‘94 Honda del Sol (B16B CTR)
Buddy Club : PN# Spec IV Valvetrain
Text, Photos, and Testing by Dan Su Nyen
Install by John Mets and Jay Hornacek

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.