We recently performed a complete differential upgrade on a Honda S2000. Excessive loads brought by the aid of forced induction engines and/or harsh clutch engagement "shock" leads to bearing cap failure in these particular diff's. By 2004 Honda implemented a clutch delay valve inside the clutch slave cylinder to essentially reduce fluid flow, in turn reducing shock. Enthusiasts annoyed by this countermeasure were soon able to figure out how to disassemble the slave cylinder and remove this bleeder. All roads then lead back to the weak diff. The common failure point is centralized near the top of the bridge of the outside bearing cap. Our goal was to get to this particular diff and upgrade before it was too late.
Along with the diff upgrade included a Carbonetic 2-Way Clutch Style LSD and Hasport's recent release of their Billet Aluminum Polyurethane Diff Mounts. CT Engineering provides billet steel reinforcement caps which bolt over the factory OEM cast cap.
First came the removal of the diff and the disassembly of it's internals.
Next, we removed the flexible OEM rubber mounts in favor of Hasport's
62A hardness polyurethane replacements. We highly recommend 62A
for those who street their S2000's as they do not send vibrations through
the chassis like one would presume a harder bushing would.
We ran into one snag where the inner sleeves were not the correct diameter to
fit the diff's through bolts. We took it to the lathe and opened it up to roughly
16mm, then resumed to the install. Hasport has since been notified and have
corrected this issue.
REVIEWS:
Carbonetic LSD: as expected provides more grip on corner entry and corner exit. Overall traction has improved. The LSD is very noticeable in high speed entry of tight turns like the Sweeper and Off-Ramp at Buttonwillow Raceway.
CT Reinforced Diff: handled the excessive loads applied to it during testing. Only time will tell as we put more abuse on it and periodically pull it back apart for analysis.
Hasport Mounts: a wonderful upgrade. Jacking up the rear of the car by the diff, you can see the amount of deflection in the OEM bushings. The new bushings reduce deflection, provide positive, almost instantaneous power transfer to the pavement. Credit also goes to the LSD as it is contributing factor. With the 62A Street, no significant vibration or harmonics are felt while driving at any rpm or speed. Weekend warriors who have poly engine mounts may want to upgrade to the 70A Race or higher. We're now carrying the set for $290 at our store.
