I've owned this 87 3.0 SE V6 hardbody for about 4 years now and have always wondered why it was so weak. It's in very good shape, with only 94K miles original. The thing is way weak in acceleration (I know, its a heavy truck, not a light little 4bang car) and especially on slight inclines on the interstate. I'm honestly afraid to pass on a 2-lane highway for fear that there'll be oncoming traffic in the next mile. I let a mechanic drive and he said, "Welp, feels like a Nissan truck to me," but that nothing was wrong.
I have an 89 VG30E 5-spd and its what I like to call "performance challenged". It is real hard for my truck to keep up with regular traffic unless I'm at WOT - but then again, maybe everyone around me is at WOT For a while I thought it was the capacity of my bed box that weighed it down. Well, I emptied it out recently and not much changed. I must say, for a mechanically sound truck - any domestic PU with a V6 could probably whoop me good
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Current Wheels: 86 SVO 1E, 89 Nissan D21 VG30E, 50 Fleetline Cpe
Past Wheels: 94 Vette LT1, 01 Vette Z06, 87 Vette L98, 80 Vette L48
If it's excessively slow, something may be wrong. Good call on a basic tune up. It certainly wouldn't hurt. I have a 4x4 XE King Cab, which has got to be one of the heaviest Nissan pickups, and it's got the KA24E (4 banger). Having a stick helps for sure. But it can easily keep up with traffic. On the road, especially in OD gear, it's a dog, but if I leave it in 4th and run it around 3000-3100 rpm, it does real good. In any of the gears below 4th, I have no problems. I don't pick races with Corvettes, no, but for general driving around, it's certainly responsive enough IMHO.
The KA24E's horsepower range is tuned way up in the powerband. Even at 3000 rpm, it's only making about 40 horses. But zoom up to around 5000 and it's well over 100. I've just learned that I need to rev it to get it to go -- even when I'm not racing somebody. It just runs better if I keep it tached up a little bit more than I'm personally used to. I grew up on V-8s, which would idle down the Interstate at 1500 rpm. Not so with the Nissan!
A couple things that may help improve performance would be to change to the next hotter spark plug, gapping them at their widest, and inflating your tires to their maximum will decrease rolling resistance. HTH
Yeah, you're absolutely right. The horsepower curve is near vertical in the 3000-4000 range (at least according to the '95 Truck brochure). At 3000 rpm, it's near 40-50 hp and above 4000, it's over 100 hp. It really makes a difference with the KA24E if you keep it revved up. The torque curve is sufficiently flat for a 4-cylinder, but if you're looking to power up a hill or something, rev it up baby!
This guy has the V6, though. He shouldn't have to deal with the peaky horse/torque curve the rest of us have to deal with. He should have a fairly flat torque curve, albeit a little shorter. I would look into lost compression or possible slipping clutches (AT) or clutch (MT) whatever the case may be. A plugged converter would also cause this?... Just guessing Aaron
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Aaron Ford
95 2WD Nissan PU E
2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX
"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch" Scott Glenn in The Hunt for Red October
I know what you mean, bob. I have owned two Nissans with the electro-injection VG30 and they are both dog slow on the interstate. It's like they want to drive 55 and struggle to go faster. They have good low end torque, but have always felt under powered to me. Aside from torque, it feels about as driveable as my 1980 Datsun with the 8plug 4cyl. I have a MT also. I had an opportunity to drive a low mileage 1995 Pathfinder with a VG30 and it was just as slow.
What is the rated horsepower for the VG30, anyway?
I've driven domestic V6s that get similar gas mileage with waaay more power. Of course those engines have long since died.
Originally posted by CarGuy Approx:
150-162 hp depending on year
180 ft/lb across the board
0-60 > 11sec
I timed my 95 nissan Hardbody and with 235/60/15s on 9 in wheels, two sheets of plywood, and two 2x6's in the bed I timed 8.64 secons to 60. Not sports car material, but I have fun with it. Aaron
AFTER the tune up and replacement of all filters and such, perhaps bumping the timing up. My truck is an auto 4x4 with 33/12.5 15 tires on steel wheels and it runs VERY well. I have no trouble keeping up with traffic. And can blow by people fairly smoothly. There must be something not right with your truck. Don't forget about your timing belt, if it has not been done in a while, that would also contribute to lower power. The drivers side cam is what drives the distributor. if nothing else, have a NISSAN shop look at it for you.
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91 Maxima
94 SE-V6 4x4 truck
92 Vert project Mustang
Fixer of all things broken,
Breaker of all things fixed.
Somewhere along the way they usually end up twice as fast.
Originally posted by aaronford I timed 8.64 secons to 60.
11 secs is just my WAG - pretty much a high average from what I've read or heard(mostly path owners). I haven't timed mine - but I'd figure my truck would be around there. 8.64 is impressive tho
I use it to surprise the hell out of people... I ran a late 80s Supra and lost by 1/2 of a car length. It was okay, though, cause i had my snowmobile in the back at the time. Aaron
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Aaron Ford
95 2WD Nissan PU E
2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX
"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch" Scott Glenn in The Hunt for Red October
I have a 2WD V6 with 107,000 miles on it, and it runs great. It's an auto, and not a racecar by any means, but it's no slouch either. It took until 3rd gear before my friend could pull me in his Integra. It has plenty of passing power, and gets about 18 mpg. The only time I had to "floor" it to keep up with traffic was towing a 3500 pound load over the grapevine in SoCal and I forgot to turn overdrive off.
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For a while I thought it was the capacity of my bed box that weighed it down. Well, I emptied it out recently and not much changed. I must say, for a mechanically sound truck - any domestic PU with a V6 could probably whoop me good 
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