I just picked up my 2nd S2K, an AP1 @ 133k on the clock. The previous owner took great care of it and treated it well. He adjusted the valves @ 95k and the car is running as smooth and quite as any Honda I have ever had. I am not sure if he looked at the retainers when he was in there or not. After meeting the guy I would say with 98% certainty he never over reved the motor, I doubt he ever even put himself in that situation where he could. He owned the car since 40k. I would be more concerned with retainer issues just due to the miles on the car, however, the more I read it seems that the ONLY way retainers have issues is from an over rev, period. Although, I am yet to find anything that explicitly states this. So, I don't want to be paranoid about every little thing, plus it seems every time I try to do this type of thing something goes wrong. I am just wondering if I should take a peak and check the valve adjustment while I am in there, just for a piece of mind.

 

If you are going to be in there then might as well. I would do a compression test and leakdown test before anything else. If those look off, then I would move further. If not, then I would presume the engine to be healthy and just keep an eye/ear on it. Next time you do a VA, then check them.

 

Already checked compression, spot on 235 across the board, really no variation at all. My 06 actually had more variation. I didn't intend to do an adjustment as the valve train seems to be quite and smooth, but figured if I was going to open it to check the retainers, why not. What I am wondering is if I really even need to do that. I tend to have crap happen when I try stuff like this (i.e. A bolt will strip or something).

 

If your mind will not be at peace, then do it. Checking the retainers alone should take about 30 min start to finish. An adjustment could take several hours.

 

I did contact the previous owner, who confirmed he did look at the retainers and never overreved. Unless someone chimes in and says milage could cause failure, I don't really see much of a reason to look at this point

 

Mileage is not a factor. Over rev is.

IMO it is mandatory to pull the cover on a used AP1 and check the retainers. Once deemed healthy, there is no need to upgrade.

Valve adjustment, retainer inspection, and spark plug torque check should be first on your list end of story

Also check both sides of the stick when checking the oil, they must match.

 

Billman, what if they don't match? Because mine does not seem to?

 

They wont match from my experience. My rule, I always go with the side of the stick that shows lower and fill my oil to the top X on the stick. Also, 133K isn't what I consider " high mileage " by todays standards. Considering when you look on CL for a used car and n Accord with 205K miles is going for over $1000 .

One member here, last I saw, had 246K miles on his car and all he ever did was replace an axle.

 

This makes me feel a LOT more confident! (MY00, 104k miles)

 

Well in the process of checking the retainers I realized that I am low on oil. I just checked it the other day, 500 miles later and I am below the L. Any idea how low this is? Is it dangerously low?