I was at the dyno the other day and I was having a problem. My torque curve and hp were awesome until about 4500rpms. Then its like magic and just flattened out. It looked like it was trying to keep going up but it wasn't. I thought it was the cam gears (maybe overlap was blowin boost out). Put the Stock cam gears on and the same thing. The A/F was 12:1 all the way to 8500rpms. I am stumped I dont know what it is.
Car pulls like a mother then just flattens at 4500. Boost gauge keeps reading 7psi to redline. My peak hp at 4000 was 150whp and 170tq. It should still be pulling hard to 8500. Does anyone have any suggestions? It's pissing me off, I should be atleast 240whp. We tested the RC injectors and they were fine. Changed around the FMU and it was fine, I am not throwing a code. Car runs rich. PLEASE HELP GUYS! Anyone else have this problem?

 

Do you have something retarding timing under boost?

Anyway to post graphs?

 

no nothing stock ignition. Thats what I thought the ecu might be pulling timing but I havent thrown a code or anything. I don't have the graphs. I ill have to get them.

 

whats your setup

 

If your not running a BTM, sounds like your gaps too big on your plugs.

DId you gap them closer when you went FI?

 

I tried gapping them closer. From 32 to 28. Still nothing. Any other suggestions. Here is my setup:

.60A/R T3/T4 Turbo
SFP Custom Manifold
Slim line Cooling fan
Custom DP
Custom IC Piping
Spearco Front Mount IC 37"X8.5X2.5 33" with endtanks
Tial Wastgate
Vortech FMU
RC 310 CC Inj.
Turbonettics IC Connectors
Blitz DD BOV
New Ex. gaskets
Greddy Boost Gauge
Greddy EGT gauge
Instrument bezel
walbro 255lph fuel pump
NGK plugs
Missing link
Hayame adjustable cam gears
VAFC
B&M FPR
Greddy TT
ACT Xtreme PP and Modified Street disk


[Modified by DC2R714, 3:07 AM 8/22/2002]

 

check oil pressure and vtec engagement?(does vafc say ON for input in high revs)

no boost control, just WG?

 

Vtec kicks in no problem I can hear it. I dont have a boost controller just a tial wastegate

 

TTT anyone have this problem?

 

Did you do a leakdown on your motor? Honestly, it sounds like theres no vtec. Are you sure its not just the turbo kicking in that makes it sound like vtec? Very common mistake. Maybe try running a manual vtec switch just to find out for sure and make sure you do have oil pressure first. Also, your cars not running rich if the af says 12to1 through the whole dyno pass. And nothing wrong with timming and spark if the cars not detonating. I think the vtec is suspect.....Mike

 

yea man its wierd, I was actually there with him trying to figure it out. I thought for sure it was the cam gears cuz they were a little wacky

the torque was pretty nice. if i can remmber it was like 180 ish or so , but the hp was weak and it was cutting and breakign very audible at 8k or so . . . kinda sounded like the rev limit was hitting ?
very weird scenario

 

i think it might be your v-tech. when mine is off the hook it make this strange noise.

j/k i would have to agree with ninesecrx. something is fishy with your vtec.

 

sounds like ethier of this: Bad wires, fouled plugs, bad rotar, bad cap. i would replace all. Definitly sounds like ignition when you mention it sounded like it was hitting the rev limiter through the power band. i would lean more towards a wire got kinked, and now it has a ban connection..

 

I will have to try checking the dist cap. Its really strange. I have the stock cam gears back on and it helped a little but not much. They were a little off center as well as the adjustable ones were. It feels like it is blowing out boost after 4500rpms. It's trying to get higher but not being able to. Vtec is fine, I hear it and see that it is on, on my VAFC. We are going to rent the dyno all day and just troubleshoot things, start pulling stuff and checking. Car still runs smooth. Just not pulling like it should. Very strange, I have talked to other honda mechanics and they couldn't figure it out either. thanks for the suggestions guys keep em comin.

