I have a 2001 AP1 with about 83K miles. I'll do anything to keep her alive and healthy for as long as I can drive. Then, I'll put her on a pedestal. Ha ha. Seriously, I'm thinking of pro-actively changing the valve retainers and keepers to the AP2 set, changing out the 2-jet to the 4-jet oil banjo jets, and possibly adding a dual bypass oil filter system (Amsoil) with a pre-oil pump. On a ride improvement, I trust, I plan to install the Spoon sub-frame bolt collars.

I would like your opinions on these "upgrades". Will I burn more oil, or risk any damage with these ideas?

 

Timing chain tensioner appears to me to be the first thing you should do as preventive maintenance. The valve retainers and banjo bolts are a bit more complicated. I don't see any benefit in a dual bypass oil filter system but I change the filter every oil change even though it's good for two.

-- Chuck

 

I have replaced the TCT with a Billman TCT, even though I wasn't having any issues. An oil bypass filter seems to keep the oil cleaner and allow longer Oil change intervals when using synthetic oil. If the bypass system keeps the oil cleaner, doesn't that help extend engine life?

 

I think the retainers and banjo bolts are overkill, so as you might guess a dual bypass filter is massive overkill. I think with all 3 of those you are risking creating more potential problems than your solving and your spending $ and time to do it.

I change my oil every 5k and send it in to Blackstone, every time they have looked at the results they tell me I can run it twice as long. I don't think it is as much a contaminant issue as it is a breakdown of the additive package. unless your planning to do 12k mile oil changes the OEM filter is plenty sufficient.

 

Do the retainers. To Quote Billman "they're a silent killer"

 

Only if the car has ever been money shifted, otherwise they function no different than AP2 retainers.

 

Retainers dont just fail, you have to over rev the engine. If the OP just daily drives his car, these upgrades seem to be overkill.

 

My retainers have 140k miles I'm the 4th owner and they're in perfect shape. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

My S is not a DD at this point. I'm nursing 15 yr old Odyssey with 186k for that work. But my S is a pleasure drive with the lady, a canyon carver maybe a few times a year, and a track car for me when I can afford the time and costs, which lately is about 2-3 days a year.

I'm OK with " if it ain't broke" thinking, yet I am also thinking that if I ever am screaming at redline on a track or autocross, I would be better to have the upgraded retainers. The cost is not an issue, if it means saving my engine.

I thought that the 4-jet oil banjo bolts will provided better cooling overall. So why did Honda make that change?

I am currently changing oil about every 5 to 6k miles, or every 6 months. I can drive short distances in town, as well as run across the valley 30-60 miles each way on the freeway.

 

The banjo bolts make a significant difference if you are pushing the car. The 2 jet bolts is why the AP1's tend to burn more oil than AP2's. As for the valvetrain stuff its not a terrible idea but as others said if the ap1 stuff is fine and you are careful it is not a must. If you don't drive it that much and when you do you aren't thrashing it these aren't things that must be done.