(Q) What is an Ecotek CB-26P?
(A) It is a
mechanical device that, when fitted to a petrol engine (not Diesel),
improves the throttle response and through the gears acceleration. On
older cars (pre Euro spec 1995) it can also improve petrol consumption
and MoT emissions. CB stands
for Clean Burn and the 26 confirms that over 2.6 litres an additional device
is required. P stands for petrol only.
(Q) Do you need a special type unit for
each different model car?
(A) No - the device is a universal fitting but two are required for
cars over 2600 cc's. One type unit fits all, though fitting may be
slightly different from car to car - for full details visit: The
Fitting Instructions page
(Q) How does the device work?
(A) On modern cars the CB-26P device works in at least two distinct
ways to improve performance, it collapses the manifold vacuum allowing
briefly for a richer mixture on the re-application of a trailing
throttle and it creates an element of off-throttle turbulence
(increasingly being used by Ford and Mercedes Benz in their
performance engines) making acceleration smoother and more urgent. On
older cars the device alters the air fuel mixture at certain throttle
openings as well as generating off-throttle turbulence. For more
information see the Benefits page.
(Q) How much does it cost?
(A) From as little as £48.99 - for full details click here:
'Shop' page.
(Q) What tests have
been carried out on it?
(A) In 2005 a comprehensive series of performance, emission and
economy tests were conducted by Prodrive and Datron
on modern low mileage cars and the full un-edited results are
available here. The device has also been tested independently on hundreds of
older vehicles, as
well as by the Department of Trade and Industry, Evans Halshaw, Motoscope,
Car Mechanics, VW Motoring, Redline, Street Machine and Max Power motoring magazines and others. The Device was also given the REVS magazine Best Buy Award in
their December 1999 issue after a comprehensive series of tests. See the
'Reviews' and 'Test Results' pages.
(Q) Does the device
carry a guarantee?
(A) As well as being designed to fail-safe, in the unlikely event of
mechanical breakdown the Ecotek CB-26P carries a two year product replacement guarantee, plus a
no quibble 30 day money
back satisfaction guarantee provided by the retailer.
(Q) Is it easy to fit to my car?
(A) On most cars the device is easy to fit for a competent amateur
mechanic. To fit the Ecotek, simply locate one of the vacuum breather pipes
which connect to the inlet manifold after the throttle body which will
allow the turbulent air from the Ecotek to feed to all cylinders -
these can include the crankcase or rocker cover breather, brake servo
vacuum line or the charcoal canister or the MAP sensor vacuum line.
Also, check for any blanked off pipes into the inlet manifold. The
Ecotek should be fitted within 12 inches of the inlet
manifold and inside (manifold side) any non return valves. The device comes complete with instructions and there are more
details, including pictures of the device fitted to various cars, on the
Cars and Fitting pages on this Web site.
If you are in doubt about
whether your car can be fitted or about how to fit the device please consult
the list of Garages and Motor Factors on the 'Suppliers' Page who can check
your vehicle and confirm if the device can be fitted – the cost (one
CB-26P plus labour) of having the device fitted for you is only £59.50 plus
vat (£69.91 inclusive) and any additional parts such as Jubilee clips (recommended) or
additional hose, so you may prefer to have one fitted by one of our
suppliers.
If there are no suitable vacuum lines available, then you will need
to drill and tap the inlet manifold just after the throttle body. We supply a splitter for
two devices but this still needs to be tapped into the manifold either
directly or most commonly through a blanking plug, the required thread is
1/4" BSPT. The nylon 'T' piece is then removed from the device(s) which
can then be screwed directly into the manifold or splitter as required.
(Q) Will it affect my insurance?
(A) Most
insurance Companies want to be notified of ANY modifications so be
sure to check with them first - remember that telling them makes sure
they cannot deny a claim in the future and it doesn't necessarily mean
they will charge an extra premium - normally only an increase of more
than 10% in BHP will increase the premium.
(Q)
I have no brake servo because I have an ABS
hydraulic pump / no power brakes?
(A) See above and/or check for alternative
PCV (crankcase breather) access to
the manifold - any pipe with an internal diameter of more than 4mm should be suitable.
Otherwise tap the manifold with a 1/4" BSPT thread and fit the device
directly.
(Q) I have other Mods and Tuning
accessories like a petrol boost valve, an induction kit and a modified
exhaust and back box - will the Ecotek be compatible?
