Tuning guide "RD28Ti Modifications"

How to modify and upgrade the Nissan RD28Ti

"Comprehensive guide to performance parts and tuning the Nissan RD28Ti engine!"

Hey fellow gearheads, let's dive into the world of turning ordinary engines into power-packed beasts! Today, we're shining a spotlight on the RD28Ti – a hidden gem that deserves a spot in the limelight.

Picture this: it's the late '80s, and Nissan introduces the RD28Ti, a robust inline-six diesel engine that powered some of their iconic models like the Patrol. This diesel powerhouse didn't just transport you; it took you on a torque-infused adventure.

Now, let's talk numbers. The RD28Ti wasn't just about getting you from point A to B; it was about doing it with authority. With a displacement of 2.8 liters, it brought a hearty serving of torque to the table – perfect for those off-road explorations or hauling a trailer with ease.

What makes the RD28Ti worth a second look for upgrades? Well, this engine is a canvas for enthusiasts. It's equipped with a Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) setup, giving you a solid foundation for tweaks. While variable valve timing might not be in its resume, it's the simplicity that opens the door for cost-effective modifications.

In this article, we're not just exploring the RD28Ti; we're on a mission to save you time and money while unlocking the untapped potential of your diesel companion. So, buckle up, fellow enthusiasts! We're about to embark on a journey of modding mastery that'll have your RD28Ti roaring with newfound vigor. Let's rev up and make those upgrades count!

Popular tuning sites like TorqueCars often are getting emails requesting info on how to improve the RD28Ti from people wanting to know what are the greatest RD28Ti upgrades. So let us look into Nissan RD28Ti parts and outline the best mods that work on this great engine and point out some frequent tuning mistakes along the way.

The Nissan RD28Ti really good project engines and with carefully picked modified enhancements like remapping, turbo upgrades and camshafts you will positively increase your driving experience.

Let us review and look at RD28Ti tuning and outline the best mods that work.

Just because particular modifications are appear in lots of RD28Ti projects it doesn't mean it is good, so we'll focus on the best modifications that will give your RD28Ti the best power gain for you spend.

Without us subscribing to the common myth 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 RD28Ti

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 insufficient air it runs rich resulting in lost 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 Getting air and fuel into the RD28Ti engine is the main goal to any engine tuning task.

It is not unusual that there's a restriction in the air flow sensor MAP/MAF/AFM on the RD28Ti when considerably more air is being drawn 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 performance at a much lower level.

Intake headers take the on the suck phase from the air cleaner and allow it to be pulled into the engine and mixed with fuel.

Design and rate of flow of the Intake can make a noticeable difference to to fuel atomisation on the RD28Ti.

On popular production engines headers are ripe for aftermarket tuning parts, although some manufacturers provide reasonably good headers.

Fitting big valve kits, doing some RD28Ti port enlargement and head flowing will also raise bhp, & more importantly will raise potential for a greater bhp increase on other tuning parts.

RD28Ti performance cam tips.

Some RD28Ti engines respond better to different cam durations check your engine on a rolling road.

The ecu map and injectors and fuel pump also have an effect on the bhp gains you'll make.

Extending exhaust or intake durations can alter the bhp 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 RD28Ti camshaft will make a dramatic difference to the engine bhp. Choosing a higher performance camshaft profile raises the bhp accordingly.

NB: Fast road camshafts tend to boost the bhp and torque over the rev range, you could sacrifice a little bottom end power but top end will improve.

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

A Motorsport camshaft will just annoy you whilst in heavy traffic.

You should ideally optimize your engines power to your cars usage so for a daily driver stick with a fast road RD28Ti camshaft

Stage 1, 2 and 3 mods for the RD28Ti

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 RD28Ti parts:

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

Stage 2 RD28Ti parts:

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

Stage 3 RD28Ti parts:

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

ECU flashing should help to release the full potential of all the parts you've done to your RD28Ti.

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 the end result usually rely on the parts you've fitted and the condition of your engine.

Turbo modifications on the RD28Ti

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 RD28Ti.

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

If the engine is turbocharged, upgrades are giving better power gains and you will discover turbo charged engines are built using better components.

There are weak spots for every engine, with some being very over engineered and some only able to handle stock power

Research these limits and upgrade to better pistons and crank to handle the power.

It's not unheard of mechanics spending a fortune on turbo charger upgrades on the RD28Ti only to suffer the humiliation of seeing the motor literally blow up on it's first outing after it's completed.

Bigger turbochargers often experience a bottom end lag, and low capacity turbochargers spool up more quickly but do not have the top end power band gains.

In recent times the choice of turbo chargers is always improving and we now see variable vane turbo chargers, where the vane profile 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 push these at differently profiled vanes in the turbocharger. They also improve the scavenging effect of the engine.

Beefing up the air intake by adding a supercharger or additional turbo will help you achieve very large performance gains, although harder to get working. We have this feature on twinchargers if you want to read more.

Tips about fuel supply on the RD28Ti

Don't miss you'll need to ramp up the fuelling when you are increasing the bhp - it makes the car more thirsty. Care modifiers usually say to over specify your flow rate on the injectors.

As a rule of thumb add 20% to the flow rate when fitting an injector, helps cope with injector deterioration and affords a little 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 RD28Ti performance exhaust upgrades

The only time you should look to improve your exhaust system with an upgraded one is if the existing exhaust is creating a restriction in flow.

On most factory exhausts you'll see the flow rate is fine 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 will certainly help air flow through the engine but avoid an exhaust that is too big or you may end up will reduce the flow rate. Stick to one and a half to two and half inches for best results.

Usual exhaust restrictions are traced to the catalyst installed, so adding a faster flowing race alternative will help avoid this restriction.

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

Faults issues and things to look out for on the RD28Ti

Like most engines an RD28Ti, 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 RD28Ti, failure to do this will exacerbate engine wear, on a tuned RD28Ti 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 RD28Ti why not pop over to the forums at TorqueCars where you can chat about RD28Ti tuning options and read about others projects who may be planning to do similar modifications on their RD28Ti.

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