right you should not be able to hear it unless your really paying attention, but if you put the car in second gear and start at low rpm and then punch it and really listen you might be able to hear it or maybe feel it.
i think you have mistaken the butterflies in your old gsr intake manifold for vtec. look up some stuff on secondary intake runners. when they switch over the sound is very noticable and a lot of people i know mistaken it for vtec. if that's not the case... i don't know what's up with your motor lol sorry.
