems are solved.

 

Mechanically, I've found that many of us disagree with one another. That's OK. My alignment makes my car handle just right for me, though others may want more understeer at the expense of tire wear. Me, I think that a bit of oversteer IS sporty! Some think the stock intake is just fine. It is, if you launch at 5K or 6K rpm. Below that I don't think much of it. Not only is the air hot, but the grill top to radiator brace cover blocks almost all the air from the grill from getting to the intake. Yes, I regard all my problems solved. I won't bother with the dyno test, as ram air of the moving car plays a role that the dyno wouldn't show. Besides, I've done some before and after run timings, and I'm satisfied she's quicker below VTEC now.

As a side note, my S02's are wearing now at such a slow rate on the rears that I may simply replace the rears in a few monthswith new S02's. The fronts have plenty of tread, especially after I got rid of some ndgative camber and reversed the tires.

Maybe not solutions for all, bu my car now goes faster and handles better and sportier than when new, in my personal opinion.

Thanks,
Richard

 

AUS2000:

I would really like to see some pics of your air intake extender. I'm an experimentor, not an expert. While I've done some good I believe, there may well be more good to be done.


Others:

Each time I discuss the benefits I've found in setting alignment to minimum spec front negative camber and minimum rear toe in, responses always state that this harms handling. On the other hand, I have found that I can handle the car more aggressively with this alignment. Have any of you actually tried an sk2 with this minimum spec alignment, or are you theorizing?

Thanks,
Richard

 

I guess you give the people on this board and those of UK Honda that have spent untold hours track and autocross testing no credit!

It is you that has very limited experience with different alignment settings. Giving up the focus on tire wear and doing real handling tests will show increased negative camber is necessary to maintain maximum tire contact when turning at speed.

There is no problem with you having whatever alignment you are happy with, but insisting that experts worldwide are wrong is laughable and does confuse some people here to get useful information.

(BTW, I have had six different alignments tried on my car and have been better served with increased negative camber, increased caster, and a moderate amount of rear toe in).

 

I think this pic still works.

It's more or less a Spoon replica made from fiberglass.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dolebludger
Mechanically, I've found that many of us disagree with one another. That's OK. My alignment makes my car handle just right for me, though others may want more understeer at the expense of tire wear. Me, I think that a bit of oversteer IS sporty! Some think the stock intake is just fine. It is, if you launch at 5K or 6K rpm. Below that I don't think much of it. Not only is the air hot, but the grill top to radiator brace cover blocks almost all the air from the grill from getting to the intake. Yes, I regard all my problems solved. I won't bother with the dyno test, as ram air of the moving car plays a role that the dyno wouldn't show. Besides, I've done some before and after run timings, and I'm satisfied she's quicker below VTEC now.

 

Jerry:

Here's my problem in learning. You didn't give your entire alignment specs. You and celenda could help greatly with these, as I'd try them. But I'd need the entire specs to do this. All I really know is that my car handles better now than before I made my adjustments. BUT, this does not mean there isn't a long way to go. Let me have the specs, and give me a chance to improve!!!


Aus:

Your intake concept looks like part of mine, where I draw air from the grill. Only difference is that I make my snorkel or extender out of flex material with a spring steel frame, and used the "radmat" for the bottom of the tunnel. Thus, I may have a larger cross section of front air intake. I also cut out the internal baffle in the stock airbox, and ran a 3" pipe out the pax side to the hole in the fender well there (like PRM or Comptech do). I included a "flapper valve" on this side intake for times when the ram air from the front might exceed suction from the filter. Everything is insulated, and there's no noise. It's quieter than before, so I'm not mistaking noise for "go.' And go she does, to the point where the VTEC cut in is very subtile. Not like before, when it felt like a turbo. Before doing this, I read this board, and looked at the intakes on Mercedes, BMW, Infinity, Cadillac, Ford, and about everything else. Nowhere did I see anything like the s2k intake, where hot air is pulled in from right above the radiator and (worse) pretty much sealed off from any outside air path. More evidence to me that the s2k' "cripples" it.

As you all can see, I'm more conficent with my intake than my alignment. While my intake will be taken from me from my cold dead hands, I an very receptive to alignmen specs, if they are complete so I can take them to my tech and say "do this" and he will understand. Full alignment spec help will be appreciated.


Thanks,
Richard