Perhaps the CB-26P is becoming something of a cult accessory because in June 2001 Cruise South also did a comprehensive review - click their logo to visit their site or click this link to see their test: http://www.cruise-south.co.uk/NewSite/frameset.htm then go to Modify It and then Mods..

Among other things they said: "Immediately a difference was noticeable. The car seemed to rev more evenly and pull without the usual flat spots and lumpiness that we had grown used to. It also seemed to be making less effort to reach speeds, with the revs at high speed lower than they were prior to the fitting of the CB-26P. The performance definitely seemed to have been improved as Ecotek claimed it would be".

VWmotoring

In their November 2001 issue VW Motoring did another review of the device (click on the picture to see the full article) - they said:

 "Having owned a Mk2 Golf GL for several years now, I have grown to loath all that is the Pierburg 2E2 carburettor. The hesitancy when cold that puts you in very dangerous situations, the sub-3OO miles to a full tank of petrol and the constant trips to the tuners to sort out the choke settings, fast idles, slow idles and CO2 levels. All in all not good. And because of its inability to be performance tuned it has made me look at other options.

Option one (one which Tim Stiles swears by) is the replacement carb by Webber. The Weber offers greater ‘tunability’ but has two drawbacks: the manual choke and the price tag of £206 completely unfitted. No use at all it you’re not mechanically minded - add another £50-£100 for fitting and set up.

The second option is the Ecotek. This gadget, whilst not new on the market, remains remarkably and relatively undiscovered. It claims to give greater performance, increased mileage and reduced emissions at a greatly reduced price of £49 with the simplest of fitting instructors. A filter is also available at a cost of £17.

So what’s it all about ? Well, the Ecotek, once fitted gives a positive swirl to the intake gasses and produces a more positive and efficient burn once ignited. Got it? It achieves this by drawing in ambient air and introducing it to the intake gases within the inlet manifold itself. The Ecotek comes with full fitting instructions and is so simple to fit. It is fitted in the brake servo line that runs to the inlet manifold just before the non return valve. Once this area has been established, the hose is then cut with a Stanley knife (watch those fingers) and using jubilee clips insert the Ecotek into the gap. That’s it. Just the setting up to complete the job.

With the engine running, turn the valve top so a constant ‘chirping’ noise can be heard, then turn it back a quarter of a turn and pinch the lock nut up to secure it. Sorted. If you’ve opted for the optional filter this can now be fitted. The Ecotek does make a chirping noise during engine deceleration but with the filter fitted and with 2000 miles under its belt the chirp reduces greatly.

So how does it perform? The car is now a lot less hesitant when cold, nearly non-noticeable. Through the gears the engine seems more positive and smoother and when pressed hard quicker as well. As for fuel consumption, a full tank now gets me 330-350 miles so the Ecotek has started paying for itself already. The Golf also passed the emission test on its MOT without any adjustment for the first time. So far no down sides have been experienced with the Ecotek and its been running now for 3 months.

So if you’re looking for the cheaper option to sort out your dodgy Pierburg or looking to increase performance, miles to the gallon and reduce emissions on any car, fuel injected as well, then the Ecotek could be just what you are looking for. Too good to be true you may be thinking? Don’t just take my word for it, try it!". 

Jason Thomas - VW Motoring November 2001.

GreenFleet magazine said in their October 2001 issue ......

“We are learning that vehicle emissions are hurting more people than road accidents and sadly we are also learning how little the UK Government is actually doing about it. 

In the DETR White Paper “A New Deal for Transport.." we are told that 24,000 vulnerable people are estimated to die each year from air pollution from road traffic and another 24,000 admitted to hospital for the same reason. These are apparently figures produced for the department of Health in 1998 (most recent figures show less than 4,000 die in road accidents).

New cars have low emissions but there are 22 million cars and vans on the road in Britain (plus all the lorries -and more from abroad) and their average age is nearly 8 years - for every new car therefore, there is one that is sixteen years old - what is to be done about older cars and emissions?

A UK company called Ecotek Technologies PLC makes and distributes a device that has been proven to substantially reduce emissions and can be retro-fitted to petrol cars for less than £50 plus VAT.

