Increasing Fuel Economy in the VQ40
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2022
- Results from 6yrs of testing on several VQ40 vehicles to boost fuel economy by as much as 2mpg for less than $50.
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Thank you for you knowledge and your willingness to take the time to explain your self, about what the mod is, what it does and how it benefits the user. Not to mention there are little no mod videos on these nissan frontiers, xterra's, etc. (anything with the Vq40 engine) once again thank you for this video!
I hope the videos are helpful. More to come - got a whole list of things to cover I'm trying to get through them. My goal is to keep everything condensed enough to be meaningful while avoiding dreadful play times that most nobody wants or is willing to sit through. Also still learning the video making process - so content should be improving with each new video! Let me know if you have any questions or something of interest you'd like for me to cover.
@@blackrocknissan رائع وبه ترجمة للغة العربية شكراً لك
Honest, genuine presentation and your presentation is passionate which is really cool to me and others.
Definitely doing this to my xterra, thanks for sharing your knowledge
as a texan, def gotta do this. minimum drive most places like 20-30min at least
I'd really like to see one someone else has done!No one has sent me images of a modified version they've done yet.
As a guy who's been working on vehicles from 2 to 18 wheels since the 80s, there's some engineers I'd like to see tar and feathered. But even the engineers are constrained by the corporate account management.
Good deal! Thanks.
I love this idea and the good video summary! ‘Any chance I get obtain/pay for one of those modified? I can confidently install it, just not that good at fabricating.
I just boxed up the last units to ship Monday and I’m out of materials. The oem straighteners have been challenging for me to obtain. One of the units Was finished only because someone sent me one they found in a junkyard.
What I’ve had guys do is email me and I make a list of who has asked for one. As soon as I have the materials, I reach out to see if they are still interested and then let them know I’ll be back in touch when I have them completed. Feel free to email me.
I just took that plastic mesh straightener out, cut the plastic out, put it on an oscillating drum sander, then put it back in. Dunno why it needed something to interrupt airflow, but whatever. It felt like it had a little better throttle response and it enhanced the "whoosh" noise that the CAI makes.
It's there for similar reasons guys running larger intakes add air straighteners in front of the MAF sensor along the intake pipe. To smooth air flow. It's beneficial to eliminate intake turbulence because that translates into inefficiency within the system which can hurt both power and fuel economy. Inefficiencies can happen for various reasons, but turbulence in front of the MAF (for example) can cause it to read improperly.
Increased turbulence behind the throttle body creates a chain reaction that causes increased pressure loss at the cylinder. Think about it like air dams and diffusers and spoilers on vehicles that function to stabilize the air moving around the vehicle to decrease turbulence and increase efficiency so the car can go faster.
Are you going to hurt anything running without the straightener? I don't believe so, I ran with a gutted unit myself for a year or so myself. I did see a loss of 0.5mpg, but isn't significant. Something else I saw was on the dyno, where between 4400-4800rpm and again at 5200-5700rpm, wide fluctuation in both torque and hp loss. They were only somewhat present with the oem straightener, but were significant when I dynoed with the gutted unit, indicating more turbulent airflow.
I don't know if I will make it back to the dyno this fall, it may be the spring, but I will retest with the aluminum straightener to see the extent of those fluctuations - my prediction is that the fluctuations will be nearly, if not completely eliminated.
Awesome video. Do you think this would also work with a 2005 Xterra?
It works on all VQ40 engines.
This sounds awesome! My Xterra is 100% stock but with AT tires. I'm averaging about 15/17 mpg. How can I buy one of these from you? I only have basic sockets and wrenches right now 😂
You can contact me at mxmumpwr@aol.com and I will answer any questions you have.
@@blackrocknissan Hey there, I've reached out via email and haven't heard back. Let me know if you didn't get my email, thanks!
@@_moes_garage_ I’ve searched my emails as well as the junk/spam and could not find anything. Please try again/resend.