(A) Yes - the CB-26P works well with all
these mods - be sure to re-tune the Ecotek after any such
modifications are made to your car. The Ecotek works particularly well
with 'Power' Boost Valves, which actually force petrol into the
cylinders under acceleration as the CB-26 makes sure this extra petrol
is burned properly.
There are occasions when the combination of a
straight-through exhaust, an induction kit and other mods will trigger
the Lambda and cause 'over-fuelling' which in turn will increase
petrol consumption dramatically. The Ecotek device will not help under
these circumstances unless accompanied by a PBV (power boost valve).
Sometimes also the removal of the Catalytic
Converter can be compensated by an Ecotek valve for the purposes of
the MoT emission test - this is by no means guaranteed and will depend
on the particular car and its state of maintenance - click here for
details:
Reviews 1
(Q) Are there engines that it is not suitable
for
(A) Yes - firstly it is not suitable for any
diesel engines. Also it may not be suitable for motorcycle engines,
Wankel engines, two stroke, supercharged (permanent boost) engines, some boxer engines with multiple carburettors and car engines with DCOE carbs and competition manifolds. Twin choke carburettors are
normally mounted directly to the inlet ports without a common manifold
chamber and this would mean that a CB-26p would need to be mounted
after each choke. This is not recommended. The rule is therefore that
if there is a manifold or plenum chamber common to all the cylinders
(which accounts for more than 95% of cars) then the device is
suitable.
Cars with CVT (Continuously Variable
Transmission) which operate at a steady RPM (ie: do not use the rev
range of a conventional engine because there are no gear
changes) are unlikely to benefit much from the CB-26P device. This is
because the device relies on variations in manifold pressure occurring
only very rarely on engines with this type of transmission.
Conventional automatics may also benefit less because of less throttle
variation and Turbo engines when 'on boost'
see here.
(Q) Why wasn't his device fitted to my car
by the manufacturers at the factory?
(A) There are a number of reasons for
this:
- Ecotek Technologies Plc. owns the exclusive design rights to the
device.
- The device has to be individually tuned to each car. This is
potentially complicated and expensive if incorporated into the
assembly process.
- Induction turbulence is a relatively recent development in
mainstream combustion technology and whilst off-throttle turbulence
is now being incorporated in performance engines (Ford and
Mercedes for example) it is not commonplace and not otherwise
available as a retro-fit option.
- Manufacturers have chosen to tackle performance, emission and
economy issues through management systems and chemical catalysts. In
the long run these can theoretically improve the combustion process
considerably more than the Ecotek device.
- The current trend is to attempt to achieve the best balance
between economy, emissions and performance through ECU mapping which
theoretically can provide infinitely variable combinations. In order
to qualify for the lowest tax band many manufacturers map the ECU to
ensure the best emissions scenario. As a result the default setting
on many modern cars leaves them feeling sluggish and flat.
- In the event the major market of the Ecotek CB-26P is for
retrofit to existing cars; for owners of MoT age cars who may wish
to re-vitalise performance at reasonable cost without sacrificing
economy or emissions.
We have not been approached by any major manufacturers wishing to
incorporate the device in new cars and feel in the light of the above
that this is unlikely.
(Q) What do I do when I have my car
serviced?
(A) The engine should be tuned to
manufacturers specifications with the Ecotek CB-26P disabled. This is
best accomplished by screwing the unit closed and taping over
the filter end with masking tape. In many cases garages may not have
come across the device before and may not know how to tune it.
Accordingly, any tuning, servicing or modification should take place
with the unit disabled and once these are complete the unit should be
re-tuned in accordance with the instructions - see the Fitting
& Tuning page for details.
(Q) Does the device make a noise?
(A) Yes, part of its operation involves
resonance and this can be rather noisy especially on new units. A
specifically designed Filter/Silencer has been developed by Pipercross
(for details
click here) - nevertheless noise can be an issue with the
device and there are a number of things you can do.
The first thing you should try (apart from making
sure the device points away from the cab – so that any noise is
projected away from you) is to unscrew the device completely and
remove the valve and spring from inside the device and rotate it through 180°
(one half turn) and replace and re-tune. This will change the seating
characteristics and may produce a less intrusive resonance.
