Engine - Motor
The most popular 2.0 litre Nissan engine has a designation SR20DE, its a powerful reliable and sophisticated double overhead 16 valve motor that can deliver 150 BHP. The SR20VE is special, it's different to the DE because it has variable valve timing and lift, the top of the engine and some other details are different from its "DE" sibling. The variable timing and lift on the valves allows the engine to deliver a greater range of performance than fixed valve timing allows, at low engine speeds the valves move little but deliver the torque whilst at high engine speeds the valves draw deeper to move more fuel air mixture and deliver more power, the engine readily revs to 7,500 rpm. The SR20VE is in all senses a modern engine, with only 1998cc it is both economical, flexible and powerful. Toyota make a great deal of their VVT engines, NIssan have kept this one a secret since 1997! The Nissan Ecologically Orientated Variable Valve Timing & Lift motor (NEOVVL) My motor delivers 188 BHP at the wheels and 38 mpg at 70 mph

My engine installation showing original air intake, VE distributor & Fujitsubo Exhaust Header

Techincal Details

This cylinder head does not use oil filled buckets and spacers, so common in standard 16 valve engines. The cam lobes act almost directly on the valve stems via an intermediate rocker. The trick of the Variable timing is an additional high lift lobe for every pair of valves. The electronically controlled solenoid valves switch on of off the oil pressure that brings these extra lobes into play via the intermediate rocker. It's a simple & largely mechanical solution with performance envelopes only driven by the valve return spring and the cam lobes themselves. In the USA there is a production of custom extreme lobed camshafts and stronger springs so that even more lift/duration can be achieved at even higher revs! See the below techincal drawing an dpicture of someone's VE with the lid off.

Here are the key cam components, the end view shows the inter-relationship between cam lobes and the rocker arms.The two rocker arm views show the underside with centre switching lobe, you can see the oil pressure activated piston that pushes the middle finger lobe upwards and simultaneoulsy the twin valve pushers downwards. The only adjustment is in shims over the valve stems, factory setup at original manufacture.