My frontier was getting 17mpg with the stock dynapros. Switched to firestones, got 21mpg
@@eugenecrabs3954 Good point. Many factors affect fuel consumption to varying degrees and absolutely one of the biggest are changes in tire diameter, width, and weight. A tire/wheel setup with lower rotational mass, a more narrow tire for less resistance, and lets not forget the alignment that could be correcting inefficiencies that kill fuel economy.
Naturally, driving economically (accelerating more slowly and coming off the throttle sooner), keeping vehicle load at a minimum (avoid carrying heavy, unnecessary items around that don't get used often), and vehicle maintenance. As mentioned, keeping quality tires on the vehicle suited to your driving needs, alignment, addressing engine issues/CEL's, fluid changes (including differentials), and doing proper brake inspections to avoid parasitic drag from seized calipers or sliding pins, etc.
We spoke earlier, I had 2 watch this one again. I know u said u made xtra, how much would u charge for this upgrade. I'm close to oak ridge.
Materials include sourcing an oem straightener, cost for the aluminum straightener, SS rings, glue, time, and shipping = $86 shipped.
I’m sure you took the air straightener out before and tried running it that way to see how the fuel economy was for you. How did it work out was a good or was it bad? Can you let me know please thank you.
To be clear, you cannot install the throttle body without at least the straightener housing (the outer plastic ring). It is this housing that holds the throttle body gasket in place.
For a good while, I did run without any straightener; the inner fins were cut out. I have copied and pasted my previous response to a similar question to better address the difference between no air straightening fins, oem straightener, and aluminum straightener:
"The fuel economy numbers referenced below are never associated with a single tank. The fewest number of calculations were done using 10 consecutive full tanks of fuel. All others were calculated using at least double that number.
Gutted/No straightener: Engine performance wise, the truck felt like it had a slight loss in the bottom end. I averaged 14.48mpg. Almost 0.5mpg less. Barely mentionable, but a loss none-the-less. The recorded economy range for no straightener 12.8 and 15.5mpg
Stock air straightener: I recorded 14.91mpg. The recorded range was between 14.5 and 16mpg.
Aluminum air straightener: I recorded 15.96mpg average. The recorded economy range was between 15.2 and 17.5mpg."
While the numbers can't really tell us what the airflow is doing, I think it does suggest running a completed gutted (no fins) straightener housing performed the worst, subsequently affecting low end power (per my uncalibrated butt dyno) and lower fuel economy - at least for how I drive and use my truck. If someone were focused on trying to boost power in the upper RPM's, then gutting the housing may be the way to go. However, these engines were not built for good power in the upper RPM's. They are made for low end torque.
I would love to do that to my 2007 frontier 4.0
If you chose to take on the project, I can help with any questions you may have about the built. It's really simple and straight forward.
Question - 1999 4runner 3.4L V6 doesn’t have a screen . Do you think ur honey comb straightener would have any benefits? By the way found your video Very interesting. Keep Up The Great Work 💯👍💯👍💯👍💯👍💯👍
Yazmin
Venice Beach CA 🌴🏄♂️🌴🏄♂️🌴🌊🌊🌊💪💯💪
It's difficult to say with any certainty. The goal for modifying the intake should be to eliminate inefficiencies that exist. Is the butterfly of the throttle body always going to cause turbulence? Outside of being fully closed or fully open, yes.
But what happens to the air afterward as it travels through the intake? It could be that your manifold does a fairly good job at working that turbulence out.
I genuinely happened upon the results of this air-screen mod by accident, just messing around. My recommendation: If you can incorporate an MRP air-screen, securing it in a way as to avoid damaging your intake system, then try it!
It's cheap and regardless of the outcome, you're going to learn something. Either 1) The airflow after the throttle body is not an area of inefficiency. or 2) It is an area of inefficiency and you discover some level of improvement. Both outcomes offer knowledge you can then share with your community!
@blackrocknissan Great Idea I'm going to try it by going to junkyard and find something I can modify to see if it works/ meg's basically what effects it does. Once again Thank You. I'll keep you posted on my findings & results
Yazmin
I would be interested in this, but don't trust my fabrication skills, especially cutting and fitting the diameter. How would I go about getting one from you? I think you quoted below $86 shipped.
