Tuning Feature: Nissan RB20DET-R Modified

"Comprehensive guide to tuning the Nissan RB20DET-R engine!"

We often are getting messages requesting information on the things we recommend when it comes to RB20DET-R power upgrades. So let us look into Nissan RB20DET-R parts and outline the best upgrades on this great engine and point out some frequent tuning mistakes along the way.

The Nissan RB20DET-R are awesome to work on and with the optimum modified modifications like remapping, turbo improvements and camshafts you will dramatically maximize your driving experience.

TorqueCars will review and look at RB20DET-R tuning and point out the best modifications for your car.

The best RB20DET-R tuning mods on an engine are typically the ones that give the best power gain for you spend.

We won't be swayed by popular RB20DET-R tuning mods, they need to be cost effective.

Significant power increases can be made on engines, and the RB20DET-R is no exception, from cam upgrades. Altering the cam profile alters the intake and exhaust durations on the engine and can dramatically change the bhp and power output.

NB: Fast road cams commonly raise the bhp and torque throughout the rpm band, you might lose a little low end bhp but your higher rpm power will be lifted.

Motorsport cams, raise the higher rpm power band but as a result the car will not idle smoothly and low end power nearly always suffers.

A Race cam makes it harder when driving around busy urban areas.

You should ideally match your power band to your usage of the car so for a typical daily driver stick with a mild fast road RB20DET-R cam

Different RB20DET-R engines respond better to different cam durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ecu map and injectors and fuel pump also will say much on the torque gains you'll hit.

Altering valve durations can alter the torque band and on most engines the exhaust and intake durations do not need to match, although most cams and tuners use matched pairs there are some advantages to extending the intake or exhaust durations.

RB20DET-R Tuning Stages

Stage 1 RB20DET-R modifications: Intake headers, Panel air filters, Sports exhaust manifold, Remaps/piggy back ECU, Fast road camshaft, Drilled & smoothed airbox.

Stage 2 RB20DET-R modifications: high flow fuel injectors, fuel pump upgrades, Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, Ported and polished head, Fast road cam, induction kit.

Stage 3 RB20DET-R modifications: Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Engine balancing & blueprinting, Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Twin charging conversions, Competition cam.

ECU mapping allows a tuner to to establish the full potential of all the modifications you've done to your RB20DET-R.

It will usually give around 30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but your mileage usually differs on the modifications you've carried out and the condition of your engine.

Pulling more air and fuel into the RB20DET-R engine is the whole point to any engine upgrade project.

Headers flow the air from the filter and allow it to be drawn into the engine and mixed with fuel.

Shape and flow rate of the Headers can make a big change to fuel mixing and power on the RB20DET-R.

On popular production engines intake are begging for aftermarket parts, although some manufacturers provide decently flowing intake.

Fitting big valve kits, doing some RB20DET-R port enlargement and head flowing will also raise bhp, the fantastic side effect is it will afford you raising the bhp increase on other parts.

Turbo upgrades for the RB20DET-R

NASP engines need quite a lot of work when you add a turbo, so we have a separate guide to help you take into account the pros and cons of going this route on your RB20DET-R

The more air you can get into an engine, the more fuel it can burn and uprating the induction with a turbocharger upgrade makes significant power gains.

If an engine is fitted with a turbocharger parts are giving better power gains and we find turbocharged engines are made using stronger components.

There are reliable limits for every engine, with some being over specified and some just sufficiently able to handle stock power

See where you'll find these limitations and upgrade to better quality components to survive the power.

We've seen people spending a loads on turbocharger upgrades on the RB20DET-R only to see the engine block throw a rod on it's first outing after it's used in anger.

Larger upgraded turbos will usually suffer low end lag, and small turbos spool up much more quickly but don't have the peak rpm engines power gains.

Over the last 20 years the range of turbos is always increasing and we now see variable vane turbos, permitting the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbos divert the exhaust gases into a couple of channels and feed these at differently designed vanes in the turbo charger. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

It is not unusual that there is a limitation in the air flow sensor AFM/MAP on the RB20DET-R when considerably more air is being drawn into the engine.

You'll see that 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor limited bhp at a much lower level.

Adding a supercharger or additional turbo will make large torque gains, although more difficult to configure. We have this feature on twinchargers if you want to read more.

Uprating RB20DET-R fuel injectors

Don't miss you'll need to look at the fuel system when you are increasing the bhp and torque - it makes the car more thirsty. We strongly recommend you to be generous with your injector capacity.

The rule of thumb is to add 20% when specifying an injector, helps cope with injector deterioration and affords a bit of spare capacity should the engine need more fuel.

We think this one is common sense, but you'll need to match your fuel injector to the type of fuel your car uses as well.

Best RB20DET-R performance exhausts

You may need to boost your exhaust if the existing exhaust is actually creating a restriction.

On most factory exhausts you should find that your flow rate is good even on modest power gains, but when you start pushing up the power levels you will need to get a better flowing exhaust.

Sports exhausts can usually air flow through the engine but do not go too wide or you could reduce the flow rate. Stick to 1.5 to 2.5 inches for best results.

Usual exhaust restrictions are in the catalysts installed, so adding a faster flowing sports alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Problems and issues to look out for on the RB20DET-R

The RB20DET-R engines, if regularly serviced and maintained, are generally very reliable and have few issues. {But if neglected they can cost a small fortune|When neglected they get very expensive to run|They can however be quite expensive if neglected| }

Regular oil changes are vital on the RB20DET-R, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your RB20DET-R engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our RB20DET-R owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased 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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