FasterThanLight

Did you ever get your answer?

Here goes...
The blow-by comes from the intake and exhaust valves being open at the same time during the intake stroke(I'm referring to the intake stroke related to intake/compression/power/exhaust cycle: 4-stroke). There is a certain amount of this on all modern internal combustion engines. When you have high-duration cam(s) timing, the "overlap" of the intake and exhaust usually increases, depending on lobe centerline/separation angle for the most part. Reason for this- it helps to "scavenge" the combustion chamber, that is to "push out" the spent gases and "suck in" the intake charge, depending on which cycle the engine is in at that moment. The more overlap, the greater the scavenging effect, which at high rpms, makes power due to the high velocity of the valvetrain and the relatively low time for which the valves are opened. At lower RPM, the valves basically "hang" open for much too long(time-wise) allowing: unburned fuel(and compression with it) to go straight out the exhaust valve, power loss due to the valve opening on the "down" side of the power stroke(right prior to the exhaust stroke), and also allowing exhaust gases to cross contaminate the intake side of things when the exhaust/intake crossover happens. All of these lead to power loss *at low rpm*. Not surprisingly, this is why big cams won't pass smog. They let unburned gas out into the exhaust system, thus putting the HC count into the stratosphere. Turn the motor up a notch, wind it to where it's meant to breathe, and things start flowing like they're supposed to and you'll be in the power band.

Can I just say that VTEC "kicking in" is kind of a hoax? I know it turns on and everything, but it truly is gradual. It's just that once you get to the right point in the powerband/rpm range, these little B series motors really sing. That goes for the vtec and non-vtec as well. The vtec just extends the powerband. The gs-r has that funny dual length intake runner switchover at around 6000 rpm, which is what sounds like what people think vtec is... and by "people" I don't mean those in this thread, or at this site, just "people" in general. The average, uninformed idiot j/k

I can go on and on about this. I don't claim to be 100% correct, but I have a fair understanding of engine internals. I used to build v-8s, chevy and fords... the principles are still the same, it's just the implementation that's changed here. If anyone thinks I know what I'm talking about and they want clarification, I'd be more than happy to expound on what I've mentioned here. Happy Honda'ing.
J