I have a 5 speed 96 accord ex i got recently, it has a F22b2 block with a F22b1 SOHC VTEC head. Ok my problem is the car idles fine, smooth all that but when i take off it wants to run sluggish like its not making power. Once i get up in the RPMs round 3000 or so it picks up and makes plenty of power. It does that in about every gear, even when im on the highway going 60 in fifth and in low RPMs ill try and speed up and it has no power. I have heard it back fire thru the air filter a couple times. The guy says he has checked the timing but i will be checking it myself to make sure. I have read thru some threads on here that have similar problmes to mine and wrote down some things to look at on my car. I was just wondering if someone has run into this problem and know whats wrong with it. I do have some CELs one is the EVAP canister the previous owner took that all out and the other was a speed sensor which i fixed that. Any help would be apperciated thanks!

 

Sounds like the cam timing may be goofed.

Shot in the dark, even though the head is a B1 VTEC, whomever replaced the timing belt used the longer B2(because of the block number) belt. At low rpms the cam timing is incorrect but at higher rpms the cam timing stabilizes and runs fine. And at static the marks may all line up at TDC(crank)/UP(cam).

If the car feels like it has bad turbo lag then I would suspect the timing belt is the wrong one or the idler pulleys are not adjusted correctly.

 

OK thank you very much, i will look into tomorrow!

 

If timing is not the culprit here, check your ignition components. Plugs, wires, dist. Etc

 

mine has same issue after I put on a ported f22b1 head..
everything below 3,000 rpm sucks!

 

Distributor is non adjustable on 96/97 cars. If the base ignition timing is incorrect, then the cam belt timing is off as well.