Will I be ok with Duralast parts?
02-04-2019, 08:38 AM
#11
I have a 2004 civic that I drive 90% of the time I cant imagine the part is THAT bad you guys are making it sound like it will break in a week I can't imagine they would sell them if they broke all the time. If I start to hear the chain rattle again down the road I suppose I will go with the more expensive tensioner.
02-04-2019, 08:50 AM
#12
I think the general consensus is why spend the 70$ plus extra warranty headache with Duralast if and when it does break only to buy another one if they deny you warranty (because as mentioned above its going to be hard to prove).
The OEM one already only lasts 30k-50k miles give or take, a cheaply made aftermarket one i cant imagine lasting longer than that at the most.
Save yourself the extra headache and order one from Billman. Its 250$ i believe for his TCT. Theres no way to buy one online, you have to PM him through this forum and he takes payment through Paypal so you know its secure. Its a lifetime of the car fix. My friend with his 01 S2k got his Billman TCT at 25k miles back in 2008 or something and has never had an issue and is currently sitting at around 60k miles. Just save yourself the headache.
02-04-2019, 08:52 AM
#13
You don't want the ballade one. It has to be manually adjusted, and readjusted as normal wear occurs, and if its adjusted wrong, it can cause permanent engine damage.
Lets assume the autozone part is an actual oem supplier part (that is, its made by the original honda supplier, but simply lacks any actual Honda labeling.) The ones from Honda have been demonstrated not to last. They go bad after 30k-50k miles. Maybe more, maybe less.
Is this Duralast part lifetime warrantied? If so, and if they honor the warranty (how do you prove its gone bad? A brake pad shows obvious wear. A tct does not. Will they go by appearance and say its still good?), this could be a very good deal, assuming you don't mind replacing the tct every so often.
So if its lifetime warranty, and if its not a constant hassle every time it goes bad, great.
Otherwise get the Billman tct. Lifetime warranty that so far no one has needed to use (not on his latest, final version). A permanent fix.
Lets assume the autozone part is an actual oem supplier part (that is, its made by the original honda supplier, but simply lacks any actual Honda labeling.) The ones from Honda have been demonstrated not to last. They go bad after 30k-50k miles. Maybe more, maybe less.
Is this Duralast part lifetime warrantied? If so, and if they honor the warranty (how do you prove its gone bad? A brake pad shows obvious wear. A tct does not. Will they go by appearance and say its still good?), this could be a very good deal, assuming you don't mind replacing the tct every so often.
So if its lifetime warranty, and if its not a constant hassle every time it goes bad, great.
Otherwise get the Billman tct. Lifetime warranty that so far no one has needed to use (not on his latest, final version). A permanent fix.
02-04-2019, 09:15 AM
#14
I think there is a lot of information written about TCT's on this board that is searchable. I do not think there is anything explicitly written about a duralast/parts bin TCT. However, given that the OEM unit and others have been known to fail, I would not be comfortable with running a parts store unit for a vital component. Do some research on this board, make an informed decision. The TCT keeps tension on the chain that keeps the timing between the pistons and valves going up and down. The failure mode may not be just a rattle here and there. If it fails entirely, timing can jump, and valves can hit pistons which is never a pretty sight. Pistons and valves coming into contact means that something gives and you have a critical failure. Worth potentially wrecking your engine to save a few $'s and get on the road sooner? Penny-wise, dollar foolish IMO.
02-04-2019, 10:33 AM
#16
I mean if you could provide me proof that duralast TCT's are shit and break after driving 1 mile and not just rely on "the most expensive part is the best" mentality that would be great.
Even if this is just OEM quality and only last 20k miles that is probably 2yrs of driving for me to get to that 20k additional miles.
I drove my civic hard. Drove it across country once and every day for work for over 2yrs and I only put 35k miles on it, the S2000 will only be used maybe once on the weekends to cruise around town.
Even if this is just OEM quality and only last 20k miles that is probably 2yrs of driving for me to get to that 20k additional miles.
I drove my civic hard. Drove it across country once and every day for work for over 2yrs and I only put 35k miles on it, the S2000 will only be used maybe once on the weekends to cruise around town.
02-04-2019, 11:11 AM
#17
I'd take pictures, but its in the trash.
- O-Ring grooves are different
- the bore is not the same so it leaks
- the worm gear is not internally threaded like OEM, so you need a vice/press/clamp to compress the piston to reinsert the grenade pin. OEM you remove the service plate, press the piston back and thread the service screw into the worm gear.
- The rounded end of the internal pin that supports the spring is smaller, the surface area at point of pressure at the piston is smaller. This end will wear fast and chatter, it also barely has a seat for the internal spring
- the internal spring is not as strong as oem and is shorter by a few mm
- the oil jet hole, has a smaller bore then OEM, it is also flush milled, where OEM is countersunk with a bevel.
btw the last one is important. As the only reason the tensioner works is oil pressure. Without it, the tensioner can be driven backwards
Last edited by Deckoz; 02-04-2019 at 11:22 AM.
02-04-2019, 11:13 AM
#19
OP, you posted asking for opinions, and now you're unhappy with the general consensus here (which is correct).
You're missing the point that:
Billman250 TCTs have solid reviews all over these forums, going back several years (and a lifetime guarantee) -- https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...roduct-1097843 -- PM him, he'll send you his latest and greatest, and you ship back your old one for a core refund
I do understand your point though -- you're not going to drive the car. Fine. But I personally prefer doing the job the right way, instead of taking a shortcut now, and possibly having to redo it a few months or years down the road -- it's a waste of both time and money (and time is money).
There are tens of hours of reading material on TCTs on s2ki going back to the early 2000s -- you go read them all if you're looking to go against the grain here:
LMGTFY
You're missing the point that:
- Surprisingly, the OEM Honda TCT is a defective part, even brand new -- it will not last!
- *IF* this Duralast one is the exact same as the OEM Honda TCT:
- Best case == it will not last
- Worst case == it will not last
- *IF* this Duralast one is of *WORSE* quality than the OEM Honda TCT:
- You'll get leaks, it will die faster than the defective OEM Honda TCT
- Per Deckoz, it's a one-time install and a complete waste of $70
Billman250 TCTs have solid reviews all over these forums, going back several years (and a lifetime guarantee) -- https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...roduct-1097843 -- PM him, he'll send you his latest and greatest, and you ship back your old one for a core refund
I do understand your point though -- you're not going to drive the car. Fine. But I personally prefer doing the job the right way, instead of taking a shortcut now, and possibly having to redo it a few months or years down the road -- it's a waste of both time and money (and time is money).
There are tens of hours of reading material on TCTs on s2ki going back to the early 2000s -- you go read them all if you're looking to go against the grain here:
LMGTFY
02-04-2019, 11:23 AM
#20
Guess I'll just throw it in the trash when it arrives.
And I'm a bit confused here you got one guy saying billman sucks and ballade doesnt and another guy saying the opposite. Seems like opinion vs.opinion. And no proof of anything.
And I'm a bit confused here you got one guy saying billman sucks and ballade doesnt and another guy saying the opposite. Seems like opinion vs.opinion. And no proof of anything.