 

yea vtec is engaging, its clear as day
i thought maybe not enough spark uptop ,. but the stock ignition should be able to handle that plus some . ?
maybe wiring or vaccum lines? possibly. ? also try with your vtec at stock setting , you do have it coming in really early. ? maybe that can cause probs down the line . . . . its kicking in at 5300 rpms
Nate let me knwo when you get back down here, Ill help out again .


[Modified by itr206, 12:32 PM 8/22/2002]

 

Thanks Pete I am trying to get down next week if they can get me in. Elliot was pissed too. We were troubleshooting all day sat. It's really pissing me off. Vtec is set at 5400rpm. I will try and adjust it today. We were thinking about pulling the VAFC out and see if that was messing it up.

 

it could be , maybe its messing up the fmu?
but the fuel curve looks good. ?
i dont know. its always a possibility.

 

if you guys are going to be going to the dyno let me know i wouldn't mind stoping by and checking out the car. and maybe if there is time i can get the car pn agian. i "WILL" be making more power this time. if all goes well this sunday.
were you at the dyno in pottstown agian?

-Josh

 

definitly sounds like ignition, cause you state the fuel curve is good still. what have you messed with lately? any chance the MAP is seeing boost? perhaps the TPS is off?

 

The point still stands that if the af meter was at 12to1 all the way to the top, it shouldnt be any problem with the fuel or the ignition. Yeah, the stock one should be plenty good. If you have a set of OEM honda wires?, put them back on. I will still argue that the vtec is not working. Your friend said you have more torqe then hp??? thats pretty much impossible.


[Modified by ninesecrx, 10:45 PM 8/22/2002]

 

yes his torque was 180ish maybe 190 even and 146 hp
they were the stock wires on .
the vtec is kicking , now if its working to potential ? i dunno , but no doubt it is kicking on .
maybe the vafc is tampering and interfeering with something?

 

This actually happened to a buddy of mine, it may be different in your case but here goes. He has a Type R motor built 9:1 Wiseco Pistons, Crower rods, everything else stock except for cams were some Si cams, Turbo is a T3/T04E 70 A/R Compresso 60 trim and stage 3 Turbine wheel and .63 A/R , Tial waastegate and Turbonetics manual boost controller, stock Type R IM but with a Prelude FMAX Turbo Manifold bolts were elongated to work. We get on the yno the first time and car makes power up to about 6k it is skyrocketing but then levels off more like a torque curve almost flat up until 8500. This fist time was still climbing just alittle. We think maybe the cams and Intake Manifold is what was told to him by the machinist since he has gone to the Tubro seminars and spoke to Javier Gutierrez, First time out car made about 350whp, then we change the cams out and add a JG/Edelbrock manifold go to the dyno made about 370whp but even worse than before power started really skyrocketing then about 6k to 6.5k just flattens out until redline. We're stumped, he runs the car went 11.52 but it makes power then jus steadies. Well last mod is change the exhaust manifold out replace it with an equal length manifold designed for a B series motor .........VOILA the car dynoed 413.9whp and did not taper off or flatten out. I see you're runing an SFP and I'm sur it was designed for your motor but this is what we ran into. Shad the owner has tuned many Hondatas and many different turbo set ups and all motor cars but never had we had problems like this. Locally we have a guy who did dyno his built Prelude FMAX kit and made 254whp before VTEC hit the power dropped waaaay down adn at redline did not make it back to the same whp , I think about 240-248whp at redline but 254whp befor VTEC strange. B18cegt on here had a Prelude and never madethe horsepower with it had a DRAG 2 kit. I am not dissing any Preludes here aan have seen many pros making lots of horsepower and having good luck with H22As but we haven't locally!

 

with 310 injectors, i hope your not runing a 12:1 FMU are you?

Rob

 

what he said

i cant stress enough how flat the power went. It sky rocketed and out of no where just completely flattened out.

 

I am running a 12:1 FMU. I have it really leaned out at higher RPM. I really think that it is a problem with the FMU. I adjusted the Vtec to stock and it came on as usual. The car is running like *** now. Changed it back to 5400 with -3% vtec correction. Car runs a little smoother. I am going to be changing FMU disks really soon to lesson the burden on my fuel management. I am just stumped on what to do now.