Modding upgrading and tuning the Nissan YS23DDT engine!

Tuners tips on "YS23DDT Modifications"

How to modify and upgrade the Nissan YS23DDT

"Comprehensive guide to performance tuning the Nissan YS23DDT engine!"

The YS23DDT is an engine known for its diesel-driven prowess, powering models like the Nissan Navara. It's a part of Nissan's lineup, contributing to a blend of power and efficiency.

Now, what makes the YS23DDT stand out? This engine typically features a Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) configuration, providing precise control over the valves. With a focus on diesel efficiency, it brings a reliable and robust driving experience to Nissan enthusiasts.

Curious about the model years this powerhouse ruled? Dive into the specific Nissan models equipped with the YS23DDT, and you'll find a timeline of driving excellence.

So, why consider upgrading or tuning your YS23DDT? Whether you're looking for improved towing capacity, better fuel efficiency, or a touch of personalization, the YS23DDT offers a platform for automotive enthusiasts.

Stay tuned as we explore the possibilities of modifying and upgrading the YS23DDT. We're here to guide you through the process, ensuring your Nissan experience is nothing short of extraordinary. Ready to give your YS23DDT the attention it deserves? Let's hit the road with power and reliability!

Our friends at TorqueCars are regularly getting messages requesting information on how to improve the YS23DDT from people inquiring about getting more power from the YS23DDT and wanting to know what are the things tuners are recommending when it comes to YS23DDT upgrades. So let us look into Nissan YS23DDT mods and outline the best mods that work on this great engine and point out some frequent tuning mistakes along the way.

Let us outline options for your YS23DDT tuning and report on the premier upgrades. Nissan YS23DDT make a good tuning project and with carefully chosen sports upgrades like ECU maps, turbo upgrades and camshafts you will certainly maximize your driving enjoyment.

When talking about the top parts for your YS23DDT engine, we are going to focus on the tuning mods that give the best power gain for you spend.

YS23DDT induction kits

Improving air intake on the YS23DDT

You need air matched to fuel for an engine to work. If there is not enough fuel then it will run lean, if there is too little air it runs rich losing power and potentially damaging the engine. We'll pick up on fuelling later in this article but for now we shall look at air supply.

So it's important to any engine upgrade project to force more fuel and air into the YS23DDT engine but this has a knock on effect with the air flow sensor.

It is common that there's a limit in the air flow sensor MAF/MAP on the YS23DDT when loads more air is being fed into the engine.

We note 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor was restricting bhp and torque at a much lower level.

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

The bore size, shape and rate of flow of the Plenum can make a large difference to to fuel atomisation on the YS23DDT.

Most intake headers are in desperate need of a performance upgrade, although some OEM provide reasonably good intake headers.

Increasing the YS23DDT valve size, getting port matching and head flowing will also improve power, & importantly will permit a better power increase on other parts.

YS23DDT performance cam tips.

Some YS23DDT engines respond better to different camshaft durations so view each engine as unique.

The ecu map and fuelling also will say much on the torque gains you'll make.

Longer valve durations 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.

Altering your YS23DDT cam will make a dramatic difference to the engine bhp. Choosing a higher performance cam profile raises the bhp accordingly.

NB: Fast road camshafts tend to increase the torque through the rpm band, you could sacrifice a little low end bhp but your top end will be lifted.

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

For a car used daily you must carefully try to match your torque band to your typical driving style.

I'd be surprised if you have ever thought a YS23DDT Race cam is a pleasure to live with when on the daily commute.

Stage 1, 2 and 3 mods for the YS23DDT

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.

Tuning tips and articles Engine tuning Transmission tuning Care care Intake & exhaust mods Improve handling Forums

Stage 1 YS23DDT parts:

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

Stage 2 YS23DDT parts:

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

Stage 3 YS23DDT parts:

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

The YS23DDT engines are fantastic to work on and thankfully there is a lot of modifications and tuning parts around.

Remaps allows a tuner to unlock the full potential of all the upgrades you've done to your YS23DDT.

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 figures achieved usually rely on the upgrades you've applied and the condition of your engine.

Turbo modifications on the YS23DDT

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 YS23DDT.

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 is fitted with a turbocharger mods are giving better power gains and turbo charged engines are built with better components.

However engines will need better parts at higher power limits

It is important to find these limitations and install stronger pistons, crank and engine components to survive the power.

There are many people spending a loads on turbo upgrades on the YS23DDT only to have the engine literally blow up just after it's been finished.

Big upgraded turbos commonly experience low end lag, and smaller turbos spool up really quickly but won't have the top end bhp gains.

In the last 10 years the world of turbo chargers is always evolving and we now see variable vane turbo chargers, allowing the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end bhp.

Twin scroll turbo chargers divert the exhaust flow into 2 channels and direct these at differently angled 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 and torque gains, although more difficult to configure. We have this guide to twinchargers if you want to read more.

Tips about fuel supply on the YS23DDT

Don't miss you'll need to pay attention to the fuel system when you are increasing the bhp and torque - it makes the car more thirsty. Don't forget to over specify your flow rate on the injectors.

The rule of thumb is to add another 20% when specifying an injector, this allows for injector deterioration and gives you some spare capacity should the engine require 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 YS23DDT performance exhaust upgrades

You only need to to replace your exhaust system with an upgraded one is if your current exhaust is actually causing a restriction.

On most factory exhausts you should find that 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.

Note that with the biggest exhaust you can buy you'll slow up the exhaust flow rate - the best exhausts for power gains are usually between one and a half to two and half inches. Your exhaust design, the bend angles and construction are what have more effect on flow rates than your pipe width to a certain extent. So the exhaust design is a big factor.

Usual exhaust restrictions are in the catalyst and filters installed, so adding a freer flowing performance alternative will help avoid this restriction.

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

Faults issues and things to look out for on the YS23DDT

Like most engines an YS23DDT, 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 YS23DDT, failure to do this will exacerbate engine wear, on a tuned YS23DDT 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 YS23DDT why not pop over to the forums at TorqueCars where you can chat about YS23DDT tuning options and read about others projects who may be planning to do similar modifications on their YS23DDT.

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