Tuning Feature: Nissan VG30DETT Modified

"Comprehensive guide to performance tuning the Nissan VG30DETT engine!"

We are always getting messages asking how to improve the VG30DETT from people wanting to know what are the premier VG30DETT modifications. So let us look into Nissan VG30DETT modifications and outline the best upgrades on this great engine and point out some common pitfalls along the way.

Our aim here is to consider VG30DETT tuning and point out the best modifications for your car. Nissan VG30DETT make a good tuning project and with the ultimate sports upgrades like remaps, turbo kits and camshafts you will really maximise the drivers experience of your car.

The top VG30DETT parts on an engine are as we have found the ones that give the best power gain for you spend.

We won't be swayed by popular VG30DETT parts, they need to be cost effective.

Significant power hikes can be made on engines, and the VG30DETT is no exception, by means of cam upgrades. Altering the cam profile alters the intake and exhaust durations on the engine and can dramatically change the power band and power output.

NB: Fast road camshafts usually raise the bhp through the rev band, you may lose a little low end torque but high end rpm power will be better.

Competition 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.

A Motorsport and race cam will just annoy you whilst driving around busy urban areas.

You should ideally optimize your engines power to your driving style so for a daily driver stick with a shorter duration VG30DETT cam

Different VG30DETT engines respond better to less aggressive camshaft durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ecu map and fuelling also have a large bearing on the torque gains you'll achieve.

A longer valve duration 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.

VG30DETT Tuning Stages

Stage 1 VG30DETT modifications: Remaps/piggy back ECU, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Fast road camshaft, Intake headers, Panel air filters, Sports exhaust manifold.

Stage 2 VG30DETT modifications: Fast road cam, high flow fuel injectors, fuel pump upgrades, Ported and polished head, induction kit, Sports catalyst & performance exhaust.

Stage 3 VG30DETT modifications: Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Competition cam, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Engine balancing & blueprinting, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Twin charging conversions.

Mapping will help unlock the full potential of all the tuning parts you've done to your VG30DETT.

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

Shoving more air and fuel into your VG30DETT is the whole point to any car tuning project.

Intake manifold carry the air during the suck phase from the air filter and allow it to be sucked into the engine cylinders.

Structure and rate of flow of the Intake manifold can make a large effect on to fuel mixing and power on the VG30DETT.

It's not uncommon that intake headers are in dire need of an upgrade, although some manufacturers provide fairly well optimized intake headers.

Larger VG30DETT valves, getting VG30DETT port enlargement and head flowing will also raise bhp and torque, this will permit raising the bhp and torque increase on other upgrades.

Turbo upgrades for the VG30DETT

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 VG30DETT

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

When the engine is turbocharged, parts are simpler to install and you will discover turbo charged engines are built with better components.

However every engines have weakspots

Research these restrictions and upgrade to better quality components to handle the power.

There are many drivers spending a lots of money on turbocharger upgrades on the VG30DETT only to see the engine block literally blow up just after it's used in anger.

Big upgraded turbos often experience a bottom end lag, and low capacity turbos spool up much more quickly but won't have the peak end bhp gains.

In recent times the market of turbo chargers is always increasing and we now see variable vane turbo chargers, where the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbo chargers divert the exhaust gases into 2 channels and feed these at differently profiled vanes in the turbo. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

You'll commonly see there is a restriction in the air flow sensor (AFM/MAF/MAP) on the VG30DETT when a lot more air is being drawn into the engine.

Going up you'll find 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor was restricting performance at a much lower level.

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

Uprating VG30DETT fuel injectors

When you raise the power you will need to increase to the fuelling.

More power needs more fuel. Most tuners we speak with say to over specify your injectors flow rate.

The accepted safe increase is to add 20% capacity when specifying an injector, this accounts for injector deterioration and provides you some 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 VG30DETT performance exhausts

Only look to upgrade your exhaust if the current exhaust is actually creating a restriction in flow.

On most factory exhausts you'll find the 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.

Don't go with the biggest exhaust you can source you'll 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.

Common exhaust restrictions can be traced to the catalyst installed, so adding a higher flowing high performance alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Problems and issues to look out for on the VG30DETT

The VG30DETT 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 VG30DETT, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your VG30DETT engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our VG30DETT owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

We need your help to complete and improve this page, so do give us your feedback in the comments box below.

We really like hearing from our readers, and hearing about which tuning parts were the most effective for them, it helps us improve our recommendations and articles to reflect current trends in modifications and ensures that our VG30DETT guides and tips are kept up to date.

Please Check out my YouTube channel, we're regularly adding new content...

Click to accept YouTube Cookies & Play.

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.

If you liked this page please share it with your friends, drop a link to it in your favourite forum or use the bookmarking options to save it to your social media profile.