The device not only substantially reduces emissions - by more than 25% in some cases - but also saves petrol. It does this not through petrol additives or filters or catalysts but by improving the process of combustion at source. A lot of pollution is unburned petrol, especially hydrocarbons, and it your combustion is more efficient you use less petrol anyway. Test results show petrol savings of over 20% and emission reductions in Carbon dioxide and monoxide of nearly 30%.

The device has been rigorously tested on a wide variety of cars and independent test results show dramatic improvements in petrol consumption and a corresponding reduction in emissions.

Unfortunately the Government - in the shape of the DETR refuses to acknowledge or differentiate between any such products, whether they work or are just a gimmick and have no plans to consider the effects of additives which are being used to effect the change from leaded to unleaded.

It is probably about time the Government did something - they know they will fail to make National Air Quality Strategy objectives set for 2005, So far all that seems to be happening is that The Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme is looking at what the DETR’s policy should be on dealing with existing cars.

Now the rest of us are pinning our hopes on LPG but the truth is (in net terms) that it can be expensive and whilst we may get Green Awards we have to pay for them! What the clever people are doing is fitting an Ecotek CB-26P which not only gives better petrol economy but, according to some of their distributors namely: WS Motors, Convert to Gas and LPG Auto Fuel Systems the device works just as well on LPG as it does with petrol.

As Ecotek’s Managing Director Barclay Lamont says “It’s all very well planning the future, but what about the 22 million cars and vans on the road at the moment?”

Even a brief visit to their very impressive web site (www.ecotekplc.com) means that this could be a very exciting low cost option for those running fleets who want to make immediate improvements.”

GreenFleet Magazine. Volume 2 issue 8.  October 2001.

STREET MACHINE Magazine:

In the new AMERICAN CAR WORLD supplement they did a review of a Corvette fitted with Ecoteks' - they said:

"The Seventies Corvettes have become sought-after classics in the past five years. For too long prior to that they held a medallion-man image and many went through the sort of modifications that’d make Corvette purists - or anyone who loves the marque - cringe. The ‘74 to ‘82 range of Corvettes represent the best value for money and can be picked up in fair condition from around £5000.

For this you can get independent suspension all around, a small-block 350ci V8 with between 150hp and 250hp, and a shape which is a phallic as cars come (no pun intended). Even smog-equipped the cars sprint to 60mph in just shy of 8 secs and go on to 130 mph, but most are happier lumbering around utilising their 2501b ft-plus torque, and cruising at around 70-80mph.

Barclay Lamont’s ‘78 example is in factory-stock form (apart from the subtle pearl paint) and has done just over 60K miles. He’s owned the car many years and back in the late-Nineties he became involved with a new product which had hit the market called the ‘Ecotek’. This small device, which costs from £49, fits on to the vacuum pipe between the intake manifold and servo and disturbs the fuel/air going into the engine to promote a better mixture. We tried it on our daily driver Honda Civic some time ago and noticed how much improved the car was around town at part-throttle operation. But we had never tried the set-up on a V8 car, until now.

The 350ci in Barclay’s Corvette is quoted at 185hp but it’s the 2801b ft at just 2,400rpm that really gives you a shove in the back from the off. It’s the kind of lazy oomph that will get you from the lights quicker than almost anything, especially when it’s through a TH350 gearbox as in this car. You just plant your right foot and the car’s doing 30mph in a flash.

Having covered so little miles, Barclay’s car felt very taught and suffered little in the way of scuttle shake which we’ve felt in other ‘Vettes of a similar vintage. Likewise the cornering and stopping felt positive and indicated the suspension and brakes had been well maintained. The Ecotek device improved the car’s round-town running noticeably. Being that the engine’s so big in this case, two of the units are needed and they have a just noticeable gurgle when coming off the throttle, but otherwise they’re silent.

So, is the modification worth £98 on this V8? Well, we reckon it is - if the car’s used regularly. We also think it’d be more noticeable on older, less sophisticated engines. The price for one of £48.99, which will cover up to 2.5 litres, is definitely worth it as it’ll give smoother engine running, more mpg and even a slight increase in performance. "

 For engine bay fitting details click here.

Richard Nicholls - Street Machine Magazine (Incorporating American Car World) - December 2001

 

Still More reviews - click here.