You can contact me at mxmumpwr@aol.com and I have so far been able to keep price at $86 shipped within US.
To trim honeycomb you fill it with molten wax then trim the piece to suit then melt the wax
That is a quite interesting idea and I see exactly how that works! However, how is the wax to remove from the material? Because that stuff can clump and stick in corners, I can see it making cleanup a hassle.
@@blackrocknissan if you use a heat gun and put it on like a paper towel or something thatll pull it once its melted it should be good. Wax melts fairly quickly so you should be good brother
off the wall question have you had any gauge cluster issues
Thankfully I have not run into any issues with the cluster.
would u happen to b an east Tennessean. mainly oak rige or clinton
Just a bit farther east - Johnson City.
Buy a 3-d printer and make these.
As order only. Pre-pay from customers. Make a new modify air straightener. Drop in type.
You would make a mint for sure.
That has been recommended, and I think it could be done! I think someone should try it. If anyone has a 3D printer and wants to step up, the way I see it - it benefits the community and they have my full support!
Personally, not in it for the money and barely got the time to do the stuff I want to do! LOL!! Just sharing what I've found and ask that anyone running them continue to provide feedback about their economy to further add to the knowledge about what trucks benefit and under which circumstances.
So how did it run without the strainer and a tune? Did your mpg get worse?
Quick note, the fuel economy numbers referenced below are never associated with a single tank. The fewest number of calculations were done using 10 consecutive full tanks of fuel. All others were calculated using at least double that number.
Gutted/No straightener: Engine performance wise, the truck felt like it had a slight loss in the bottom end. I averaged 14.48mpg. Almost 0.5mpg less. Barely mentionable, but a loss none-the-less. The recorded economy range for no straightener 12.8 and 15.5mpg
Stock air straightener: I recorded 14.91mpg. The recorded range was between 14.5 and 16mpg.
Aluminum air straightener: I recorded 15.96mpg average. The recorded economy range was between 15.2 and 17.5mpg.
Side note. With the aluminum straightener and adding the Stillen Underdrive pulley, I recorded an average of 16.95mpg and a range of 16 to 17.5mpg.
Sorry, I failed to address part of your question. No, I observed no meaningful difference in fuel economy comparing before tune and after getting tuned. But because the tune itself is a significant change AND I made modification changes while on the dyno, I would not be able to attribute any changes in how the truck ran or felt to the straightener. Too many other variables. Though, I can say that after getting tuned then going from a gutted straightener to the aluminum, felt noticeable on the low end, especially at partial throttle.
Oh OK. Thanks for your input. I have an 07 Frontier 4x4 that I got new and initially my mpg on average was 16 to 17. That was on Bridgestone rugged trails thar came with it. Within maybe 2 yrs it settled in about the same numbers you've achieved. A bit less now that that I upd the tires. But that's also on 280k on the clock. I thought about taking out the mesh also but I'm glad I didn't. If I have a fresh motor I'd try to port match and dimple the lower aluminum plenum and add headers before a tune.
@@blackrocknissan I have two questions, so you actually polish the throttle body itself where the straightener goes in at? Also, the Stillen Underdrive pulley, is that an additional mod that increases mpg in addition to the straightener mod? For reference, I do a lot of highway driving, but I also run my truck at idle for 4-6 hrs a day while working. I sell frozen food and run a deep freeze off an inverter.
@@timtottles4839 The throttle body was never polished, only the plastic straightener. Once the fins of the factory plastic straightener are cut off, I have to grind down the nubs that remain and sand the radius to ensure the surface is flat. I then go back over it with a lighter sandpaper and then even a plastic polish to remove as much coarseness from the plastic as possible. Really, the polish serves more than anything to help me see if there are any rough areas that need more sanding.
Re: Stillen Underdrive pulley - I can't claim to have gained a meaningful improvement in fuel economy myself over time, but a lot of that is likely my diving habits! LOL! Depending on driving habits, you might see 0.5mpg improvement. But idle is always going to kill fuel economy.
Are you running extra batteries? How much power does it take to run your equipment? Where does your voltage currently sit at idle?
