BBBs are just factory butterflies with the bore on the butterflies enlarged. Stock is 57mm, BBB is 60mm, IIRC. It's not a huge difference (for that you want HBBs!) but it's definitely noticeable. It's much more noticeable when combined with ported/polished runners, gasket matching, head porting, etc.
There's a little tab in the middle of each butterfly assembly that moves when you get to 4K rpm. Open the hood, goose the throttle, and see if those little tabs move. If they don't, then check for either the vacuum reservoir (cylindrical thingy behind the intake) being unplugged or the IMRC (Intake Manifold Runner Control) module being unplugged, electrical and vacuum. Also, make sure the vacuum lines are hooked up to the vacuum reservoir correctly; it's a one-way valve. Disconnect the line from the intake and suck on it; you will know if the valve is open or not. If it isn't, then reverse the lines...
and no "you suck" jokes either.