Sometimes when i drive i hear and feel the vtec kick in at 4500rpm....other times i feel it kick in at 5200rpm. I have a B16A1 with a P72 ecu on my 94 civic...does anyone know why this might happen...when it kicks in at 4500rpm is not loud...when it kicks in at 5200rpm it is very loud....usually it kicks in at 5200rpm when i hit the gas (or open the throttle more)...but if i gradually climb rpm it kicks in at 4500rpm...is this normal?

Now about my valves...I had a tick..so of course I adjusted my intake at .006mm and exhaust and .007mm. But now I still hear the ticking...only difference is that the car drives better but the noise is still there... a friend told me that when you have dual racing after market springs with stock cams I will never get rid of the tick because the springs are very very stiff...is this true...i double checked the valves and everything is up to specs...any ideas????..is my friend right?

 

about teh VTEC engagement, i think you VTEC system works fine. the other loud sound is that if your SEcondary butterfly works fine, that is probably the other loud sound at 5200 rpm. usually i notice them opening later like 6000+ rpm.

about the valve ticking, i think it just might be the injectors clicking too. usually with my customers, they say the have a valve tick but i listen to it its the injectors' clicking. Get a long 3/8 extension and put it to your ear and run the other end of the txtension along the top of the valve cover and the around the injector. you should be able to hear in what area where the clicking in coming from.

 

Hmmm...I'll check that tick like you told me too...i never knew injectors would tick but then again we learn something new everyday. I guess Vtec is ok then...thanks for the help...any other suggestions are welcomed...

Oh and by the way...when I went to adjust my valves earlier this morning I notice I had two nuts of the intake screws missing on Cyl. #1. I found one near the spring of the valve on Cly. #1 but the other nut I could not find. I looked all over the head and nothing...I even used an extension magnet and did not get anything...I also stuck the magnet down the oil holes and nothing...i also remove the spark plugs and stuck the magnet to each piston and nothing...do you think somehow it may have gone down to the oil pan?...I check my cam lobes and they are fine...no signs of wearness or damage...is this something I have to worry a lot about...I replaced the nut I could not find with one from another head

 

most likely it fell down to your oil pan. there no way it will get sucked back up.