what can i do to increase the output of a vg30,without buying forged pistons and nos or turbo!
i wil be doing a turbo conversion eventually,but im wondering if tehres any way to spruce up the old NA vg30!
in my oppinon, NOTHING… we all know the pathfinder runs mid 18’s on a good day
cams are prob your best bet on the good old solid vg
Headers, Exhaust, Midpipe/Cat deletion, Cold Air Intake for starters.
Then you can buy things like an Apexi SAFC II and get someone to dyno tune the fuel air mixture to make more power.
Cams are a good mod that get better with almost any other mod you put into the car.
Nitrous is a good option if you use a wet kit and a small charge - it’s actually quite safe if your system is set up properly.
Lighter wheels will help the car accelerate more quickly, though the gains aren’t gigantic.
After that basic stuff you start looking at more internal mods - throttle body porting, head porting, etc.
Then you go into the hardcore stuff like valves/springs, different pistons, etc.
i dont have a pathfinder
thanx pyrex u gave me some good ideas
CAMS i have heard that they can produce ab extra 25 whp because the stock cams are too mild. FYI the pathfinder has the same engine.
No problems dude, hopefully it comes in handy for you. 
Couple things I forgot. Not sure if the VG has a balance shaft assembly. If it does, ditch it.
Get a good set of lightweight pulleys. Not much power increase, but the motor revs faster. Same thing with a lightweight flywheel, but this normally proves to be a pretty expensive mod.
Jim Wolf Technology sells a ECU upgrade for N/A z31’s:
http://www.jimwolftechnology.com/customer_part_detail.asp?PartID=235
Not sure of the gains, but you could probably find out by emailing them or checking the gains from other years. It’s not really cheap though.
Also, you can make power (usually) by having the timing advanced. Be warned though, to make use of this kind of mod you’ll have to consistently use good premium grade gasoline. If you only have it advanced a few degrees, it shouldn’t cause any problems. On the plus side, if you get heavy detonation and need new crank/piston parts, you can always upgrade them then.
i know the pathfinder t eh same engine but i thought since it had different fuel injection the power would be different
my friends pathy is way slower than my 300, but i know there 4x4 involved and more weight!
87-89 was TBI, but 90+ is Normal fuel injection just like the Z31. Advancing the timing 2 or 3 degrees does help alot in terms of how peppy it feels. Im running 20 degrees in my pathfinder and stock is 14.
z31.com should have most of what you need. Euro cams, pathfinder intake manifold and stock diff with highest ratio, would be my picks.
For “free” mods you can always open up the intake and port it out. KA24E throttle body from a SOHC 240sx with some port matching on the intake can free up some power. Exhaust, intake, cams, timing advance.
I know you want to stay away from nitrous but it is the simplest way to make more power in that engine. I bet you could run 13s with a 75 shot on top of these other mods.
If you’re feeling really crazy you could pull the internals from a 240sx differential and install them in yours. The gain in gearing will probably shave 1/2 of a second off your 1/4 mile. I also just bought Suspension Techniques springs from Pro Drag here in town for $235 + tax, a very decent price! While they won’t make you faster in a straight line, you’ll be glad you have them in the corners.
Good stuff Matt…I was thinking in terms of FWD imports. Changing the rear diff is one of the oldest drag mods in existence… maybe I’ve abandoned my musclecar roots.