So let me start by saying that i have searched to the ends of the internet for some info on putting a vg33 supercharger on my vg30.
My search has brought me here , as most of my search hits came from this site, now from what i have read it is possible but i need some more specific details and i am hoping that there is a guru still on here to help me.
My motor is from a 95 Hardbody with MPFI what do i need to make this work , i am not looking to race this truck nor am i going to take the 3.0L out just looking to add something ....
a couple of topics on here say it should bolt right up , is this true? what difference are there actually , how does my intake route now?
do i need anything other than just the supercharger itself ?
thanks in advance for any info and or tips anyone can provide .....

welcome to n4w

I would search the Shade Tree Mechanic section of the forum

I can answer some of your questions from my research and experience of my own truck with the VG30e, as well as the VG33e that I just put in it this week. Here are some things to note...

- The Supercharger with the lower Supercharger plenum from the xterra/frontier WILL bolt up to the lower intake manifold on your vg30e.

- The supercharger is run on a serpentine belt that is 6 rib from what I believe, and The VG30e runs all v-belts for its accessories.

- In order to bolt that supercharger onto a vg30 and have the belts line up perfect you would need to do a decent amount of work. Here is what i believe you would need to do...

Crankpulleys wont swap between vg30, and vg33e/r due to the crank snouts being different sizes. Therefore to use the vg33e/r crankpulley you will need to do the following...
Swap crankshafts, and oil pump from a vg33e onto your vg30e. This means you will need new bearings as well. In addition to that, you'll need to swap on the front timing belt gears (crank, and two camshaft gears)
Note: vg30e, and vg33e timing belt teeth are slightly different

After that mess, you will probably realize that the new oil pump from the vg33e, allows you to have the Oil filter placed on the Bottom front drivers side of the motor. which means your VG30e's orignal oil filter and complete bracket needs to be removed, then the plate from the original vg33 needs to be bolted on and sealed over the vg30's old spot. This plate is four bolts... Also the oil pressure sensor is tapped into the block on the vg30e's, but the vg33 has it located on the oil pump, right next to the oil filter.

After all that crap you just went through,You still would need to upgrade Fuel injectors, and find a company such as JimWOlfTechnology that is willing to take your stock ECU and tune it for Larger injectors, as well as give the truck a new fuel map that can possibly run this supercharger... Most of JWT's applications and tunes are for Turbo, or NA vehicles. I dont know if they will tune a D21 hardbody ecu to run a supercharger, but I did email them asking them what they thought about it, I have yet to get an email back though. I was thinking vg30dett/sr20det 370cc sidefeed injectors would be a good swap in for the motor, and possibly piggyback tune your tuned ECU with an APEXI S-AFC.
(Other option would be to run vg33er injectors, wire in the xterra harness and sensors, and Use the vg33er ECU)

My opinion to you, which is something i plan on doing because im already half there...

I have a 1995 vg30e hardbody and I just bought a vg33e from a QX4 infinity, which is the same motor as the R50 pathfinder. I stripped it down mostly, put my motor mounts on it, my Upper intake manifold, distributor, flywheel/clutch, and now I have a VG33e in my truck. Which is cooler, but if i wanted to later do a supercharger on it from the xterra... I already have the 6 rib serpentine pulleys on it, and at worst i would have to buy the idler pulleys and belts for the xterra and swap all that stuff on. All the Accessories from the VG33e work fine in the hardbody and you dont even need to swap your accessories onto the vg33e block.


Sorry if that was alot of confusing mess, but i've done alot of research on the subject... and there's not alot to be found about it on the internet. Thats pretty much everything I came to find.

Now Im gunna wait for someone to break balls about something I missed or is incorrect.

Heres a few images of belt configurations, that might help.

R50 pathfinder/QX4 vg33e


Xterra vg33er



You can See here the Plate with the four bolts where the vg30's oil filter is located, but obviously not there on the vg33's. Also Take note that the VG33's Exhaust manifold studs are thicker, making them less prone to breakage .




This is where the oil filter is attatched. The bracket connected to the side of the oil pump where the new location for Oil pressure sensor is also located.

I just got an Email back from Jim Wolf Technology....

Looks like the myths about supercharging the non SC VG motors is a bunch of B.S. if you were to ask me. The fact that you can use your stock harness and ecu, and just have it retuned makes this easy enough for even the feint hearted. yeah 600$ isnt cheap, but it is plug and play. and Injectors can be had off of sr20det's or vg30dett's for cheap.


Hi Jake,
Yes, we can and have already upgraded the D21 1990-95 V6 ECUs to run a supercharger. We have a program to run the supercharger with 370cc injectors and the factory MAF sensor and this works well. You would start an order with us, ship your ECU core to JWT and then we charge $595.00 plus shipping to upgrade the ECU and then ship it back to you. This would also have the top speed limiter removed and the rev limit raised slightly. The idle and driveability would be very nice like the supercharged Frontier/Xterras that had the supercharged engine did. Call me if you want to send your ECU to upgrade for this or if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Ben Pila (Technical and Sales Support)
Jim Wolf Technology, Inc.

so just to get this straight all i need then is this jwt ecu upgrade?and injectors/
as for all the pulley bs , couls you not just change pulleys on the sc to accept v-bely and then use the factory air cond. set up to get the idler pully and crank working together?

i wouldnt run a v belt with a supercharger... my guess is that they never did that because the belt would slip alot.