Car tuning tips:QG13DE Modifications"

How to modify and upgrade the Nissan QG13DE

"Comprehensive guide to tuning and performance parts on the Nissan QG13DE engine!"

Ever wondered how to make your driving experience with the Nissan QG13DE engine more exhilarating? If you're eager to explore the best upgrades for your QG13DE, you've landed on the right article.

Get ready for a journey into the world of modifications that'll not only ramp up the fun but also keep your wallet smiling.

The QG13DE, a compact 1.3-liter engine, is not just an engine; it's the beating heart of various Nissan models like the Micra and Almera. Picture this: the QG13DE humming under the hood, ready to unleash its power on the streets.

Now, let's get down to the specifics because, let's be honest, that's where the magic happens. The QG13DE may not be the biggest engine, but it brings a perfect blend of efficiency and performance to the table. With power figures dancing around 75 horsepower and a torque that ensures a responsive ride, the QG13DE is all about making your daily drives a joy.

So, if you're itching to take your QG13DE to the next level, you're in for a treat. In the paragraphs to come, we'll be your guide through the maze of modifications and upgrades, aiming to turn your Nissan into a performance gem without burning a hole in your pocket.

But hey, this isn't a one-way conversation. I want to hear about your QG13DE project!

Use the comments below to share your experiences, ask questions, and let's make this a community of automotive enthusiasts helping each other out.

Stay tuned, because the next part of our adventure is about detailing the best mods and upgrades for your QG13DE, ensuring you not only save time but also make every drive a memorable one. Let's rev up those engines!

Forums like the one at TorqueCars often are getting emails requesting info on how to improve the QG13DE from people inquiring about getting more power from the QG13DE and wanting to know what are the things tuners are recommending when it comes to QG13DE power upgrades. So let us look into Nissan QG13DE parts and outline the best upgrades on this great engine and point out some common pitfalls along the way.

The Nissan QG13DE offer good returns when tuned and with the ultimate modified enhancements like remaps, turbo improvements and camshafts you will definitely increase your driving fun.

Let us examine the options for your QG13DE tuning and outline the optimum upgrades.

Just because particular upgrades are appear in lots of QG13DE projects it doesn't mean its worth having, we will focus on the top upgrades that will give your QG13DE the best power gain for you spend.

Without us subscribing to the popular mentality of 'if it's shiny and makes more noise it must be good' you seem to get in many tuning magazines and on car forums'.

Improving air intake on the QG13DE

You need air and fuel for an engine to work. If there is little supply of fuel then it will run lean, if there is a lack of air it runs rich losing power which risks damage to the QG13DE. We'll pick up on fuelling later in this article but for now we shall look at air supply.

So Feeding more fuel and air into the QG13DE engine is the whole point to any car tuning job.

You'll commonly see there's a limit in the air flow sensor MAP/MAF/AFM on the QG13DE when loads more air is being sucked into the engine.

When tuning you may well find you need to get an air sensor or flow meter capable of upto 4 bars to cope with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor sapped torque at a much lower level.

Engine intake manifolds carry the air during the suck phase from the filter and allow it to be drawn into the engine and mixed with fuel.

The bore size, shape and flow characteristics of the Headers can make a big effect on to fuel atomisation on the QG13DE.

I usually find intake are crying out for aftermarket tuning parts, although a few manufacturers provide reasonably good intake.

Big valve conversions on the QG13DE, doing a bit of QG13DE port enlargement and head flowing will also increase performance, & importantly will raise potential for a better performance increase on other mods.

QG13DE performance cam tips.

Each engine responds better to extreme cam durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The map and fuelling also will make differences on the power gains you'll get.

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.

The camshaft profile plays a big part in the engines power output so camshaft upgrades make quite a large difference. The intake & exhaust durations will alter depending on the chosen camshaft profile, so large torque gains are on offer for camshaft upgrades.

NB: Fast road camshafts commonly boost the performance over the rpm range, you could sacrifice a little bottom end torque but your top end will be higher.

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

In a daily driver you should ideally to match your power band to your typical driving style.

I'd never have found a QG13DE Competition cam is a pleasure to live with when driving in heavy traffic.

