VTEC removal: can it be done?

I know everyone has their own opinion on this but I absolutely loath the VTEC transition. So far it's the only negative I have about the bike.

So, is it possible to remove it?

Wesley J

 

If you throw enough time and money at something, almost anything is possible. It would be cheaper for you to just sell your bike, buy a 5th gen or older model, and throw some money at it to upgrade it.

 

The whole VTEC transition is very different from bike to bike. Also from 06 and on the transition was smoothed some. If your like me and love everything else about the 6th gen, try a different bike. My transition is smooth and I'm not running a PCIII. Have you tried a PCIII?

Removing the VTEC would be a PITA.

 

yodasmile Yes! get yourself a PCIII. I'll smooth things out. I ordered mine today. arty2:

 

I have an 02 and I dont know how many miles you have but I noticed a smoother transition as long as the bike is warmed up at 149 degrees and there is more than 10000 miles on the bike

 

Honda VFR Club - Gear Driven Fi-X engine transplanted into an 02 V-Tec Bike !

 

It probably wouldn't be too difficult to simply disable the VTEC. If I understand the system, and it's quite possible that I don't, above a specific RPM (which varies between years) the VTEC valves are hydraulically enabled. I'm not sure where the hydraulics are physically located, valve stems, cams, etc., but if you can find that point you should be able to physically block off the hydraulic line or disable the valve or something and disable the VTEC entirely. Again, I haven't looked at the system in detail, just superficially read a little bit about it, so I could be way off base.

Obviously this is going to cause all kinds of unknown reactions. Having only two valves open instead of the four the ECU expects may result in all kinds of complaints and problems. Personally I wouldn't want to find out, but then I also like VTEC and wouldn't want it disabled.

 

If the VFR VTEC works any way like the auto VTEC I had in a Civic, then you have two choices:

1.) Permanately disable it, and have not any top end (probably around 60 hp), and a "weak" cam profile over 6k RPM, but great fuel economy!
~or~
2.) Permanantely enable it, and have poor driveability below 4k RPM, and leaning out down low...

I wouldn't do either. Learn to live with it.

 

I have wondered if the "regular" lifters will fit in the VTEC lifter bores. If so, it may be as simple as that. The secondary lifter springs would have to be removed too, BTW.

The only mechanical part of the VTEC are little pins in the special lifters that slide sideways from hydraulic pressure and engage the valve stem end. The secondary lifter springs keep the VTEC lifter in contact with the cam lobe in non-VTEC operation. So change the lifters and remove the springs, no more VTEC.

Or, if the VTEC lifter was modified to permanently keep the pins in the ON position, that would work too.

The interesting thing about any sort of mods to an existing engine design are the unknowns, such as how the F/I mapping will work with all four valves working full time. It might be that the combustion chamber and cylinder head porting has been specifically designed to work with the 2 valve operation at low RPM, and just will not work right with 4 valves at low RPM.

Never know until you try, though. I was going to physically measure and eyeball the lifters at valve adjustment time, just out of curiosity.

Oh, and one other thing; it used to be major bad juju to use new lifters on an old camshaft (or vice versa), or move used lifters from one bore to another. They developed specific wear patterns, and would tend to destroy themselves when mis-matched. Like a lot of my information, it is somewhat dated. Could be that it is no longer a problem, but I would double check if I was considering such a thing.

 

Every thread I've read on this boiled down to no. The least amount of work was to put a 5th gen motor in a 6th gen bike. However, if you came up with a way to do it easily in a kit form, you could make some bucks.

Action

 

that's definitely an interesting question. i must say that i'm not in love with VTEC either, but i guess the follow-up question would be: would you disable the VTEC to have a 4 valve motor permanently or a 2 valve motor. you'd either lose a lot of power or a lot of smoothness/ridability. i don't think i can answer that question at this point. how bout y'all. would you rather disable to have 2 valve or 4 valve heads?
cheers,
Jeff

 

If the Vtec works anything like the cars.It has a extra rocker arm that is enabled by oil to lock it.Making the motor run off the big cam lobe instead of the 2 smaller ones.Like has already been said if you remove it you will run out of cam profile early.As that is why they made Vtec.So you could have good bottomend,midrange and topend.Which is impossiable to do with 1 cam lobe per valve.....


I have a 450whp civic with a H22 Vtec prelude motor in it.Im not only a autobody tech and painter..I've been a ASE certified mechanic for 10 yrs.....Little tuner cars just make me laugh cause 12-14 yrs ago everyone just said you couldn't now they just hate cause you can...

 

I took havcar's quote from a different thread but these mods sound like they smooth the VTEC out a whole lot. Seems like a better (or more economical option) than replacing the engine or reprogramming the ECU to always have the 4 valves operating :unsure:

 

Personally I wouldn't remove it but I understand that you can plug in a control module from an 06 or later and you will get the smoother activation. The VTEC kicks in at about 6400 instead of 6800 and from the reports I have seem that will make it smoother. Without the VTEC you bike just won't run correctly at either lower or higher revs depending on which way you go.

 

I love the VTECh.......Its VTEC..which stands for Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control....

For those that dont know how it works here is a video to show how it works on the cars....Im sure it close to this on the bikes...
YouTube - How VTEC works

 

I am currently working an answer to this..........stay tuned

 

:tape:











Non Vtec :vtr2:


Vtec :car::bs:

 

:spam: :spam:

 

Really, Hmmmm, prove me wrong, "&" out of "ALL" the other Honda M/C's made did they put this car motor like revolutionary design in .

That would be "NONE" !

It was a sales gimmick that didn't meet expectations (got away from Honda's & VF/VFR's roots), & general M/C public acception (that would be majority:wink & is why Honda bikes since "DO NOT HAVE IT" ! why the VFR's do is because tooling is in place & costs in Manu is lower.

Thats is a quote from a several HRC tech's (From Honda trained/Japan) in Torrance CA. (Good to know low people in High places :wink

Bike/Make is great, just needs a different V-4 top end .

Now on the good side, there a fun all around bike, just didn't do it for me in the performace side as well as maintenance (that vtec system is a pain in the :bootyshake2: when it comes to adjustments).

They make a great sport-touring bike & a 2 up instructor bike (especially when given to you) to train people on lines @ a track (Freddie Spencer School).

But even Freddie opted for the CBR1000R than his trusty 6th gen when demo'ing the MMP track "for the world press" for the WSBK races @ MMP/Utah

They should of updated the maping & fuel injectors of the 5th gen motor & had that be the "new" gen bike, & then maybe then we we all would be in aggreance of the newer the better :smile: .