We've been working on my gear install, doing everything meticulously and by the book, and thus far it's been frustrating. Everything has gone smoothly except for one thing.

When I first got my gears, ricks2k forgot to send the shim kit with it. (honda shims are too thick) So I paid half the cost of next day air ($16 I paid, ricks2k paid the other half) in order to get them on time for the install. I bought the gears with the understanding that the shim kit comes with them.

As a starting point, the total thickness of shims should be around .104 inches thick. Ironically, when we did our first measurement in order to get our perfect 2.132 inch checking distance, the amount of shims needed to be added was EXACTLY .104. GREAT! That makes it very easy now that we know how much to add.

Problem. They only sent me 5 shims at a total of .070 thickness. So that means I'm a total of .034 inches short of what I needed. So not only didn't I get the shims but they didn't even send enough. We tried it anyways, and set the backlash perfectly. Then when checking the pattern, sure enough... too much heel. The fix for that? Add more shim depth. Which we don't have.

I'm a little disappointed thus far, as you'd think if they sell over a hundred of these (as they said) they'd know to send at least roughly .110 inches worth of shims, give or take. But to only send .070 and fall well short of what is typically needed is just crappy.

So now hondamanwill is going to either take the stock shim from honda (.1232 inches thick) and try to have it machined down, or see if we can have a machine shop make new shims.

Had we had enough shims, they have the ability at the shop to machine a couple thousands of an inch off one of the shims so we'd be set. But they don't have the ability to machine down the stock shim by removing 2 hundredths worth of hardened steel.

So just frustrating so far.

 

I didnt get any shims with mine, Pinyo did the install(so ask him), after 1200 miles they were running strong and whine went away too...

 

yeah every other thread I've read said it included shims with the gears. even stratocoaster said they include the shim kit with the gears.

i'm not trying to blame rick's, but it's frustrating if you are expecting something and don't get it. otherwise I'd have started much further in advance in finding someone to custom make shims right away, rather than expect we could machine the ones we got.

this is also my daily driver and only car.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I hate when stuff like this happens, but what can you do....

 

You hit the nail on the head, when you start fuc*ing with your daily driver things like this always happen.

 

It has been fustrating!!!!! But if they could just get shims that even fit the pinion and are not so sloppy on the shaft that would be great too. Friday the diff will be done and I will find a place to get shims that not only fit but are a better assortment. I don't like adding 5-6 shims to get what you need.

If I could get some of you that have installed these F.D.'s to get me the checking distance of you pinion gear I will start get some shims machined that fit and are more accurate that what Rick's send out.

All I have to say is BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS

 

yeah there is a little play in the shims they send, as they dont fit perfectly snug around the pinion shaft.

and will i owe you a ton for doing all of this for me. i know we're trading up for it, but even so, this is turning out to be a longer project than expected. thumbs up to will

 

If anyone needs any shims, bolts ( hi-strength cap screws, etc ), washers, etc for this type of work in the future, PM me.

I work for a company that uses these type of components and can probably send you something same day, or arrange for next day pick-up at a very reasonable cost ( usually ).

Mike

 

I may need some shims from you Mike C., and will need to talk to you, hondamanwill. I've been sitting on a 4.77 final drive for close to a year now and been needing to get it installed soon.

 

Yeah after this, I think the next install should go much smoother. Will has done gears on FWD and a few GM's RWD before I believe, but this is his first S2k. We've been doing things by the book, and thus been fairly meticulous. We aren't happy with the gear pattern we are getting, hence the reason for th shims needed. But after this install, I think will would definitely be able to do other S2000's without a problem.

Plus mine was two-fold, since we not only changed the gear/pinion, but ALSO changed the diff with a comptech reinforced diff.

At work I was able to find the shims I needed in our mechanic's garage (ironically for servicing our semis, yet they had the correct sizes i needed, lol)

Tonight we should be able to wrap this one up!