SR20VE vs SR20DET: Which One is Better?

If you want to build an N/A engine, the VE is going to be the better choice. If you want a boosted engine, the DET is going to be better. If you want the best of both worlds, you can build a DET with a VE head on it or opt for a VET.

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[Dustrunnersauto]

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[tmjeff]

Give us a full SR engine family breakdown

[jasongreenv]

In South Africa we have more front wheel drive applications and a lot of guys here drag race them in Sentra's and i must say the VE is in the lime lite making good n/a power. We have a few det applications mostly used for daily cars. We have a saying in south africa in our native tongue "VVL is baas" translates to " VVL is king"

[linchester]

many ppl prob didnt know there is an actual SR20VET engine which is only found in the 2001-2014 Nissan X-Trail GT

The engine itself is a axial engine coupled on a AWD automatic transmission ( never done in manual ). Many parts differ in shape and function compared to the VE. One of the most important things are the VVL solenoid. This version only have variable valve lift on the intake cam. And the solenoid position is really more practical due to the angle mounting position, this add more clearance for any kind of transplantation of the engine to an other model of chassis.


The injection system differ than the other version of SR20. This system is top feed styled and operate high independence solenoid. Normally Nissan using low independence injector in most of the top feed setup, like in the pulsar GTi-R. The injectors used on the VET are high independence and the possible volume provided by them is 444cc at 3bar.

The exhaust manifold on the particular model is really better designed for maximum velocity. The shape of the runners are really more like it should be to get more speed of the post combustion gas. But ! There is a big but, Nissan engineers made several notch to the runners to get clearance for the bolts, big notch. For example, the first cylinder exhaust port is reduced the way that we can’t enter a finder in the manifold. This will cause a resistance that increasing back pressure on only one cylinder and a lot flow distortion at full boost.

The ports have a mismatch about 4mm on the exterior side of the cylinder 1 and 4, like the manifold stretch back. That’s a lot of handicap for a “performance” engine.

The exhaust ports have the same pattern than all the SR20’s manifold, that’s good for performance mods and engine adaptation on an other chassis. In this particular case, we try to install an S13 bottom mount OEM manifold. We can also think about using flanges to design custom manifold.


The intake manifold is really more efficient than DE & DET versions. The intake have shapes inside to improving air flow and velocity without creating any turbulence. The aluminum cast is really high quality, that make modification and welding much easy to do. The intake plenum itself is really more higher than all the other version of the D’s, making engine swaps a little bit more difficult, because the VE & VET intake manifolds have a different pattern and port shape than the other SR20. Both VE and VET have normally the same pattern.

In this case, we try to simply turn the intake plenum entry from right to left. But the two middle ports are a little offset and make the operation impossible. So we scan the ports, to get a perfect match on the computer and designing our own velocity stack to weld directly to the OEM runners. The runner length stay the same but we add a little more length to improve the flow by adding velocity cones. We also create a simple plenum that pointing the throttle a little to the ground to help future clearance issues and possibly help the air flow inside the plenum itself.

The throttle body of the VET is drive by an electronic motor, the servo motor system generally add pedal lag and are not specially effective and cost more to adapt in performance application. So we install a S13 Sr20DET throttle body that is drive by cable.

The Turbocharger on this engine is not advanced as the Gt28 with ball bearing found on S15 version SR20DET. This engine only have a bushing bearing and the trim is really small compared to the HP produced.

Many source affirm that the turbo used on the VET is a special billet wheel GT28 with ball bearings but this is absolutely false. The model used to pressurize the VET is a non-common version of the GT25. This turbo is generally designed to produce between 170 to 270 HP on 1.4L to 2.2L engines. The entire routing of the piping is really well done, the piping have good size transition before the turbo to improving high velocity. Smooth curves, improved for best flow intercooler and the throttle body right after the outlet of it, making this engine near lag free and using the most percents of efficiency as possible. The inlet flange of the turbine hosing is a normal T25 pattern, but the outlet pattern is not the same as normally found GT25. The flange shape is the same but using different pattern, possibly because of the catalytic converter bolted directly on the turbo that required more space than a regular downpipe.

The turbo exact model is GT2560S. This can be ordered with the new revision Garrett part number ( 715643-5002S ), previous version are ( 715643-0001, 715643-0002 ). Or at Nissan directly with this number ( 14411-8H601 ).


This particular engine using coil on plugs like most of the SR20 but only identical as the S14 and S15 and have specific spark plugs. These are produce by NGK but are not available outside Nissan. 3 model of spark plug are available, the difference is the temperature.

