PHXS2000

Hello Gents,

I have a 2003 S2000 with 93k miles. I noticed I was having some TCT noise (based on previous threads and youtube videos) The noise started to worsen within the last couple weeks. I had my oil changed with Mobil 1 syn 5W-30 in December when I had the car tuned up and did valve adj. I noticed today while downshifting the "low oil pressure" light flashed. I checked the oil and according to the stick I was super low on oil. So i dropped a quart of oil into car tonight---started it up and boom---the TCT noise was gone. I now realize I should perhaps try something like Castrol syn 10W-30 according to threads I have read this evening. btw, the tensioner noise was so bad I ordered one from Ballade Sports recently. But now I am wondering if I even need to replace the TCT. Interested to see if the noise returns tomorrow. But i was so flabbergasted when I put in the quart of oil and noticed the TCT clicking noise disappeared. However, the car was very warm as I had just driven it 40 miles on the highway.

Also, it has ONLY been 3300 miles since my last oil change. I feel like an idiot for not checking the oil sooner. Car is driving fine. I had been revving into VTEC frequently too since the oil change (until recently when the TCT noise increased) So, I am assuming the way my car burned oil so quickly is normal considering the way I was driving? Any feedback is appreciated. Love this car and want to baby it....appreciate this website as I am one of those guys who really does not know shit about engines. But I love cars! I parted with my beloved 2000 Honda Prelude to upgrade to the S2000. And my first car was a 1991 Honda CRX SI.

superchargedk20

Oil light goin on is never a good sign. And the ffat that you have been "reving into vtec" with low oil is also not a good sign

PHXS2000

Once i haeard the TCT noise i started driving the car easy. That was a couple weeks ago. The oil light did not flash until a couple days ago. been barely driving the car the last week.

I added some Castrol Edge oil. Car sounds fine. Driving fine. No TCT noise. I will surely be checking the oil levels frequently going forward.

TankWookie

I've got the same problem. According to the man I recently bought the car from he replaced the tensioner not too long ago so it doesn't make sense unless it's the chain itself? I dunno too much about this stuff. I was running on low oil, the light flashed, as did yours. I filled the oil up, and it got quiet but has since returned after idling for a few minutes. I haven't actually driven it since then. Took it to a shop.

PHXS2000

Sorry you are dealing with the TCT noise. I am still going to install the Ballade Sports tensionser when it arrives. Because I know the OEM TCT noise is due to the worm gear going bad from what I have read. Keep me posted on your developments. BTW, the TCT noise has not returned since I added oil. I just drove it about 10 miles. no noise whatsoever.

jimi

Get Billman's TCT, Lifetime guarantee

Slowcrash_101

It actually makes things very enlightening when you take one of these apart. The large spring seats the piston against the stopper on the chain guide, the little spring seems like it adds tension and helps to buffer the vibration caused by the chain riding on the guide. The pin essentially acts as a damper for the little spring. The worm gear, I suspect, gets driven outward by oil pressure to compensate in guide wear.

As the engine wears, oil pressure in the system drops, oil pressure also drops when you have oil leaks, oil that has sheared down for whatever reason, basically any drop in oil pressure will affect TCT operation, added to this, springs that have been compressed due to extended service, and oil passages that have been constricted. Maybe one of these things in isolation isn't enough to cause TCT inefficiencies, but perhaps a combination of them causes it. The Ballade TCT tries to compensate for this wear that normal cars undergo, their springs etc are beefed up. The fact that TCT noise usually happens when the engine is at it's warmest suggests that oil pressure definitely has something to do with the noise. Aside from oil pressure, and spring tension there's really not anything that could cause TCT noise. To me, the lack of wear on part of the worm gear means that the gear never extends that far, notice all the wear is on the bottom threads.

The reason sand blasting the worm gear kind of works is because typically oil pressure sets the amount the worm gear extends the piston, but without adequate oil pressure/volume the worm gear gets screwed into the piston increasing clearance(especially when worn and smooth). When you sand blast and you increase friction on the worm gear, it resists the tendency to screw itself into the piston, it's also why this procedure can be short lived. Eventually the worm gear polishes itself smooth again and the piston retracts.

If you just look at all the parts and how they can possibly interact it becomes pretty obvious how it works, kudos to the people that sell upgraded parts. Just the peace of mind of having these modified correctly is worth it in my opinion, you can modify them yourself but it's very easy to make a mistake.