Nitrous, I don't think I understand

[Avalanche419]

I'm thinking about putting nitrous on my 420a, but I'm beginning to think i don't understand it. From reading around the site I've got the "Its dangerous" or "Not so Dangerous" from reading. Then Reading on, I saw someone was going to use their nitrous through each gear and at lower RPMs to kind of act like a "Nitrous Turbo" as he called it. I thought Nitrous couldn't be engaged until the final gear and at mid-range to higher RPMs. I'm being told that in a straight away, Nitrous would be the best because it works at lower RPMs, but in a drag race, how would this benefit me if I can't engaged the nitrous until I am in 4th Gear(Auto Transmission). I don't understand what WOT actually is. Can someone please explain to me 1st why Nitrous is better then turbo in lower RPMs. 2nd, Can nitrous be programmed to automatically release at WOT and can that be turned "off" and "on"? And 3rd, can i actually engaged the nitrous in lower gears? I'd appreciate and it if someone could tell me before i spend the money!!! Thank You

 

[Mr Peepers]

1. Turbos have to be past a certain rpm to create boost, this rpm is called the boost threshold(not to be confused with lag which is how long it takes to get into boost after you put your foot in it at high rpm). Nitrous is instant, and can be used at about any rpm with instant power/torque.

2. You can program it just about any way that you want, with a little ingenuity.

3. You can engage it in any gear. The only reason you may not want to is if you would lose traction by using it in a lower gear.

WOT=Wide Open Throttle
Nitrous is dangerous if you don't know what you are doing or if it is improperly set up.
It can be just as safe as any other power adder if it is tuned for correctly with supporting modifications.

Sign onto AIM if you have any other questions.

Edit: Thank you for not calling it NOS

 

[delta448]

Mr. Peepers is absolutely right. I would just like to elaborate a little on his answer, if I may...

Nitrous works two ways, it cools the air going into the combustion chamber (therby increasing the mass of air ingested during the intake stroke) and it adds a higher concentration of oxygen to the burn.

I don't remember the percentages off the top of my head, but nitrous contains a much higher percentage of oxygen than the normal air your ecu tables are set up for. Therefore, you have to use an additional electronic controller of some sort to make sure that everything still works the way it should.

Nitrous is instant power, but it can also be instant death to your engine. If you do not add enough additional fuel to the mix at the same instant the nitrous goes in, the nitrous will lean out your AFR, combustion temps will soar, your pistons will start melting and you will have a shitload of knock which will quickly destroy bearings, rods and possibly the crankshaft.

If you use nitrous along with the right control and correct tuning, it is the absolute cheapest way to significantly increase the torque output of the motor. IMO it is also the most risky. If you're confident in the ability of the car's tuner, nitrous is a great option for a drag car. If you drive it on the street, I'd recommend at least considering other options.

 

[Mr Peepers]

Well put Zack Very good info.

 

[Slo2gen]

I run it on my 420a and I love it. I have it set on a WOT switch that I activate by the main arming switch. So when I have it activated everytime I go WOT it sprays. You can you nitrous in any gear at any rpm but it is advised to not use it untill 3000 rpms. You can buy window switchs that you can use to lock out certain gears and only at certain rpms. Nitrous used to be dangerous when people only used dry kits that only inject nitrous and rely on a rising rate regulator to increase fuel. Now we have wet kits that tap into the fuel line and go to a fuel solenoid that injects fuel when you spray. Its safer but your engine still has to be in good shape to use it. Most people will tell you to use a 1 range colder plug and make sure you have good wires and coilpack. I like nitrous, but it is harder on an engine just because if you spray it too long you can burn the pistons up and its a sudden burst of power. Just be carefull if you use it, its fun and can be safe as long as you are not stupid with it.

