Nissan Sentra Tuning

"Tuning guide to the best Nissan Sentra modifications."
The Sentra is a good project car to execute. Sit down first and research Sentra tuning to spare yourself making the usual common slip ups we typically come across.

Our aim in Sentra engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque at the top end.

The best power gains come from larger engine sizes. The more you start with the bigger the return on investment so engine swaps are good value mods for small engined cars.

Tuning modifications.

These mods modified mods are usually installed by our members, decide how far you want to go before you start.

Getting the right tuning upgrade kits for your planned usage of the car is vital. Stage 3 motor sport parts just don't work well on the road making the car difficult to drive.

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Stages of Tune

Stage 1 mods: Lighter flywheel, Alloy wheels, Panel air filter, Sports exhaust, Remap, Suspension upgrade (drop 30-40mm).

Stage 2 mods: Power/Sport clutch, high flow fuel injector, Fast road cam, Ported and polished head, fuel pump upgrades.

Stage 3 mods: Sports gearbox, Engine balancing, Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), Adding or upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Competition cam.

You need to keep as much low end torque as possible and aim to achieve a long power band rather than a narrow top end power hike.

In this article we shall give an overview and introduction to the best performance parts for your car, but we'd encourage you to spend some time on the site looking into the details of each type of performance upgrade.A fast road camshaft often proves to be one of the best NASP power modifications you can do with a single part fitted to your engine.

The exhaust & intake durations play a large part in your cars power band, but be careful here, getting this wrong can upset the idle and make the car impossible to drive in traffic. You'd need to follow a cam upgrade with other mods and finish with a remap to fully realise your gains.

You will need to ensure that the engine is not starved of fuel so will need to increase the fuelling.

Using higher octane fuel is another option if you find you are suffering from detonation or premature ignition on your Nissan project after fitting other uprated modifications. Upgraded injectors will enable you to supply sufficient fuel to the engine.

Uprate the fuel pump to cope with the extra fuel requirements of your tuned Sentras uprated injectors.

B12 (1985)

• 1.4 L  GA14DE I4
• 1.6 L E16S I4
• 1.6 L  E16i I4
• 1.6 L  E16ST turbo i4 (Mexico)
• 1.6 L GA16i 12V I4
• 1.7 L CD17 diesel I4

B13 (1990)

• 1295 cc GA13DS I4 (Philippines)
• 1392 cc GA14DS/DE I4
• 1597 cc E16 I4
• 1597 cc GA16DE I4
• 1998 cc SR20DE I4

B14 (1995)

• 1.6 L GA16DE I4
• 2.0 L SR20DE  I4

B15 (2000)

• 1.8 L QG18DE I4 (2000-2006)
• 2.0 L SR20DE i4 (2000–2001)
• 2.5 L QR25DE i4 (2002-2006)

B16 (2007)

• 2.0 L MR20DE I4
• 2.5 L QR25DE I4

B17 (2013)

• 1.6 L HR16DE I4
• 1.6 L MR16DDT turbo I4
• 1.8 L MRA8DE I4
• 2.0 L MR20DE i4 (gasoline/ethanol; Brazil)

B18 (2020)

•  1.6 L HR16DE
• 2.0 L MR20DE I4

Intake and Exhaust Tuning.

Breathing mods are usually next up. Contrary to popular belief there is usually very little power gain got by fitting an induction kit, they only become beneficial and are recommended after you increase the engines power to the point where the standard air intake box cannot cope!

For most Sentra engines TorqueCars would suggest you just go with a washable panel air filter. On heavily tuned engines and turbo vehicles an induction kit will help release the power providing you address the problem of needing cold air.

Do not go with the widest exhaust you can buy this will slow up the exhaust flow rate - the best for power gains are usually between 1.5 to 2.5 inches. It is the shape and material more than the bore size.

Head work including a polish and port and 3 or 5 angle valve job will really help to release the potential of the engine. In nearly all cases of Sentra tuning your clutch will start to complain and this should be improved - read our article on clutches for more information. The best mods in our experience for your Sentra are Remapping or piggy back ecu, fast road cam and air intake and exhaust.

NASP engines do not achieve big power gains if you remap them, unless you have done extensive modifications. With turbocharged engines this is another story. A remapped turbo will give big power gains and take full advantage of the strength of the block.

We've also seen some tuners experimenting with twincharging applications and making some very high power gains.

Despite the large cost involved adding forced induction to a NASP engine will give large power gains. It is often easier to add a supercharger than it is to install a turbo. It is more challenging to map a turbo as the boost comes on exponentially with revs.

It is easier to map a supercharger because the boost is proportional to engine speed on a linear curve. Adding forced induction will nearly always require a lower compression ratio or water injection.

Handling/Suspension upgrades

Handling modifications are often a priority for the Sentra.

We found that most Sentra factory suspension setups need tweaking, a few degrees of toe out -0.8 to 1.3, and a bit of negative camber will often improve your cornering and handling.

We would go to a maximum drop of 27mm - 36 mm on most models. You risk grounding out if you go lower than this.

Alloy wheel upgrades.

The benefits of alloy wheels include lowering your unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling via the extra air flow they allow. Pay attention to your choice of tyres (tyres) for your car, a good soft compound tyre can really enhance your cars handling. Large Sentra alloys can decrease performance. If you get big alloys you will be changing your final drive ratio.

Although some people have with bigger wheels without issues we would restrict ourselves to a 17 inch rim size as the maximum.

There is a more updated version of this Nissan Sentra Tuning article on TorqueCars.com.

For more information on Tuning your car please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss Sentra options in more detail with our Sentra owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Nissan tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

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This article is flagged for an update, so please pass on specific tips below that I can include. All articles, and content was written by me, Waynne Smith TorqueCars founder. Some outlines are just too general so I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Nissan. You can leave a response below or join our forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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