The device makes a different noise on different
cars and from one device to another the noise can be different. This
is because the nylon valve seats onto the anodised aluminium head. It
is not possible to make a perfect seat between these two surfaces and
so an element of bedding-in is required. This will vary depending on
the way the valve seats in the first place – also, in time, very small
carbon deposits will cover the surface areas making a perfect seal.
Because of the very low wear rates of the materials used (the valve
will probably last indefinitely) this bedding-in can take some time -
generally between 1000 and 3000 miles.
Nevertheless it should not be intrusive especially with the PiperX
filter. Whilst initially it seems as though the filter doesn’t silence
the device much, this is because there are actually two noises – one
is resonance in the Ecotek unit which should reduce as it beds in, the
other is induction roar which is dealt with by the Filter/Silencer
unit. If you don’t have room (or the dough!) to fit the Pipercross filter/silencer you can
wrap the device in foam held with electrical ties (as on the Bentley
here:
http://www.ecotekplc.com/big_cats.htm ).
You can also improve the seating by grinding the
valve to the housing (the knurled cover that holds the gauze filter) –
valve grinding paste or even ‘T Cut’ will do. A very small amount of
grease on the valve surface will also help but do not use WD40 as this
may de-laminate the nylon valve.
You can watch the fitting video which confirms the noise expected
during the tuning process -
click here for details.
(Q)
There is a non-return valve on my vacuum servo hose, which side of this do I fit
the device?
(A) On the inlet manifold side. So we have
inlet manifold, Ecotek CB-26P, non return valve and brake diaphragm
drum - in that order. The non return valve is fitted by some
manufacturers to maintain the vacuum for power assisted braking if the vacuum line
should fail for some reason.
(Q) How long
will
it take for the device to start working?
(A) You will notice a change immediately. You may need to re-tune
after a few hundred miles as it beds in.
(Q) Does the device
work with a carburettor or petrol injection?
(A) Both. In the case of carburettor cars the CB-26P helps to regulate
the air fuel ratio (AFR) more efficiently and also, as with injection cars,
the turbulence created in the manifold creates a better suspension of the
fuel air mixture.
(Q)
Does the device work with Four Star
converters, petrol additives and Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP)?
(A) Yes, the CB-26P
improves combustion on all types of petrol
engines (but not diesel) regardless of how the fuel or fuel systems have been modified. In the case of LRP it cures many of the problems some
motorists experience with poor starting, hesitancy and flat spots.
(Q)
Does the Ecotek CB-26P work with dual fuel cars using Liquid Petroleum Gas
(LPG)?
(A) When running on petrol the device is
effective in the ordinary way. Whilst we have not run empirical tests
with LPG we are told by a number of users that the device also
gives economies when running LPG - it certainly does not impede
the effective operation of the engine when using Liquid Petroleum Gas.
(Q) Does it matter which way up the device
is installed?
(A) No. The CB-26P is spring loaded and dynamically balanced and
accordingly is unaffected by gravity and the angle of installation.
Best to make sure the intake points away from anywhere that dirt or
moisture can enter the engine bay especially when no Pipercross filter
is fitted.
(Q) Does the device work
on cars with a Turbo?
(A) Yes - Turbo charged cars work using a pump to increase
manifold pressure which forces the fuel air mixture into the combustion
chamber. This extra pressure shuts off the CB-26P device and accordingly it
is inoperative whilst the engine is under boost. However it will be
effective at all other times as with normally aspirated cars. With many
Turbo cars, non-Turbo performance can be a bit sluggish - many find
that the improved response from the Ecotek considerably improves the
driveability of their cars.
(Q) Does the device
work with cars fitted with a
Catalytic Converter
(A) Yes. The CB-26P will reduce emissions even when the converter is not
at operating temperature and give it less to do at all other times, thus extending
its life. If the Catalytic Converter works on a closed loop Lambda system
the device will still create the turbulence in the inlet gasses that
improves combustion but it will also cure flat spots and hesitancy caused in
many ECU (Electronic Control Unit – ‘Chip’) systems by reacting
quicker to changes in manifold pressure. In any event many modern EFI
systems will normally recalibrate for improvements in combustion
conditions.
(Q) Does the device
work on cars with an engine management system and a Lambda?
(A) Yes – see above. A Lambda is an electronic oxygen sensor in the
exhaust system which tells the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) about the AFR
(Air Fuel Ratio). Most modern systems recalibrate if the combustion process
improves but if not, when the car is cruising (throttle pressure is neutral)
the system is said to be closed loop and the AFR is set as close to the
Stoichometric rate as possible, automatically correcting any leaning in the AFR
created by the CB-26P but still allowing the benefits of the ‘Swirl’.