Stage 1, 2 and 3 mods for the QG13DE

Before we break the best tuning upgrades down into stages of tune, let's list the most effective tuning upgrades for you.

1. Suspension Upgrades - always improve your cars handling
2. Brake Upgrades - Even before adding power improve those brakes
3. Intake - make sure the intake is not restricted, use filters and intake upgrades to improve this
4. Exhaust - as with 3 ensure there is not restriction in the exhaust, cats are the usual bottleneck
5. Tunes - remapping, piggyback ECU's and aftermarket ECU's can all make decent gains
6. Fuelling - when you've increased power you'll need to match this with more fuel
7. Turbo upgrades - Improving the intake with a large turbo and better flowing intercooler will be the biggest power gain you'll see (but one of the most complex).

This video guide to tuning cars is a great starting point to work from in your project.

Stage 1 QG13DE parts:

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

Stage 2 QG13DE parts:

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

Stage 3 QG13DE parts:

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

ECU mapping should help to release the full potential of all the parts you've done to your QG13DE.

You will typically expect to see gains of approximately 20-30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but your mileage will depend much on the parts you've applied and the condition of your engine.

Turbo modifications on the QG13DE

To get a turbo working on a NASP engine there is a lot involved, from lowering compression ratio to improved fuel supply and mapping, so we have found a great guide to helpavoid the common pitfalls or end up with an unfinished project because you were not told what you were getting into by doing this on the QG13DE.

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

When a car has a turbocharger upgrades are more reliable and you'll see that turbo engines are made with many forged and stronger components.

However you will find an engines have weakspots

Discover these restrictions and fit better pistons and crank to utilize the power.

There are many people spending a fortune on turbo upgrades on the QG13DE only to suffer the humiliation of seeing the QG13DE catastrophically fail soon after it's used in anger.

Larger upgraded turbochargers tend to suffer a bottom end lag, and small turbochargers spool up more quickly but won't have the peak end bhp gains.

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

Twin scroll turbo units divert the exhaust gases into 2 channels and push these at differently designed vanes in the turbocharger. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

Beefing up the air intake by adding a supercharger or additional turbo will help you achieve very large bhp gains, although more difficult to get working. We have this in depth look at twinchargers if you want to read more.

Tips about fuel supply on the QG13DE

When you raise the performance you will need to look at to the fuelling.

More performance needs more fuel. It is important to be generous with your injector capacity.

The accepted safe increase is to add another 15% when buying an injector, this accounts for injector deterioration and gives a bit of spare capacity should the engine need more fuel.

Don't forget that different fuel grades will usually require different settings, a high octane fuel will burn more efficiently than lower octane fuel for example. A car will trim fuel supply to keep within the ideal air fuel mix but at the extreme ends you may need to adjust your injector capacity, or the mapping or you'll get flat spots and potential lean or rich fuel issues..

Recommended QG13DE performance exhaust upgrades

We'd only recommend you look to uprate your exhaust system with an upgraded one is if your exhaust is actually causing a flow problem.

On most factory exhausts you'll see the flow rate is good even on modest power gains, but on a serious tuning project with a big boost in power you will certainly need to get a better flowing exhaust.

Sports exhausts can help equal out the flow of gases through the engine.

But if your exhaust is too large, ie: over two and a half inches diameter, you will lose much of the exhaust flow rate and end up losing power and torque.

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

Cat bypassing (NB:catalysts reduce harmful engine emissions) is illegal in most countries and regions.

Faults issues and things to look out for on the QG13DE

Like most engines an QG13DE, should have few issues if it gets properly serviced and looked after.

We cannot stress enough the need for oil changes with the correct grade of oil on the QG13DE, failure to do this will exacerbate engine wear, on a tuned QG13DE this is more important than ever and close attention should be paid to your maintenance schedule.

If you are interested in learning more or getting impartial tuning advice for your QG13DE why not pop over to the forums at TorqueCars where you can chat about QG13DE tuning options and read about others projects who may be planning to do similar modifications on their QG13DE.

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This entry was posted under Makes and Models. Tags: engine, nissan
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