MENUAlmera Tuning
"Is this the way to Almera-ilo?"
The Almera is a good car tuning project to play with. The standard car has keen handling and it's run of the mill styling make it a good proposition for a tuned sleeper.
Focus on some engine mods to release the full potential of your Almera, then move on to handling mods. Don't forget to uprate the braking either, car tuning is not just about making a car go faster!
Improving the handling should be your first priority in your Almera tuning project. We suggest that you fit uprated suspension all round which is fully adjustable. Coil overs work pretty well and TorqueCars suggest your suspension be adjustable on the car allowing you to fine tune your suspension settings. It seems to improve cornering ability and handling if you lower the car by around 30-35mm as well.
Our aim in Almera engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque at the top end.
The best power gains come from larger engine sizes. The more you start with the bigger the return on investment so engine swaps are good value mods for small engined cars.
An engine swap from other Nissan models give you a world of options. Fancy a Pulsar GTIR engine anyone? Obvious transplants include the 2.0 Turbo from the 200 and the 1.8 Turbo block also. We have also seen an RB25 block fitted but this is probably a job for the very competent and power mad Almera enthusiast.
Nissan Almera Tuning modifications.
The following modifications are usually carried out by our members, decide how far you want to go before you begin.
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Best Engine Mods for your car
- Engine Tunes - engine tuning/remapping provides the most advantage in terms of cost savings, aftermarket ECUs, and piggyback ECUs are all alternatives.
- Fast road cams are one of the most significant mechanical changes, but they must be installed by someone who knows what they're doing and they are not always easy to source but you might find a local firm to regrind a stock camshaft.
- Intake and Exhaust - Note that on their own these mods will NOT ADD POWER in most cases, but they can help enhance power after other mods by removing the restriction.
- Upgrades to turbochargers and superchargers - forced induction is the most efficient approach to increase air supply, allowing you to burn more fuel and make more power. It is one of the most costly upgrades but provides the best gains.
- Head work - The goals of porting and flowing the head are to get air flowing into the engine while removing flow restrictions and turbulence.
Typical stage 1 mods often include: Exhaust, Panel air filter, Engine Tunes/Remapping, lighter flywheel
Typical stage 2 mods often include: Fast road cam, ported and polished head, fuel injector & fuel pump upgrades,
Typical stage 3 mods: Engine balancing, forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), competition cam.
You really need to keep as much low end power as you can and aim for a wide power band rather than a top end spike.
A fast road cam (not a competition cam) will be one of the best power mods you can do mechanically to your engine and will lift the peak power and raise the whole power band.
To get sufficient fuel you may need to uprate the injectors on your engine. A fuel pump will only deliver a finite amount of fuel, so you may need to uprate this if your injectors are demanding more fuel especially if you have added forced induction.
Nissan Almera Intake and Exhaust Tuning.
Now we move on to the intake and exhaust and ensure proper flow through the engine. For small Almera engine sizes go with a washable panel air filter. On larger engines an induction kit will help increase power providing you address the problem of it needing cold air. A good sports exhaust is essential to balance your freer flowing air filter, just adding an induction kit on it's own will do little to increase your power.
Get an Almera sports cat fitted to release another few bhp from the engine, the standard cats, especially when they get older can be quite restrictive.
Airflow through the head can be dramatically increased with some professional porting and polishing and a bit of valve work. Adding larger valves is the obvious mod for the head but simple things like a 3 angle valve job can make a big difference to both power and economy.
These should match and be setup to take into account any other engine mods. Your clutch can seriously let you down if it starts to slip and the standard clutches are only ever good for power gains of up to 50%. Fit an uprated clutch to avoid power losses through the transmission.
If you really want to add forced induction then, please note it is easier to bolt on a supercharger than it is to get a turbo setup and working on your Almera's engine. With a turbo the boost curve is related exponentially to the engine speed making it hard to map. It is easier to map a supercharger because the boost is proportional to engine speed on a linear curve. Adding forced induction will usually require a lower compression ratio or water injection.
Nissan Almera Wheel modifications.
The benefits of alloy wheels include a lower unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling. The downside to large alloy wheels on your Almera is that you alter your effective final drive ratio and this will have a detrimental effect on acceleration and performance. Although some people have gone larger we would stick to a 17 or 18 inch rim size as the maximum.
Vented discs with grooves and high friction pads are best. Avoid the track day pads as these are only really effective when they get warm and this is not something that happens on the road.Make sure you get some nice grippy tyres for your Almera. Asymmetric and directional tread patterns are rated by our members so be sure to drop into our forum and find the thread on tyres.
If you would like to know more, or just get some friendly advice on Tuning your car please join us in our car forums where you can discuss Almera options in more detail with our Almera owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Nissan tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.
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