►B16B With Buddy Club Spec IV Camshafts review!◄

[rvm]

I found this review on the Internet, this camshafts made some good torque and hp gain on a B16B. Enjoy! I still prefer the TODA Spec B

‘94 Honda del Sol (B16B CTR)
Buddy Club : PN# Spec IV Valvetrain


Whenever you work on your car, it is always nice to have some knowledgeable company. Whether it is a simple tire rotation or a complete overhaul, having someone there to merely shoot the breeze or give you insightful hints always makes the job easier. So when Buddy Club USA asked if I wanted to test out their head package for the B-Series VTEC platform, I cordially obliged and proceeded to call some friends.
There are many manufacturers that have head packages, so it is up to you to research the options and weigh out the benefi ts. Another thing to ask yourself is the purpose of your build, drag, circuit, or street. With that in mind, it was rather convenient that we had an open track event in the weeks to come. Contrary to popular belief, Buddy Club has a racing heritage that extends beyond the body kit. Their involvement in circuit racing world wide has lead to the production of high quality, race engineered components.

The Buddy Club Spec IV package was called on to fit the demands of our B16B. This package consists of a pair of high lift, high duration camshafts, flat face racing valves, double valve springs, titanium retainers, a high compression head gasket and cam gears. With this set up, we should be able to achieve high peak horsepower while increasing mid-range torque.
Installation is best left to a professional, however you can try this at home if you have someone that has done headwork oversee the process. John Mets at Revenge Motorsports donated his shop to perform the upgrades while Jay Hornacek of JSpeed Engineering offered his blood and sweat. Didn’t I mention earlier it was nice to have some overqualifi ed shop types with you when doing anything?\

John, Jay, and I initiated the removal process. Once the head was removed, we proceeded to remove the factory valve springs and retainers. With these removed, the valves easily slid out. From there Jay started cutting the valve seats and applied a three angle valve job, which is considered by many to be the standard with this type upgrade. A three angle valve job involves cutting the valve seats at three angles (typically 30, 45, and 60 deg) to better simulate a smooth surface for the incoming/outgoing air. After we fi nished cutting the valve seats, we lapped all of the valves, which ensures proper seating. All of the new Buddy Club components were then installed in reverse order until the head was complete. We decided to go with a new timing belt and water pump while reinstalling the head, since a high performance valvetrain would allow us to rev significantly higher than the already screaming high redline. It’s best to eliminate potential part failures when doing an upgrade of this magnitude. Should you reuse an old timing belt, you are risking your several thousand dollar motor on an easily replaceable $60 part.

With everything back on the block it was time to tune the cams. Our friends at Greenlight Auto allowed us to use their Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer on short notice. Our baseline was performed at an earlier time on the same dyno. The test platform was a 1994 Honda Del Sol with a JDM B16B Civic Type-R engine sporting a short ram intake, Greddy exhaust, and a Mugen ECU. The prior tests yielded 158.9 peak WHP and 112.7 ft./lbs. of torque. After installation of the Buddy Club Spec IV head package and some cam gear tuning we got a peak of 191.3 WHP with 125.2 ft./lbs. of torque. That is a remarkable gain of 32.4 horsepower and 12.5 ft./lbs. of torque to the wheels! Although results may vary, Buddy Club suggests that their cams benefit from higher compression. With additional fuel curve tuning, we think we can achieve the magical 200WHP from our 1.6L banshee.
In conclusion, we give Buddy Club two thumbs and two big toes up! Now excuse me while I mop up the track with everyone else’s remains.

[iceman]

huge amount of work to fit and get best from them cams, also no way to say what gains cams gave as compression raised + headwork done to improve flow + head would have been cleaned up improving performance straight away

also a difficult cam to install and setup correctly and only possible by people that really know their stuff

[blinx9900]

Originally Posted by iceman

huge amount of work to fit and get best from them cams, also no way to say what gains cams gave as compression raised + headwork done to improve flow + head would have been cleaned up improving performance straight away

also a difficult cam to install and setup correctly and only possible by people that really know their stuff

what makes a buddy cam harder to install than any other cam? the increase in compression was done becuase the cams used require it.

[iceman]

i know comp raised for the cam but if it wasnt would gains have been the same ?

not so bad in u.s but here in u.k very few places know what they are doing when installing cams and degreeing them "correctly" ( i had bc3+ cams installed incorrectly so have 1st hand experience, had rm gen 2 springs and retainers as well which several of shattered and some even stuck to retainers after about year after install, not known if cam install at fault here though or the design of the springs/retainers which i was told were perfect by the cams)

[blinx9900]

Originally Posted by iceman

i know comp raised for the cam but if it wasnt would gains have been the same ?

of course not, the cams need higher compression to work,the cams alone wont make that much power, the compression alone wont make that much power but together is where they shine

Originally Posted by iceman

not so bad in u.s but here in u.k very few places know what they are doing when installing cams and degreeing them "correctly" ( i had bc3+ cams installed incorrectly so have 1st hand experience, had rm gen 2 springs and retainers as well which several of shattered and some even stuck to retainers after about year after install, not known if cam install at fault here though or the design of the springs/retainers which i was told were perfect by the cams)

sorry to hear that RM is great quality stuff, i think it may have been an install error

[ManosEK9]

Originally Posted by blinx9900

of course not, the cams need higher compression to work,the cams alone wont make that much power, the compression alone wont make that much power but together is where they shine

blinx, I'm sure you already know mate that getting the most from street or semi-racing cams is much much easier than racing cams, at a point where racing cams can damage engine if engine is not fully and correctly tuned!!!!
I know that Skunk2 Stage 1 and Stage 2 do not required fully built engine to function properly. With just a header, Intake Maniforld, increased compression and a good mechanic , you can get the most. Stage 2 (semi-racing) need some more work but you still can get the maximum hp they give(18-22 bhp on an EK9!!! ) but with Skunk2 Stage 3 is a different story mate.......If you just stay with header, exhaust, raised compression you get almost nothing and you set your engine in danger as well!! These cams are installed only on fully build engines used for drag racing and in track only where the rpm is almost always in vtec range, otherwise its a matter of time to burn your engine if you use these cams for daily drive.....
There's must be a set of cams for those who go for drag and track.............and this is it For those who need huge power for street Stage 2 is perfect

[blinx9900]

buddyclub spec iv is there stage 2 cam

[Mazi0]

so how are these cams rated for a built daily driver with occasional track time?

[blinx9900]

if you have enough compression, they should be fun

[jugbugz]

In AU, these are the cams everyone is talking about over east in Sydney. Huge gains... but... according to JDMyard, Their only slightly smaller than TODA spec C.

But one thing is for sure, BUDDYCLUB cams take away that original erupt VTEC KICK found in the B-series. It becomes more linear and unfelt like the K-series VTEC kick.

[Civic Zolee]

Originally Posted by blinx9900

if you have enough compression, they should be fun

Is 11.3 CR enough for BC IV?

[pimpinblackcivic]

will be ok but ideally you want to go higher

[99EK9R]

so me using a b18c5 with i/h/e would i benifit from skunk2 stage 2 cams and cam gears or the buddy club ones and buddyclub cam gears thnx

[pimpinblackcivic]

i wouldnt bother unless you are planning on increasing the compression, theyre big cams

[oscarsayco]

any videos