My concern is that you would see too great a voltage drop and begin having battery health/longevity issues. But, if you are running an extra battery, unplug the (worthless) Hall sensor (what the ground cable runs through), you might be fine depending on your power needs. An additional option would be upgrading to the Titan XD alternator (I got mine used for $90 shipped off ebay). But now you are probably starting to see how your expense and the complexity keeps growing...so I'm not convinced an underdrive pulley is a good option for you considering your needs.
However, I do still highly recommend unplugging that Hall Sensor!
Is this effectivey leaning out the motor ?
Fantastic question! In short - I want to be clear there is a distinct difference between leaning the air/fuel mixture and the engine running "lean." Neither the oem straightener or the aluminum version cause the engine to operate in a lean condition. Compared to having no straightener, both will lean the air/fuel mixture, with the aluminum doing so particularly by improving air flow (decreasing air pressure loss) at the low/partial throttle range.
In long - Kind of not exactly. LOL! If you're interested in my ramblings, see below.
Certainly fuel delivery is a balancing act between power/more fuel and economy/less fuel. Two things that we know specific to the VQ40 relevant to this topic is that it runs pig rich from the factory and there is a lot of turbulence behind the throttle body. That turbulence actually causes the air to slow as it travels through the intake manifold. Since the VQ40 already runs rich, there isn't any power benefit eliminating the oem straightener (I've tested that as well) and reducing the amount of air the engine can ingest. In fact, the factory tune for the VQ40 isn't going to advance the timing further to take advantage of the extra fuel, so it would just get wasted. What the ecu will do, is try to compensate by reducing the amount of fuel injected. Depending on the amount of compensation, less air and less fuel means less power....and subsequently more throttle to do the same amount of work. So without a straightener, at best you have no benefit if the ecu just reduces fuel to compensate. At worst you run a bit richer and waste fuel. But I know you didn't ask about NOT running a straightener.
So with this in mind, it's important to reiterate that Nissan has already incorporated an air straightener from the factory to address the issue of turbulence behind the throttle body to help achieve a stoich air/fuel mixture. Naturally with the aluminum straighter, there isn't something being added that wasn't already there doing the same job. Comparing the aluminum and oem plastic straightener, the oem actually takes up a bit more percentage of the intake air volume. So all the aluminum straightener has done is increased the volume of air that can pass (though I can't claim that difference to be significant) and does a much better job at reducing turbulence across the the range of throttle input; specifically at low/partial throttle. So it (slightly) improves power and fuel economy (most notable fuel economy) on the low end of the throttle while avoiding negatively affecting engine performance at moderate to full throttle.
So does a straightener lean the fuel mixture? When compared to having NO straightener - Absolutely. But so would the oem version.
Compared to oem, does the aluminum straightener further lean out the fuel mixture? Yes. But because lots of people hear the word "lean" and automatically think the worst, it's important to convey that leaning the fuel mixture is completely different than the engine running a "lean condition". With the aluminum air straightener, the air/fuel mixture still remains well within stoich parameters. The majority of guys I've had test these before announcing my findings, had no engine tuning done and no one has experienced a code for lean condition or otherwise developed any kind of performance issue, especially in hotter climates where - if they were running on the very lean side of stoich - would expose a problem with this setup. While I am UPREV tuned, looking at my air/fuel parameters across the throttle curve actually shows me to still be well outside the lean side.
@@blackrocknissan thanks for addressing the concern completely!
I gave up, did he ever say what the mod was or suppose to be
The opening title at 17 seconds identifies the mod and the thumbnail for the video is the image of it. Nothing wrong with shifting the slider right to fast forward.
How much do you sell the for??
$86 shipped. Which is why if you have the tools and patience, I encourage guys to put one together themself.
@@blackrocknissan how do I go about purchasing. Also have you tried it with a throttle body spacer?
@@MrLucasjay You can email me at mxumpwr@aol.com and we can discuss details.
The throttle body spacer is one mod that I have not installed given years of evidence that it is not effective on the VQ40 (or even the VQ35 for that matter).
