jaydmjay

Hey all, I am at wits end here, I've done a lot of research and testing and I just dont know what to do anymore.
My set up

-2000 Integra LS
-96 JDM b18c turbo (t3/t4) 9psi
-AEM series 2 ems
-750 cc injectors
-walboro 255 fuel pump
-skunk 2 dual valve springs and ti retainers
-fidanza flywheel
-ITR Manifold
-stock gsr cams, valves, cam gears, pistons, rods, crank

The problem... seems the VTEC rocker pins arent locking. I had this issue for about 8 months now, seemed to have started when I put what I though was skunk 2 stage 2 cams in... turns out they were b16 cams. ( bought a civic a few years ago, dude said it had skunk 2 cams) so anyways I put them in and like an ass I forgot to adjust the valve lash. So when I took it to redline I heard a few pops, almost felt like I hit fuel cut. each time it popped it backed off on the power. I immediately removed the cams and put my stock GSR ones back in and ever since then a loss of power when VTEC engages.

Took it to my tuner and when VTEC engages I lose around 40+hp, no drop in boost, and the power is great up until VTEC engage. He said its definitely mechanical. My VTEC solenoid clicks and is receiving 12v from the ecu, but he did not hear the pins locking in my rockers... when VTEC engages the car gets louder, but the power isnt there.

so what I have done so far is...
-check for any cracks in the head, journals, cam caps and nothing. checked my rockers for excessive wear, cam lobes and everything is good.
-checked and tested all electrical wires pertaining to VTEC
-compression test came back solid with the exception of cylinder 3 leaking slightly faster than the others.
-VTEC oil pressure port in the from of the head is around 60-70psi
-checked all oil passages for clogs, none.
-I even bought another head and put it on and still nothing... put another VTEC solenoid and pressure switch and still no difference(just had to be sure). The (new) head came with rocker shafts and rockers and of course the cam caps.
-put another distributor on there and still nothing.
-oil level is perfect
-new oil pump
-new o-ring under cam cap 3
-new o-rings on orifice's
-VSS sensor is good
-coolant temp sensor is good
-timing is good
-no vacuum leaks, no oil leaks, no coolant leaks
-new spark plugs bkr7e gapped to .025

I thought putting another head on there would have fixed the issue, so that rules out quite a bit. still have the same valves, springs, retainers in there.

Im starting to think that maybe I ever so slightly bent a valve(s) over cylinder 3?
I set VTEC to engage at 5k rpms, then reset the VTEC to engage at 6k rpms. The power loss is ONLY when VTEC engages.

1st gear I have full power (seems that way at least) 2nd gear VTEC engages with a slight delay then Boom power and a half second later redline. (redline set to 7k for now) 3rd gear VTEC engages, loss of power all the way till redline and same goes for 4th and 5th gear.


Any help would be much appreciated.

senor honda

If VTEC engages with 1st and 2nd, it sounds like that part is working.

If VTEC does not engage for 3rd, 4th, 5th, how do we relate the way VTEC triggers
for those gears that is different than the way it triggers for 1st and 2nd?

If I suspected a bent valve, on my bench, with cam removed and all valves fully held closed by valve springs
I would pour mineral spirits into first the intake ports and see if the min spirits leaks at the valves and,
into the combustion chambers,

then after it throughly dries, pour min spirits into the exhaust ports
and see if the min spirits leaks at the valves and, into the combustion chambers.

Let us know what you find so we can get smarter.

jaydmjay

Thanks for the response. I agree, I dont understand why it would engage in 1st and 2nd, but not 3rd, 4th and 5th. I would think VTEC either engages or it doesnt through all gears. I'll take a video of 1st through 3rd gear at WOT and link it to this thread to give you guys a better idea. I'll try the mineral spirits.
I did a leak down test about 2 months ago and didnt hear anything coming from my throttle body or exhaust. Just heard the hissing in my valve cover at the oil fill, I read that means its just going past the rings. I replaced my rings, rod and crank bearings 1,000 miles ago, all oem parts to oem spec, except for the rings, slightly larger gap being turbo.