eCtune

O´hoy, I attempted to eCtune a very annoying car yesterday. Engine is a built B16, stronger valvetrain, forged low-comp pistons. The owner made some strange choices though. OBX cams (trying to figure out which ones) and a GT2860´ish size clone turbo. The cams were almost Toda spec B-like in the idle section. But I managed to run them at a stable, slightly rough 1000 rpm. Just had to take out some fuel as usual, no problems. When trying to adjust base timing, things went really weird though. I had to offset the iginition a whole 26 degrees to obtain a 16 degree timing. This was confirmed by locating the mechanical TDC and verifying with my adjustable ign timing gun. I´m guessing either the distributor is FUBAR, or (more likely) the distributor drive groove in the cam is offset at the wrong angle... Either way I did NOT like it! But for the time being, I reluctantly adapted ign timing tables and pressed on... A couple of hours later on the dyno, the weirdness continued. MBT on low cam is around 6500rpm. On hi cam, engine makes no power. We ended up with Vtec @ 8000 rpm, limiter @ 8600 (whow, a full 600rpm of vtec!). Boost was held until redline but power had dropped off. My guess is this: This is a set of really badly designed cams, or they have some manufacturing defect causing too much overlap AND a badly offset distributor drive. What do you guys think? I´m very sure that the engine would work much much better on stock cams... /Allan

There is a mechanical problem on the car... Most probably as you set distributor os fitted in a totally wrong angle.

Yes I certainly agree that something is horribly wrong. But I don´t see how it should even be possible to install the distributor wrong.... as the groove in the cam is offset to one side. Or rather, SHOULD be. I guess my real question is if someone else has seen something similar to this before. BTW we also verified the cam gear timing, and it was okay... /Allan

Lift the valve cover. I'm pretty sure the rocker arms are now junk which make sense since OBX cams are also junk. Also maybe vtec wasn't engaging at all but nonetheless, remove these cams ASAP.

Civic Tsi wrote:Lift the valve cover. I'm pretty sure the rocker arms are now junk which make sense since OBX cams are also junk. Also maybe vtec wasn't engaging at all but nonetheless, remove these cams ASAP.

so true. recently, i had one customer who wanted me to tune his CRVTEC (B16 head) with OBX stage3 cams recently installed by a local shop. Before starting anything else, reading horror stories about this brand, i pulled the VC day one. this is what it looks like, with merely ~109miles in them, mildly driven. all vtec lobes looks the same. i call them gremlins cams!!! OBX FTL!

I have a OBX cam from a D-serie engine ligging around and it's also eaten up bij the engine. And the guy had to put a new head on his engine. I will make a picture tomorrow and post it.

I had problems with those cams as well. OBX has alot of learning to do with thier metallugy

OBX is only good if you want a $35 race cat.

I too have pulled 3 sets of these cams out of motors that they have destroyed, OBX FTL. If someone calls about a tune I usually go over their setup on the phone before they come out. If cheap cams are part of their mods I tell them I wont touch their car until they are fixed. Usually the damage has already been done.

out of curiousity, is there any identifying marks on these cams ? thanks jeff