Tuning Feature: Nissan VG20P Modified

"Comprehensive guide to tuning the Nissan VG20P engine!"

We are always getting messages requesting information on the optimum VG20P power upgrades. So let us look into Nissan VG20P modifications and outline the best modifications on this great engine and point out some common pitfalls along the way.

The Nissan VG20P are fantastic to work on and with the ultimate modified parts like ECU maps, turbo kits and camshafts you will really maximize your driving fun.

Here we detail the best approach to VG20P tuning and highlight the ultimate upgrades.

When talking about the top parts for your VG20P engine, we are going to concentrate on the upgrades that give the best value for money.

Significant power gains can be made on engines, and the VG20P is no exception, from camshaft upgrades. Altering the camshaft profile alters the intake and exhaust durations on the engine and can dramatically change the bhp and power output.

NB: Fast road camshafts usually raise the bhp across the rpm band, you could drop a little low down power but high end rpm power will improve.

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

For a daily driver one, ideally, need to match your engines power to your typical driving style.

I'd be gobsmaked if you have ever thought a VG20P Motorsport camshaft is a pleasure to live with when driving in heavy traffic.

Different VG20P engines respond better to more or less aggressive cam durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ecu map and fuelling also have an effect on the power gains you'll get.

A longer valve duration can alter the power 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.

VG20P Tuning Stages

Stage 1 VG20P modifications: Sports exhaust manifold, Panel air filters, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Fast road camshaft, Remaps/piggy back ECU, Intake headers.

Stage 2 VG20P modifications: Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, high flow fuel injectors, fuel pump upgrades, Ported and polished head, induction kit, Fast road cam.

Stage 3 VG20P modifications: Competition cam, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Twin charging conversions, Engine balancing & blueprinting.

ECU mapping helps unlock the full potential of all the tuning parts you've done to your VG20P.

It will usually give around 30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but figures achieved will rely on the tuning parts you've done and the condition of your engine.

It is the whole point to any performance tuning task to push air into the VG20P engine

Intake transmit the air from the filter and allow it to be pulled into the engine cylinders with fuel for the squish phase.

Shape and flow characteristics of the Headers can make a substantial change to fuel delivery on the VG20P.

We often see headers are in dire need of motorsport parts, although some manufacturers provide decently flowing headers.

Increasing the VG20P valve size, carrying out port work and head flowing will also lift torque, and as an added benefit will raise potential for a better torque increase on other tuning parts.

Turbo upgrades for the VG20P

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 VG20P

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.

When an engine has forced induction mods are going to net you a larger power gain and you will discover turbo engines are built using stronger components.

There are reliable limits for every engine, with some being incredibly solid and some only able to handle stock power

Discover these restrictions and upgrade to forged components to survive the power.

We've seen guys spending a loads of money on turbo upgrades on the VG20P only to suffer the humiliation of seeing the VG20P literally blow up just after it's been finished.

Large upgraded turbos often suffer low end lag, and little turbos spool up quickly but won't have the peak rpm torque gains.

In recent times the choice of turbo units is always developing and we are seeing variable vane turbo units, allowing the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbo units divert the exhaust flow into two channels and feed these at differently angled vanes in the turbocharger. They also improve the scavenging effect of the engine.

It is common that there is a restriction in the air flow sensor MAP/MAF/AFM on the VG20P when loads 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 performance at a much lower level.

Adding a supercharger or additional turbo will make large bhp and torque gains, although more challenging to configure. We have this article on twincharging if you want to read more.

Uprating VG20P fuel injectors

Don't dismiss the need increase the fuelling when you are increasing the torque - it makes the car more thirsty. It is important to over specify your injectors flow rate.

The accepted safe increase is to add 20% to the flow rate when fitting an injector, which takes into account injector deterioration and gives 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 VG20P performance exhausts

You should look to improve your exhaust if your current exhaust is creating a restriction in flow.

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

Do not go with the largest exhaust you can source you'll slow the exhaust 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.

Typically exhaust restrictions come around the catalyst installed, so adding a higher flowing race alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Problems and issues to look out for on the VG20P

The VG20P 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 VG20P, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your VG20P engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our VG20P 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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We really like hearing from our readers, and hearing about which mods were the most effective for them, it helps us improve our recommendations and articles to reflect current trends in modifications and ensures that our VG20P guides and tips are kept up to date.

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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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