Tuning Feature: Nissan VQ30DE-K Modified

"Comprehensive guide to performance tuning the Nissan VQ30DE-K engine!"

We are always getting messages requesting information on the ultimate VQ30DE-K power upgrades. So let us look into Nissan VQ30DE-K upgrades and outline the best upgrades on this great engine and point out some common pitfalls along the way.

This V6 engine from Nissan evolved considerably over it's production run and engine size ranged from two to four litres. Nissan produced a motorsport 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 VQ30DE-K are popular tuning projects and with carefully chosen modified mods like remapping, turbo kits and camshafts you will maximise your driving pleasure.

This pages aim is look into VQ30DE-K tuning and show the best upgrades.

Just because particular modifications are popular with VQ30DE-K owners it doesn't mean you should fit it, so we'll concentrate on the best modifications to provide your VQ30DE-K with the best value for money to power increase.

Altering your VQ30DE-K cam will usually make a dramatic difference to your engines bhp. Choosing a higher performance cam profile raises the bhp .

NB: Fast road camshafts tend to raise the bhp and torque across the rev range, you might lose a little low down bhp but top end will be better.

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

A Competition cam is not great in heavy traffic.

You should ideally match your bhp range to your preferences so for a daily driver stick with a mild fast road VQ30DE-K cam

Some VQ30DE-K engines respond better to extreme camshaft durations so view each engine as unique.

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

Altering 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.

VQ30DE-K Tuning Stages

Stage 1 VQ30DE-K modifications: Intake headers, Panel air filters, Fast road camshaft, Sports exhaust manifold, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Remaps/piggy back ECU.

Stage 2 VQ30DE-K modifications: Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, Ported and polished head, induction kit, high flow fuel injectors, Fast road cam, fuel pump upgrades.

Stage 3 VQ30DE-K modifications: Competition cam, Twin charging conversions, Engine balancing & blueprinting, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger).

ECU mapping should help to fully realize the full potential of all the parts you've done to your VQ30DE-K.

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

It is the main goal to any engine performance tuning job to shove more air into your VQ30DE-K

Intake manifold take the air during the suck phase from the intake filter and allow it to be sucked into the engine cylinders with fuel for the squish phase.

The shape and flow characteristics of the Intake manifold can make a large improvement to fuel atomisation and engine efficiency on the VQ30DE-K.

Commonly we find the intake manifold are crying out for an upgrade, although some manufacturers provide fairly well optimized intake manifold.

Fitting big valve kits, getting port matching and head flowing will also boost bhp, & importantly will raise potential for raising the bhp increase on other upgrades.

Turbo upgrades for the VQ30DE-K

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 VQ30DE-K

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.

If a car has forced induction parts are simpler to install and we find turbo charged engines are made with uprated components.

However most engines have limits

It is important to find these limitations and install better quality components to survive the power.

It's not unheard of tuners spending a a stack of money on turbo upgrades on the VQ30DE-K only to suffer the indignity of watching the engine block go up in smoke when it's been enthusiastically driven.

Big upgraded turbos commonly suffer a bottom end lag, and smaller turbos spool up quickly but won't have the high rpm power band gains.

In the last 10 years the choice of turbo chargers is always evolving and we commonly find variable vane turbo chargers, permitting the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end bhp and torque.

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

It is common that there is a restriction in the air flow sensor (AFM/MAF/MAP) on the VQ30DE-K when considerably more air is being sucked into the engine.

We see 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 performance gains, although more difficult to configure. We have this article covering twinchargers if you want to read more.

Uprating VQ30DE-K fuel injectors

When you lift the bhp you will need to uprate to the fuel delivery.

More bhp needs more fuel. Don't forget to over specify your flow rate on the injectors.

As a rule of thumb add 20% to the flow rate when specifying 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 VQ30DE-K performance exhausts

You may need to increase your exhaust if your current exhaust is actually creating a restriction.

On most factory exhausts you'll find your flow rate is still fine 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 you'll 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 VQ30DE-K

The VQ30DE-K 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 VQ30DE-K, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your VQ30DE-K engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our VQ30DE-K 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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