When the engine is accelerating or decelerating the system is open loop
allowing the CB-26P to work to maximum effect. On modern EFI (electronic
fuel injection) cars the engines are set up to work pretty efficiently
and the main benefits of the CB-26P will be improved acceleration and
throttle response.
(Q) Will fitting
the device to my brake vacuum servo affect my brakes or my ABS?
(A) The CB-26P is a non return valve which still maintains more than
sufficient vacuum (more than 18’’ of mercury) in the servo even when
fully operational. Accordingly, braking is totally unaffected. Anti Lock
Braking systems (Automatic Braking Systems – ABS) are either electronic or
mechanical at the disk and work from a separate ABS pump. The CB-26p does
not therefore have any effect on ABS. If a brake servo hose becomes detached
or breaks in the ordinary course of events the result is a reduction in
braking assistance and not brake failure.
(Q) If the device lets in air surely it will lean the mixture and overheat my valves?
(A) The air taken in by the device accounts for little more than 5% of
the total air volume but causes sufficient turbulence to create
better combustion and accordingly combustion chamber operating temperatures
are quite often reduced.
(Q) On my car the vacuum hose connection sits over one or two cylinders will this affect performance?
(A) With multi point injection systems, provided the device
accesses the plenum chamber (and not a branch of the manifold) it
doesn't matter where it goes.
With carburettor and single point injection systems ideally the device should be located as near the centre of the
manifold or the base of the Carburettor as possible – please see Cars and
Fitting page for further information. This is not always possible, however,
and in the same way as when the air intake is at one end of the cylinder
bank the air is not all stolen by the first cylinder, the benefits of the
CB-26P are not all used by the nearest cylinder. It is however a very simple
matter to fit the device and see if the engine runs evenly – if it does
not you may wish to tap the manifold or return the device under the
satisfaction guarantee. On some older 4 cylinder BMW’s and Vauxhall Nova's for example the vacuum servo
pipe is attached to the neck of just one manifold branch very close to the
combustion chamber and the turbulence would certainly not travel back to the
manifold, accordingly the device should not be fitted under these
circumstances. On certain Vauxhall and VW engines however, the air intake is over
cylinder 4 and the servo hose is over cylinder 1 – here the device is
still accessing the manifold chamber as a whole, rather than the port on one
cylinder, and in all such cases the device has been found to work very
effectively. If in doubt please contact one of our suppliers
(Q) Does the device need any maintenance?
(A) Generally not - but depending on conditions of use it is a good idea - especially
if you do not have the Pipercross filter fitted - to clean the gauze
and the nylon valve with petrol from time to time (say every 12,000 miles). Simply unscrew the top of the unit and remove the valve
and spring, immerse both together with the filter housing in petrol or
rinse with hot water and washing up liquid,
clean and rinse then replace and re-tune. The gauze may
sometimes be a little difficult to clean if badly clogged and the best
way to solve this is by using ordinary domestic washing up liquid and hot water - press
the liquid through the gauze with your thumb and repeat until clear -
you should be able to comfortably blow through the gauze when it is
properly clean.
(Q) Does the device bleed air when the valve is
closed?
(A) Yes it is designed to bleed very slightly when closed. See Tuning
instructions on the Fitting page.
(Q) I can't find the right pipe on my car.
(A) Click here to visit the
Fitting and Tuning page and expand one of the diagrams or pictures
or find a picture of the device fitted to one of the cars listed on
the site and expand the picture by clicking on it for a better view.
(Q) Does
fitting the device affect my new car Warranty?
(A) If you ask any manufacturer about accessories etc.. the
standard answer is that the use of any accessory or additive not
produced by the manufacturer will invalidate the warranty. So the
short answer is that technically fitting a CB-26P will invalidate the
manufacturers warranty.
Many dealers fit or recommend them however and it is basically the
dealer that decides - if he's happy then fine. Apparently many users
simply remove the device when the car is serviced and in other cases
it is not even noticed.
In any event, if you are in any doubt about what to do you should
contact the dealership that services your car; though we should add
that the CB-26P carries £5 million product liability insurance.
(Q) I need more help what should I do?
(A) Try one of the following:
Click here for purchase
details.