By default Nissan used the PLFR6A-9 ( 22401-8H616 ) but they have a hotter version PLFR5A-9 ( 22401-8H617 ) and a colder version PLFR7A-9 ( 22401-8H615 ).

You can order them normally at Nissan, they will order them from Japan.

VVL, what that mean? its simply the abbreviation of variable valve lift. The VET have a special cylinder head ( number 8H6 ), its a little different than a P12 head because only one cam is variable, there is a big difference between lobes. The smallest have 5mm and the VVL lobs have 6.75mm this is really big, about 26% lift difference. The exhaust cams get 6.5mm lobs.

The cams do not directly push the valves, there is rockers that will change the valve travel. The intake valve movement is 8.5mm on the base lobes and get 10.15mm on the bigger lobes. The exhaust always have 11.5mm. ( these values can need to be re-done a second time to be sure )

The compression ratio is normally 9.0:1

[ahmadtajy]

I'd love to see a video of the whole SR family

[brandoncampher]

Thaaank you this video helped me alot cause I wanna build a SR20VE 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 I know a guy in SA he have a SR20VE engine with over KW220+ & he ran 11.3 over a 1/4 mile.

[toekneefurareoh]

You got most of it right and I enjoyed your video, long block against long block, the VE wins hands down, and is the pinnacle of what Nissan was able to do with that platform at the end of it’s lifespan. Huge improvements from the oil pump, all the way to the dual valve springs.

[moustachio]

The SR16VE also had the highest hp per liter of any production car at one time.

[alfredchalakkal]

Keen for the sr family video mate, tanks for the upload.

[dasteknoviking]

Cool video! But I was hoping that you would go into more details; sodium filled exhaust valves on the DET, individual coil packs VS dizy. GTi-R is the best block, it's a 54C block which was used in all of Nissan racing cars that were FWD based; so Primera BTCC, RNN14 used in WRC. 54C block was teamed up with a mechanical lifter head, oil cooler, even lower compression ratio with stronger pistons and rods. It had ITBs from the factory, 444cc injectors (370s on other DET) and a T28 turbo feeding a very large intercooler that was top mounted. Oil pump and timing cover was different on the 54C as was the crank and even the rod bearings. 500whp has been done a few times with this engine without any internal work. I built many of these engines in the 90s, they are great with one major flaw, lubrication system sucks: rod bearings go bad often (even on the 54Cs).

[Kicksandgears]

I have a boosted Sr20ve making 452hp stock motor just boltons and I never had a problem with it

[mattshearer]

The sr16ve has comparable compression to sr20ve (as far as I'm aware), the 11:1 motor is the sr20ve "20v" (though still 16 valve, slightly misleading) from the P12 Primera.

The sr16ve in the N1 Pulsar has more understandably.

[super_slav]

VE was also used in the X-trail and came in 4wd. and a limited run of VET's in the xtrail too 6, 389 built. SR16VE was used in the vzr 197hp in the n1.

[pb.pb.pb.pb.]

Yeah please do a full video of SR family. I live in Costa rica and see silvia’s and sr20’s with VVL all the time ! I want a Silvia but it has been hard to find specific info on all these different engines, which cars they come in, etc. Thank you for the vids and info 👌🏼

[الجهني]

i have nissan primera p11 -144 sr20de nice car and engine sr20 power :( The SR engines are powerful, even if slightly modified, to compete with the V8 cars

[MYDODGEYUTUBENAME]

In the block, the SR20DET piston skirt oil squirters are more important than you think, especially in turbocharged applications due to higher heat and expansion properties. The oil not only lubricates but keeps the skirts cooler. Mitsubishi retained the oil squirters in their 4G63T Evo engines for a reason and quickly stopped using their non oil squirter blocks in turbo applications.

[Tengman]

The SR20VE 20V from the P12 has 11:1 or 11.5:1 ratio I forget but has only one trigger for the intake and exhaust cams that open up at 5000rpm vs the P11's 4500+/-rpm for the intake and 5000+/- for the exhaust. Again, I forget the exact figures,

[Blaze]

I’d love to see the difference between a Roller rocket SR and a non roller rocker, what are their advantages and disadvantages

[joebrown]

The SR20VE also came with piston skitters.. some people doing a just a head swap inestimable how much more oil the VE flowed.. not just for activation also for rocker lubrication and having 50% more oiling pipe holes for the additional cam lobes lubrication

[JB-ssnn]

I'd love to see a whole SR family video.