Welcome to Part 2 of Ever’s S2000 build. ICYMI, Ever bought a cheap, clean title, clapped out S2000 and you can read all about it in Part 1 by clicking the link below.
We ended part 1 having completed most of the suspension upgrades and left you hanging with a hint of what big secret this car holds. We will get to the secret later in this article, but for now let’s start off with an all-too-common issue among VTEC engines.
Vtec solenoid gasket leak! (Aka. spool valve) That’s right, Ever’s newly acquired S2000 is leaking oil all down the side of the engine and on to the bottom of the oil pan. It’s not bad enough to cause drips on the driveway. However, it’s seeping just enough be a nuisance and attract all kinds of dirt.
You’ll also notice that the car came with some sort of aftermarket TCT (timing chain tensioner). It looks to a be an old Ballade sports one. This could also be the source of our oil leak, but the easier fix was to just order new OEM VTEC spool valve gasket kit.
If you have just recently picked up a S2000 or you can’t remember the last time (if ever) you changed your Vtec solenoid gasket, I would recommend doing this. The OEM gasket kit is cheap, replacing it is great preventative maintenance. And VTEC Solenoid gaskets, especially on S2000’s are very easy to change out.
Start by unclipping the X2 plugs connected to the VTEC solenoid. Then, loosen the X3 10mm bolts on the side of the spool valve.
Once the X3 10mm bolts are removed it should just pop. Below is what it will look like.
Once off, you can then unbolt the X3 10mm bolts that hold the actual solenoid to the valve. There is also one more gasket (I don’t have it pictured) but it does come in the gasket kit. It is a singular small ring gasket. You must remove the actual pressure switch (brown sensor) from the spool valve to gain access to the gasket. This can be done with the spool valve bolted to the head. Take a 22mm wrench and simply loosen the switch connector, slide the old ring gasket off, the new one on, and then reinstall the switch connector to the spool valve.
It is also somewhat common to see the screen in the gasket get plugged with gunk or debris. This happens usually on engines with higher mileage, or in cars where the oil doesn’t get changed frequently. (Ever’s was sparkly clean) If the screen is plugged badly enough, it can cause your car to not engage Vtec. Because Vtec works via oil pressure, not having sufficient flow of oil can cause the spool valve to not function. (Won’t crack Vtec)
While you have everything apart, this is a good opportunity to spray brake cleaner into it and ensure you remove any gunk built up internally. Be careful though once you have taken the top portion off, there is a rod and spring that can slide out if it is turned upside down. If it falls out it is not the end of the world, just make sure you clean it off good and insert it back in, or you won’t be cracking any VTEC. Usually the actual solenoid (top cylindrical portion) is rusty or oxidized. With it all apart I take some WD-40 and Scotch brite and restore it back to an almost factory shine.
On the head, I also take brake cleaner and spray around the area to help clean the gunk’d up dirt around the area. Be careful not to spray brake cleaner directly into the open orifices on the head. Oil will continue to slowly leak from those holes. Just make sure to wipe it clean right before bolting the Spool valve back on, this will ensure a proper seal. You DO NOT need to use any sort of, Hondabond, RTV silicone, or any other gasket sealer. The rubber seal is enough. There are some small oil passages that could get clogged or blocked if silicone were used. All 6 solenoid bolts should be torqued to 8.7 lb/ft. This includes the 3 that hold the Vtec solenoid to the head, and the 3 that hold the actual round solenoid to the top of the spool valve. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN any of these, they can easily snap.
Next, we move on to the valve adjustment (or setting the valve lash). This is also something that I always do whenever I purchase a new (used) car, or a new (used) engine. Checking the valve lash is another great preventative maintenance measure. It can also help prolong your engines life and will enable you to be cracking Vtec for many years to come.
I have already done a “how to” S2000 valve adjustment and you can click the link below to read my super detailed step by step process.
On Ever’s car, I’m glad I decided to check the valves because they were a bit too tight. You can also see there is a little bit of oil staining on the engine’s internals. However, it doesn’t look like an engine that has 300k miles on it.
Next, it’s time to install the Renegade Motorsports brass shifter bushing. Oddly enough, Ever claims he noticed a difference in shifter feel after doing this. It’s also worth noting that we didn’t touch anything else that had to do with transmission or drivetrain. Was it just a placebo? Ever doesn’t think so and for only 55 bucks it’s a fun cheap upgrade.
Start by using some interior pry tools and pop up the center console.
Remove the shift knob and shift boot.
Once removed you will be able to access the X3 bolts holding the shifter in. These can be tedious to get but with a little persistence you’ll easily get them out.
Simply pop off the old brittle plastic bushing and pop the Renegade one on. Make sure to use the supplied grease liberally.
Pop the shifter back in and bolt it back into place.
On some of the engine bay pictures you may have also noticed that there was no heat shield on the header. We can only assume that at one point in this cars life there was an aftermarket one and when the car was sold at some point someone took the header off and replaced it with an OEM one. Luckily for us, Pat had an OEM one lying around. There are many benefits to having a heatshield, but for me, having it is a must to give it that OEM look. Of course, later down the road Ever will get a header but for now the OEM will work just fine.
Below you can also see the cleaned up and reinstalled Vtec spool valve.
Now with the OEM battery heatshield installed to really bring together that factory look.