Although, I have technically run a throttle body spacer when I had the Pre90 setup (90mm LS Throttle body) installed. I did enjoy the Pre90 setup, but I felt the gains in the upper rpms did not outweigh the loss I felt in the lower rpm's. Could it be argued that the larger throttle body offset any benefit of the TB spacer? Certainly. But all evidence support the VQ40 responds to increased runner length rather than lengthening the intake at other points.
IMO, I do not believe that to be the case, so the TB spacer remains one of the few mods I do not recommend.
6mm or 5mm?
I have always used the larger cell size and is what I would recommend using. Though I admit I’ve never done a comparison to see if there is any difference between the two.
@@blackrocknissan So these come ready to insert from the website or do you have to shave/sand after you get them for proper fit? If so I won't bother.
@@MeliorIlle There is custom work that needs done. You have to remove the factory straightener housing, cut out the plastic fins, and then smooth out the inner diameter portion.
The aluminum screen will come slightly larger so it will need to be trimmed down to fit inside the housing. Then it will need to be secured inside the housing.
@@blackrocknissan Are you still premaking them? Do you ship?
@@MeliorIlle Yes, I still have materials to build a few. It just sometimes takes a while depending on my work load at the time and other obligations. I do ship.
3D printer anyone?
I've kicked the idea around with a couple guys. However, I personally have minimal knowledge about the process and ability to print with material that meets or exceeds the conditions for heat, oil, and air volume/pressure to ensure that a printed version would survive long term. I especially have no confidence of a printed version being able to create a sufficiently strong and thin honeycomb to be effective. If you have that knowledge, I'd love to hear about it!
Becuase even if someone were to simply recreate/print the "housing" portion, that would be phenomenal. Otherwise, the ONLY source for these are local junk yards/Pull-a-parts. In my experience, privately owned junk yards won't allow you to pull just this portion of the intake. Pull-a-part doesn't know what it is or care. Regretfully, the closest one to me is 1.5 hrs one way. Which is why I have been able to source so few myself.
Bunk.
At this point, six years of fuel economy data, independent testing on multiple vehicles across the US, back to back comparison with it installed and then removed, and the fact that it's shown (and acknowledged) to not work for all setups demonstrate it's not bunk.
That translates into actual research and data trumping opinion every time.
The only legitimate question and criticism is, whether the time and investment to build one is worth 1-2mpg improvement in fuel economy? At what point does it pay off?
*I RECOMMEND REMOVING THAT AIR STRAIGHTENER*
Better to open up the breathing of the engine, and encourage vaporization of fuel. These horrific tricks they play to keep fuel efficiency under their control is down right criminal!
Opening up the intake pathway isn't the simple solution to power some people believe it to be and can actually cause a LOSS in power by slowing the velocity of air traveling through the system.
You WANT good air velocity coming into the engine and there are things that seem like "tricks" but are actually scientifically proven to work. In fact, what we are discussing here applies to HVAC - lots of videos demonstrating how straighteners and similar setups are necessary in duct work for that industry - I encourage you to go check some out! They are often really interesting!
Although the air screen at face value takes up some volume of air, 1) its minimal 2) the volume taken is more than made up for by the effectiveness of the job it performs. Turbulence is inefficiency and slows air down. A larger intake doesn't decrease turbulence but the air straightener does. So while it seems like trickery and magic, you actually get increased air flow. So there's more air into the engine with a straightener than without one.
Sometimes you can effectively straighten airflow without a screen by using something I bet everyone has at least seen and possibly had on their vehicle at some point - a bellmouth. Typically these attach to the intake and then hold the cone filter in place. Yes, these are an intentional design as well. Think of them as an on ramp to the air-intake highway! It helps stabilize the air particles as they move from a larger area to a smaller area inside the intake pipe, and force them to do so in a neat and organized manner = smoothing airflow.
But sometimes air is so turbulent, like after the throttle body, that something else is needed to smooth airflow and keep air velocity high = air screen.
@@blackrocknissan
_"Opening up the intake pathway isn't the simple solution to power some people believe it to be.."_