 

[Avalanche419]

Yeah, I'm going with a Wet ,if I do anything, Now whats the difference between direct port Wet and regular wet systems and which can i use with stock internals or minimal upgrades?I know direct Port Wet can produce more horsepower, but is there a way to control the boost? I mean like keep it decreased and then increase it as I upgrade the engine? Also, you say that I can engage it in any gear and at 3000 rpms or better, is this good for an automatic transmission? Like Lets say i engage it at 3000 rpms in 3rd gear, when it red lines will it still automatically shift fine? Or is it bad for the tranny, i'M going to upgrade the tranny, but I want to know....And How much of a shot do i need to get it to make it last and give me a good boost?

 

[NewTurboTuner]

I think Nitrous tends to get a bad rapp because its so simple and people tend to over do it. Just like people who turn up the boost too much for what mods they have.

N2O isnt any more harmful than other power adders IF its tuned correctly. That goes for any power adder. If you dont tune it right or you use too much ....its gonna give you problems.

I've used n2o on 3 of my cars and never had a problem.
1996 2.3L 4cyl Ford Ranger stock 70hp ...juiced with a 75shot
2000 4.6L V8 Ford Mustang ...100shot
2002 5.7L V8 Pontiac WS6 ...150shot

...Its great stuff! GO for it!!

 

[dsmdragon]

yes there is a way to control your boost. If you have ever heard of people using a 25 shot or 100 shot then that is close to what controling youre boost % is. You can tune the controler to shot and % at a time or also a dirations at a time. in other words more longer acceleratoin or more horsepower..... There is ajustable controlers that will allow 30 or 45 shot % but the size of bottle you use will come in to play.
Also with this added power you might have to get a better headgasket or studs to keep the head on depending on the %shot you use....

 

[delta448]

Keep in mind that in several states n2o is illegal on the street. Not saying you can't get away with it, just you may want to check local laws first.
Around here, if a cop pulls you over and finds a bottle in the back they will at least fine you. I don't imagine Ohio is as lax in their policies.

 

[0RWHP]

i have a 96 eclipse with NX i have learned you really are going to need to buy colder plugs. Cause i burnt off the electrode on the 1st cylinder because i was using stock plugs. I would recommend using a 50shot first reason i say this is dont quote me on this but 9lbs of boost is a rough guess for a 100 shot. Tell me if im wrong I shoot my nitrous at 4500rpms in 2nd and 3000 3rd up reason 4500 because at 3 your tires will brake loose.

 

[Burnett03]

Yeah, I'm going with a Wet ,if I do anything, Now whats the difference between direct port Wet and regular wet systems and which can i use with stock internals or minimal upgrades?I know direct Port Wet can produce more horsepower?

Direct port puts nozzles directly on the intake manifold, one for each cylinder.. So you'd have 4 nozzles since you have a 4 cylinder. A regular wet kit uses one nozzle on the intake, about 6-8 inches from the throttle body. Single nozzle wet kits are good for about a 75-100shot, anything over that you want to do direct port. So usually, notice how i say usually you only do direct port if you are using a 100shot and above because a single nozzle kit would be harder to atomize a 100shot. For you i'd suggest a regular single nozzle kit.

 

[Burnett03]

you have to use an additional electronic controller of some sort to make sure that everything still works the way it should.

.

This isn't true... Wet kits are setup to give all the additional fuel you need to make your a/f ratio safe, you dont need to use any sort of electronic controller to make sure "things work the way they should" It is however a good idea to go a step colder on the plugs and gap them tighter..

 

[delta448]

This isn't true... Wet kits are setup to give all the additional fuel you need to make your a/f ratio safe, you dont need to use any sort of electronic controller to make sure "things work the way they should"

I apologize if I've misled anyone.
The key words are: "Wet kits".

I do understand what you are saying, I guess wet kits have become the norm now.

Back when I had my addmittedly limited experience with nitrous there was no such thing as a "wet kit" or "dry kit". There was a bottle, some line, a solenoid and a jetting nozzle based on how many lbs/min you wanted to run. You generally added the additional fuel through an auxillary set of injectors. I guess I shouldn't have been so hasty in my first response and overlooked the updates to the technology.