Common Frequently Asked Questions about Nitrous Oxide
Answers to some of the more common questions posed by newcomers to the field of Nitrous Oxide.
Sourced from the NX Nitrous Systems FAQ -
http://www.nitrousexpress.com/Pages/faq.htm
Keep in mind this document is biased to NX Nitrous Oxide systems. There are several other options on the market.
Thanks to Daniel Williams for posting it in the JBO forums :)
Q. How does nitrous oxide create more horsepower?
A. Nitrous oxide provides the oxygen that allows an engine to burn more fuel, more burned fuel equals more power.
Q. What is the difference between a wet and a dry system?
A. A "Wet" system introduces a homogenous mixture of nitrous and atomized fuel into the incoming air stream, thus providing a perfect air/fuel ratio for each.
Q. Can I still run my car all-motor with nitrous installed?
A. Of course, the nitrous system only affects performance when it is being used.
Q. How can nitrous blow my engine up?
A. Nitrous in and of itself cannot "blowup" an engine. Nitrous kits of poor design, poor quality, and improper air/fuel ratios damage engines.
Q. What is nitrous backfire?
A. Nitrous backfires can be caused by two situations. 1. A nitrous system that is two rich or a system that atomizes the fuel poorly, thus causing pooling or puddling of fuel in the intake manifold. 2. A system that is operated too lean.
Q. What is meant by 30, 50, 100, 150, and 200 shots?
A. "Shot" is commonly used slang in the nitrous community to refer to the amount of horsepower increase provided by the nitrous system.
Q. How long can I squeeze nitrous in my engine?
A. With an NX system the only limitation is the capacity of the N2O bottle or the RPM limit of the engine.
Q. When is the best time to use nitrous?
A. When you want to go fast.
Q. How can a nitrous system be activated (a "happy button," automatically, or what)?
A. All NX systems come standard with wide-open throttle switches, however we offer an electronic TPS switch as well as a push button.
Q. What is the safest way to configure nitrous activation?
A. The only safe way is to use a wide open throttle switch, however you may configure any number of ways to "trip" the system but all must be used in conjunction with some type of wide open throttle switch.
Q. Is a bottle heater good?
A. A quality bottle heater is essential to proper nitrous system performance.
Q. Can I vary the amount of nitrous injected when I want?
A. Yes, by utilizing NX's digital progressive controller, the "Maximizer". This devise allows the user to precisely control the amount of nitrous delivered to his engine from the comfort of the drivers seat.
Q. Can I install a nitrous system on my car if there is no kit available?
A. NX has a system for every car manufactured in the world today.
Q. How much of a horsepower increase can I expect from a nitrous system?
A. All NX systems make within 2% of their claimed horsepower, if you jet the system for 50 horsepower then you can expect no less than 49 horsepower, but usually a few more than the rated amount.
Q. How long will a bottle of nitrous last?
A. That depends on the level of power being produced. The formula for calculating your nitrous usage is: 0.8 lbs N2O X 10 seconds = 100 horsepower. I.E. If your system is jetted for 100 horsepower it will use 0.8 lbs of nitrous for every 10 seconds of usage.
Q. How much does it cost to get nitrous refills?
A. The cost of nitrous oxide varies with the region of the country, however a general estimate would be between $3.50-5.00 per pound.
Q. Are there nitrous systems available for late model imports?
A. NX makes a system for every car manufactured today.
Q. What comes with a nitrous kit?
A. Most NX systems come complete with a 10 lb nitrous bottle, stainless steel bottle brackets, 16 ft aircraft style supply line, N2O filter, lifetime warranty nitrous and fuel solenoids with mounts, all standard jet settings, an NX patented Shark nozzle (nozzles), or a patented carbureted plate, wide open throttle switch, a complete installation pack that includes all bolts, nuts, washers, wire, wire terminals, lighted arming switch, and complete instructions with pictures.
Q. Will I need anything else to install the kit properly?
A. To complete the installation a Gen-X package should be ordered with the system. This includes the bottle heater, liquid filled nitrous pressure gauge, low fuel pressure safety switch, and a external bottle vent fitting and plumbing kit.
Q. Can I hide my nitrous system from a novice tuner?
A. Yes, it is quite easy to hide an NX system from the casual observer.
Q. Can I use nitrous on my turbo or supercharged vehicle?
A. Yes, NX specializes in turbo-supercharged nitrous applications.
Q. What are some general rules for creating the most horsepower without damaging anything?
A. Generally speaking the amount of power that can be created with nitrous is almost limitless. To avoid a catastrophe, the internal components of the engine must match the amount of power that is going to be generated. The use of proper air/fuel ratios is essential and the quality of the nitrous system is paramount.
Q. Is a nitrous system worth the money (horsepower per dollar wise)?
A. No other devise in the world offers such a bargain as nitrous oxide.
Q. Why doesn't everyone use nitrous?
A. Nitrous is not for everyone, some people prefer turbos, some like blowers, and others feel it is cheating to use nitrous.
Q. Why does nitrous have such a scary reputation?
A. There have been some very shoddy nitrous "kits" sold to unsuspecting customers over the last 20 years; this along with the abuse nitrous has suffered from "idiots" who damage their own engines.
