Tuning Feature: Nissan VQ20DE Modified

"Comprehensive guide to tuning the Nissan VQ20DE engine!"

We are regularly seeing threads about the best VQ20DE mods that work. So let us look into Nissan VQ20DE parts and outline the best mods that work on this great engine and point out some potential pitfalls along the way.

This Nissan V6 evolved considerably over it's production run and cc ranged from 2 to 4 litres. There was even a race version badged as the VQ30DETT showing what this platform is capable of. Some of the 3.5 liter engines have pretty strong internals and can withstand up to 1000hp in ideal conditions, and parts from these high spec engines are often sourced and fitted into others accross the range.

The Nissan VQ20DE really good project engines and with the best enhancements like ECU maps, turbo kits and camshafts you will greatly increase your driving pleasure.

In this article we examine the options for your VQ20DE tuning and point out the premier modifications for your car.

Just because particular upgrades are appear in lots of VQ20DE projects it doesn't mean its worth having, so we'll concentrate on the greatest upgrades to provide your VQ20DE with the best power gain for you spend.

Significant power hikes can be made on engines, and the VQ20DE is no exception, through 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 cams usually increase the bhp through the rev range, you might lose a little low end power but the higher rpm power will be better.

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

For a road car one, ideally, must carefully try to optimize your power band to your cars usage.

You will never find a VQ20DE Motorsport and race cam is a pleasure to live with when driving in heavy traffic.

Some VQ20DE engines respond better to more or less aggressive camshaft durations so view each engine as unique.

The engine timing and fuel pump and injectors also will say much on the power gains you'll hit.

Longer valve durations 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.

VQ20DE Tuning Stages

Stage 1 VQ20DE modifications: Panel air filters, Remaps/piggy back ECU, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Sports exhaust manifold, Fast road camshaft, Intake headers.

Stage 2 VQ20DE modifications: high flow fuel injectors, fuel pump upgrades, Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, Fast road cam, Ported and polished head, induction kit.

Stage 3 VQ20DE modifications: Engine balancing & blueprinting, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Twin charging conversions, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Competition cam.

ECU mapping should help to release the full potential of all the mods you've done to your VQ20DE.

It will usually give around 30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but your results usually depend much on the mods you've fitted and the condition of your engine.

Forcing fuel and air into each cylinder is the whole point to any engine tuning project.

The intake plenum carry the air during the suck phase from the intake filter and allow it to be fed into the engine and mixed with fuel.

The shape and rate of flow of the Air Intake manifolds can make a substantial change to fuel delivery on the VQ20DE.

Commonly we find the intake are crying out for motorsport parts, although a few car makers provide well optimised intake.

Increasing the VQ20DE valve size, doing some port matching and head flowing will also increase torque, & more importantly will make space for raising the torque increase on other upgrades.

Turbo upgrades for the VQ20DE

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 VQ20DE

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

If a car has a turbo already fitted tuning mods are more reliable and you will discover turbo engines are built with stronger components.

However most engines have weakspots

We recommend you find these limits and fit more solid crank and pistons to cope with the power.

It's not unheard of tuners spending a lot of money on turbo charger upgrades on the VQ20DE only to experience the VQ20DE throw a rod when it's completed.

Large upgraded turbos tend to suffer a bottom end lag, and small turbos spool up much more quickly but do not have the high rpm engines power gains.

Thankfully the market of turbos is always evolving and we are seeing variable vane turbos, allowing 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 profiled vanes in the turbocharger. They also increase the scavenging effect of the engine.

It is common that there is a restriction in the air flow sensor MAF/MAP on the VQ20DE when loads 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 sapped performance at a much lower level.

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

Uprating VQ20DE fuel injectors

When you lift the torque you will need to increase to the fuel delivery.

More torque needs more fuel. It makes sense to over specify your injectors flow rate.

The accepted safe increase is to add 20% capacity when fitting an injector, this allows for injector deterioration and gives a little 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 VQ20DE performance exhausts

Only look to improve your exhaust if your current exhaust is creating a restriction.

On most factory exhausts you'll see 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.

Please dont run with the largest exhaust you can get this will slow the exhaust rate - the best exhausts 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 are traced to the filters installed, so adding a higher flowing performance alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Problems and issues to look out for on the VQ20DE

The VQ20DE 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 VQ20DE, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your VQ20DE engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our VQ20DE 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 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 VQ20DE 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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