Getting more out of your Nitrous Kit.

[phiebert]

I few weeks ago I decided that it was time to figure out why I was underwhelmed with my Nitrous system (the BTR package with propane assist). Tom at BTR was very helpful when I asked questions but I guess I never had anyone to compare to so I could see if what I thought was underperformance really was.

After my post a few weeks ago asking for help, it didn't take long for me to figure out that due to the low ambient temperatures where I live I wasn't getting enough pressure in my Nitrous or Propane tanks. I use my Nitrous fairly regularly even in winter here on the West Coast of Canada where the winter day time temps are in the 40's or low 50's (yeah that's right, we don't all live in igloos up here and it doesn't freeze everywhere in Canada!). The low outdoor temps mixed with the fact that I seemed to have a bad Nitrous bottle heater thermostat kept my Nitrous pressure between 600 and 700 psi or so. That doesn't give you a heck of a seat of the pants feel. However, when you get the pressure up to over 1000 psi, it's like having a Jato rocket strapped to the roof of the car. But when the Nitrous pressure is that high, you want to make sure your propane pressure is high (140 psi +) too so you don't run lean.

Well, since I'm a cheap @#$%!#$, I didn't want to shell out another $200 for a second heater for the propane tank. So today I went to the local automotive store and bought a 12 volt, 30 watt baby bottle heater for $20. I pulled it apart and strapped the heating coil and built in thermostat to the propane tank and presto, I now get my propane pressure up where I want it. Then I replaced the 30 C (86 degree) thermostats for the Nitrous bottle that are supposed to keep it at around 900 psi with a slightly higher degree set. Tie this all together and I have a Nitrous bottle that gets over 1000 psi safely, a propane bottle heater that takes nearly no amps and protects my car from running lean and best of all, a car that has 150 ft lbs more torque and nearly 100 more HP than it did with the "cold" Nitrous!!

What do ya think Tom, do I get royalties on the "Canadian Winter Upgrade Package" for your Nitrous kit? Seriously though, Tom's kit has worked flawlessly for me for 3 years and now that I have it producing the HP I was always expecting I can say it is well worth the money. Definitely the biggest bang for the buck you can get for your car. I know a lot of people think Nitrous is cheating but I'd fire a nuclear bomb out the back of my car if I could make it go faster!

[HP]

MANIAC!

[Snake Bitten]

So said phiebert

I'd fire a nuclear bomb out the back of my car if I could make it go faster!

Uncle Sam has requested your presence at the local dragstrip...in Bahdad

[Tom Welch]

Patrick,

Thats some GOOD stuff! I'm all in for the nuclear package. We can work together....you can be the importer of N. Korean Plutonium, and I will handle the rest from here......LOL!

Tom

P.S. When you are ready to add another 100 hp to your kit, let me know. I owe you a favor from a while back.

[phiebert]

You've got my curiosity piqued Tom, I'm always ready for another 100 HP. What are you thinking?

[HP]

You've got my curiosity piqued Tom, I'm always ready for another 100 HP. What are you thinking?

That's the add-on gasoline upgrade, to suppliment the propane.

Sounds like a deal - go for it!
BTW - what did you do for Tom .......I could use the upgrade...but I have
my limits.

[phiebert]

I guess I have no limits when it comes to adding horsepower! But gees Tom, did you have to tell everyone!

[bwhitmore]

Temperature equals pressure in nitrous terms. In California I don't have to use a bottle warmer, I typically just pop my trunk and let the sun warm the bottles up for me.

Whatever the case, do be careful, below is a link to a picture of what was a Nissan Maxima. No blow off valve coupled with a bottle heater hooked up to a permanent hot lead spelled disaster for this guy.

http://www.enhancedhealth.com/explosionPic3.jpg

[Snakester]

The NX nitrous setups connect the pressure gauge to the heater, so when the pressure is built up, the warmer automatically goes off.

That dork with the Maxima had the heater hardwired (as you mentioned) and left it on all night!

The baby bottle heater is quite innovative.

I'm also in California, so my bottle warmer hardly got any use when I had the NX system in my last Corvette.
But it is good to have to keep the pressure up when the bottle is nearly empty.

Patrick,

What level shot are you using now and what did it dyno before the N20 and afterwards? What sort of times have you run N/A and with N2O?

-Dean.

[BigCarrot]

Dean, I can't believe you'd put nitrous on that jewel! I think I'd keep that bad boy all original! Beautiful car!

[phiebert]

The dyno I have access to is a Mustang dyno and in order to compare to a Dynojet you have to use it's measured torque (a number you specifically have to ask for) and calculate if from there.

I haven't actually dyno'd after using the heater properly but I had 690 ft lbs with Nitrous and around 540 RWHP. With the heater now I expect it will be closer to 800 ft lbs because that is what someone with the same car and mods was getting. I'm using the 225 or 250 shot I think it is called. It's the 52 nozzles (the big ones). I can't remember and can't seem to find my dyno papers right now but I think it was about 440 RWHP NA. I get most of that from the free flow cats and mufflers I think. The NOS really seemed to enjoy the freer exhaust.

By the way, I didn't cut out the thermostat, I just replaced it with a higher temp one. I settled on a 35 degree C (95 F?) instead of 30 C (86 F). That pulled my bottle pressure up from 875 psi to nicely around 1100 psi. That made a huge difference. The baby bottle heater on the propane was just to make sure I am not running lean.

I also did an experiment and wonder if anyone else has done this. I pulled the battery cable and re-taught the computer to learn WOT on Nitrous. My theory is that it might help make sure it doesn't run lean. I think it made a difference but is making my car run a little rich all the time because I drove a couple hundred miles with another Viper on the weekend and used 2 more gallons of gas for the exact same trip than he did. Does that sound like a possible answer for that?

[HP]

I think one of the brains here, said before a race - run your car through the
RPMS to WOT (full load conditions) - that way the computer accumulates the
data and tries to duplicate it. Also, if your car runs questionable, disconnect the battery(+lug), so the PCM can unload any bad data. Maybe these
were Dyno instructions, can't remember - but it sounds resonable.

[Landspeed]

Tom, stock 99 motor, what the highest hp and tq level you can get me with just a nitrous/propane/gas kit?