Hey dudes and dudettes...

Got some questions in regards to rumours i've heard and mayb advice you guys can offer... Go easy on me, I'm in Perth Western Australia and I'm hopeless at this stuff...

1) My CAT Converter is rattling. I wanna replace it but people are telling me to buy a new one, get a screwdriver, smash out all the "fins" and this will let the exhaust breathe better.
2) i took off the top cover of my stock intake and I heard that it breaths better... is that true and why does it sound like a suped-up wrx?
3) Is approx $500aud a good deal to FIX a Driveshaft Spline?...
4) 'Megan' Adj Coilovers i wanna buy but a springs and suspension shop said they're cheapies. i said i want it for show not track... are they fine?

Cheers guys, hope you can help

 

Hey, I'm origionally from Perth too. Currently living out in the UK.

1) Speak to Berk Tech
http://www.berktechnology.com/
They'll send you a pipe to replace the Cat. 5 bolts and 10 mins work. Are there emissions tests in Oz?
2) It's breathe better, but will suffer heat soak. Engines like cold air as it's more dense. Hot air makes the car feel fluffy and less responsive.
3) Don't know. What's the issue you have?
4) I got some springs only, for a reasonable drop. I then needed rear toe arms and steering rack spacers as the car handled like crap and ate tyres.

 

Thanks for the tips dude... Glad to hear a response from a local guy hey.

With point number 1), I'll have a look around coz the cops yellow sticker ya if they dont c a cat. u know anything about hi-performance cats or bashing out all the fins (it looks like a cat is there but its empty).
2) i told the mechanic ur point and he agreed but all the young thunder cats reckon to leave it off. i told them that after years of all these little asian guys developing this car; they wuda spent alot of time on the intake and that i shud leave it alone.
3) everytime i reverse or just take off, i get a slight clicking noise. went under my car and moved around some things and found the noise in the driveshaft. i checked the diff, the lsd and the gearbox and i called up a guy from driveshaft australia and he confirmed it even without looking at it.
4) i wanna get adj coilovers coz if i attract attention from cops, i can just raise it. also, the price difference is $180 between that and superlows from king springs.

Thanks again for the reply champ

 

to adress point number 3. You might want to start by replacing the rear axle nuts and torquing them to 220 ft/lbs to see if that helps. This was a very common issue on the earlier models. You dont even need to take the wheels off to do this, just take the center cap off of your wheel remove the old nut, put the new one on and torque to 220 and stake the nut and you should be good to go.

 

The rattle of the Cat could be the Cover, if not you could punch out the centre and make it hollow (same as a test pipe)

Put the air cover top back on because you are losing power, buy a cold air intake if you like the noise (the noise itself is better too with a CAI)

500.00 sounds expensive, there is a Do it Yourself (DIY) for 2poor2mod suggestion, start there. you need to remove the alxe nut (it's a large one and not a standard size) apply grease to both sides of the nut, reapply the nut and torque to 220 ft/lbs and stake it so it won't come loose, you shouldn't need to replace the nut.

 

I would def rule out all the problems first for problem 3, as new driveshaft spline seems bitty weird to pin-point the problem without even looking at the thing...


have you treid searching around s2ki.com for similar rattling problems near the diff?

 

Just so you know, if you hollow out your cat or get a test pipe then the car's going to stink when running. Your call though.

I haven't yet seen a dyno plot that shows a test pipe to be worth the hassle and stench, but your mileage may vary.

 

Have you looked at any that told you it wasn't worth it to run catless then?

I think you just haven't been looking at the Dyno results...

 

I might be able to answer #1...

The rattle you hear in your cat could be the ceramic honeycomb pieces that may have broken off the inside. If you're a little antsy about buying a test pipe and getting ticketed, take your car to the dealership. Our cars come with an 80,000 mile emissions warranty, so they'll replace your cat for free if that's really what that noise is.

Have it checked out and don't spend a dime buying a new cat. (Hint: if there's nothing really wrong with your cat and it still rattles, there are ways so that you can make it so there IS something wrong with you car........)

 

Thank you "2poor2mod", I'll ask the mechanic tomorow morning about that rear axle nut... Hopefully its only that.
Also, thank you, "iDomN8U", i'v put the cover back on this morning and it'll never be touched again. A question though my friend?... Cold air intake, seriously, is it really going to make a difference? even if i get 10hp more, i sacrifise more petrol n here in Aus petrol prices have hit $1.55per litre!!! I mean how much power do u really want when you can only do 60km in a 60 zone (if u catch my drift), lol.
Thank you "Nickamsweet", i have searched far and wide for those answers but coz s2000 are relatively cheap in the states even for a newer model, not many have the earlier ones. i picked up my '99 for $31,000. and its still the cheapest in perth WA!!
Further more, thank you "unscathed", i agree to wat u say; however, the hassle of doing all that you said isnt really worth the $200aud i can spend to replace it. Do u think a "Hi-Flow Sport Cat" is worth buying???
Thank you all again for the replies; After the problems go away, I'll definitely put the answers back on the forums for everyone to see