Just tested with 3rd gear till the end and looks like vtec even isnt working at all!
And that thing about sound is crap, just when engine got changed , exaust got louder by itself
What to look first?
Pull out you vtec solenoid and clean filter, just recently a friend of mine with a b16a vtec wasn't pulling great and then stopped working all together. Took of solenoid and cleaned it and it went like a train, vtec was fixed.