Next, we have, IMO, quite possibly the coolest skeleton in this cars closet. Yep, this car has a complete RDOT motor. Pictured below is only the stamp on the head. I couldn’t get a good enough picture of the stamp on the block. But rest assured, it starts with a ZERO, which is what Honda had reserved for RDOT blocks. Even though the engine code is no longer matching the car, the engine code is registered with Honda as an RDOT and is traceable.
What is an RDOT or (Replacement Department of Transportation) block/head you ask?
Basically, the R[H]DOT stamp is way to counter theft and shows that the motor is a genuine Honda part, that is compliant with US emission regulations. Honda puts them on the large replacement parts they sell. Heads, Trans, and Blocks.
Below you can see the Honda VINS by year from factory.
You might be asking yourself, why is having an RDOT block so exciting. Having the RDOT engine means… At some point in this cars life the original engine was damaged beyond repair and a BRAND-NEW OEM Honda replacement (RDOT) engine was bought and installed in this car. Basically, that means that even though the chassis has 300k, the motor doesn’t.
How many miles does this engine have? We can’t really be too sure, but we can be sure of one thing. This explains why this engine runs so strong, why it doesn’t smoke, and why there is no oil consumption. Realistically, I’m sure it has 150k or more because Honda only manufactured so many RDOT motors and since S2000’s have been out of production for more than 10 years it’s safe to say that their supply of RDOT parts were depleted not too long after they discontinued the S2000.
Keep in mind that people are paying upwards of 17k for S2000’s with 150k or more on them. Now suddenly Ever doesn’t seem like such a bozo for buying this jalopy for 12k.
Unfortunately, the transmission on the car is the original VIN matching trans that potentially has 300k. However, there are no grinds, pop outs or signs of fatigue. We can only hope that maybe the trans was rebuilt at the same time the engine was replaced.
Having an RDOT engine is also a neat Easter egg and adds character to the car too.
That’s going to wrap up Part 2. As you can see this is really shaping up to be decent car and Ever still has a lot of things planned for it. Even as you read this article I have already started typing up “Part 3” which will include new wheels and tires, Toda parts, Buddy club ball joint install and lastly a DIY string alignment now that we have officially changed out just about every suspension part necessary. We are also currently awaiting the arrival of more parts so we can bang out “Part 4”.
One of the things I mentioned in “part 1” was. I talked about how Ever plans to beat the snot out of this car and the condition of the cars body wasn’t all too important of a factor when looking for a car. I also talked about how most of the parts that he is changing out would have been changed out anyway, if he bought a S2000 in even better condition. I think the important part to take away from Ever’s journey with this car is… unless you are one of those annoying twats trying to capitalize on the crazy car market now, buying a clapped-out jalopy might be a good option for you especially if you are new to tracking.
Everyone goes off! Heck, I’ve even gone off twice at buttonwillow (on separate occasions) in my 2021 Type R. There is no avoiding it, if you have even the slightest bit of ego or competitiveness in your blood, you are going to be pushing harder and harder each time you go out. We are all out there to chase arbitrary lap time numbers that we hold in highest regard. To tell ourselves we are good enough and justify to ourselves why we spend so much on our stupid pointless hobby.
Buying a clapped-out car isn’t such a bad idea if… It doesn’t have a salvaged title, it’s at a good price point, and it’s in sound running condition. For example, some of you might remember when I sold 4 door EK. It looked like crap but had an amazing running engine and a parts list longer than a CVS receipt.
You can click the link below to see the “FOR SALE AD” I posted on the blog. I sold the car almost a year ago for 6k. That’s a steal, but only because the car looked rough it couldn’t be priced much higher.
But from a performance aspect the car was dialed (as you can see from the parts list)
My point is, don’t worry about buying the cleanest car you can find especially if you’re going to track it. Just about every part on any car is replaceable, except for the chassis, quarter panels, or roof. If you really wanted to be pompous asshole… Yes, technically you can always replace quarter panels or roofs, but the cost is too much to offset buying a car that has that much damage. You are just going to replace or “upgrade” just about every part on it anyways to make it track ready. There isn’t really a point to getting to cleanest, lowest mileage car possible. Especially in today’s market.
Therefore, I say it’s got to at least have a clean title. However, just because it has a clean title doesn’t necessarily mean that the chassis is straight. It is possible to wreck the car, not report it to insurance and there will never be an official claim or no history of repairs. BUT, and that’s a big but. If someone hasn’t reported the damage to insurance, it usually means they had it repaired at a shop that isn’t very reputable and makes identifying botched repairs very easy. So, keep your eyes peeled when looking for that diamond in the rough.
It’s also a good idea to run a Carfax on the VIN. Again, this isn’t the end all be all because like the salvaged title, if things don’t get reported to insurance companies there will be no record of any incident. What Carfax IS good for is, vehicle mileage. Since every time you smog/register the car the mileage is recorded, this is good way to see if there are any discrepancies in the mileage history.
Sorry about that rant.
Anyways, Ever has still got big plans for this car and hopefully he hits the track with it this spring.
I’m very happy with response to Ever’s S2000 build we are documenting. I have gotten a lot of interaction from the “Part 1” post alone. It shows that you guys all truly love Ever and like to see what crazy stuff he’s up to. It also helps keep me motivated to pump out the content on a more regular basis.
Thank you all for the support and for wanting to keep up to date on what we got going on at Functiontheory. It means a lot to me and warms my heart that there are still people interested in Honda’s, Vtec, and using their cars. As, always… If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Instagram @Functiontheory, Email Billy@Functiontheory.com, or just simply comment below.
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