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NOS as safe/reliable as a blower?

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  WA 2 FST 
#1 ·
Hey all. I have several years worth of experience with a supercharger, but no experience with NOS.

I want more power in the Z, but if I have to wait till I have a spare $8k laying around before I can get a Vortech, it's going to be a while.

I autocross, but as most of you know, more power in the Z isn't really going to help me out there, so I don't care that NOS is really only good for straight line stuff.

So right now in my situation, NOS is looking like a good solution for my go fast needs.

Questions:
Understanding that I must have a good tune, is NOS as safe/reliable as a blower?

Is it hard to use?

Any other NOS info would be appreciated.
 
#2 ·
First off, let's start by calling it Nitrous, or N2O, not NOS.

I'm considering using nitrous on my Corvette, but I'm still trying to get more information from people that have used it on their LS1/LS6's. I have no direct experiene with the giggle gas. You may want to check out some LS1 forums as I'm sure more F-body boys have experience with nitrous than Corvette owners. Not to say you still won't get some viable information here. Do a search, too.
 
#3 ·
Do a search on NO2 or Nitrous or search for Wa_2_FST . We have talked about it quite a bit. I use it and love it! As for the NOS thing ... they are a maker of Nitrous systems. I would recommend a TNT Wet Kit or a NX wet kit. Also there is a whole forum on corvetteforums.com
 
#4 ·
Good stuff Maynard. Just don't get too greedy and you won't end up paying the stupid tax.

Squeeze for the first time on a dyno with a wideband, buy some extra jets to fine tune the a/f ratio, use the fuel pressure safety switch, don't run low octane fuel, use the colder plugs with smaller gaps, put your Z in competition mode, use a window switch if you think you might end up triggering the unit at too low of an rpm or while hitting the rev limiter or while at part throttle, look for knock retard, pull some timing if necessary, don't squeeze more than 150hp without upgrading fuel system, etc.

Like having a gun. You might not use it often, but it is good to have. On the flip side, you could hurt something if you don't take precautions.
 
#5 ·
If I didn't think nitrous was a VERY safe way for a fun boost of power _on demand_, then there's no way I'd have installed it on my Z well over a year ago. If you go crazy with it, even a good tune can cause problems ... same goes for too much boost from a blower/turbo using the stock LS6 internals.

Set up properly and conservatively, nitrous is very safe and fun.
 
#6 ·
Wa 2 Fst: What do you think of the new Direct Port Rail System from Nitrous Express and what do you know about it?
I've been trying to find out as much as I can about it without much luck.ie: what switches and activation devices would be needed in the install etc. Looks like a nice setup, except it's frog green.

Joe
:)
 
#7 ·
Joe,

In all honesty, I cannot speak to this new(er) offering by NX. NOS has a direct port kit, too...at least I know its available for late-model Mustangs.

If its set up right, direct port is excellent and really the way to go, especially if you want to spray a LOT of nitrous (over 150-175hp) effectively and safely.

If your research turns up anything, I'm sure there will be a lot of people here who would be interested in what you find. So please post back on that! :)

I'm really happy with the amount of nitrous I'm using, and don't plan to run more. I may upgrade the heads/cam, even do a 422 someday, but will probably stick with something in the 100-150hp range for the nitrous shot, and the typical spray nozzle wet kits work well for that.
 
#8 ·
WA 2 FST said:
Joe,

In all honesty, I cannot speak to this new(er) offering by NX. NOS has a direct port kit, too...at least I know its available for late-model Mustangs.

If its set up right, direct port is excellent and really the way to go, especially if you want to spray a LOT of nitrous (over 150-175hp) effectively and safely.

If your research turns up anything, I'm sure there will be a lot of people here who would be interested in what you find. So please post back on that! :)

I'm really happy with the amount of nitrous I'm using, and don't plan to run more. I may upgrade the heads/cam, even do a 422 someday, but will probably stick with something in the 100-150hp range for the nitrous shot, and the typical spray nozzle wet kits work well for that.
Thanks. I'll share whatever I find:cheers:
 
#9 ·
Direct port is definantly the way to go but it is going to cost you. It is the most costly of the n20 setups. Putting it on a wideband would be a good idea to start things off. N20 can make you run really lean or really rich depending on the setup you go with. As long as you don't run too big of a shot you really shouldn't have any problems. You will definantly need a window switch and a WOT switch is never a bad idea. Just make sure you aren't spraying while the clutch is in or at too low/too high RPMs.
 
#10 ·
All good advice, I think the direct port setup is worth checking out if within your budget. It has been said that the front two cylinders can take in most of the N20, direct port evens things out nicely.

I have had my NX Wet Kit on for about three months, and run almost four bottles with no problems. I run a small shot with a blower, if you choose to run a 100-150 shot you will be amazed at how hard it hits.
 
#11 ·
I say be very careful with any type of FI on stock internals. I have many friend that are running 100-150 shots on stock cars. With the right plugs and the right tuning, you will be fine as long as you are smart.

However, most of these people have years of experience with nitrous. I am even hesistant to put a 150 shot on my fully built motor because I am a nitrous newbie.
 
#12 ·
Kumar,

I agree with you as far as how much a stock motor can take vs. a built motor. But tuning is the key. You can destroy a $20k all-forged-internals block just as quickly as a stock block if the tuning is bad. :(

Something that is already bad-arse like yours... 100+ hp shot is all you may ever want to run. And you could run that for a decade and never have any issues. Honestly, as fast as your car is, you would use the nitrous very, very sparingly.

I hardly ever use mine and I basically have a stock engine with LS1edit tuning.

To me that is the beauty of nitrous... its OFF 99% of the time. :) Therefore wear and tear on the engine, driveline and the nitrous system itself is not a huge issue. Need to drive the car in the rain? Great, I don't need the extra 125+rwhp/175+rwtq.

Since the nitrous system is completely seperate from the other functionality of the engine, it is easy to trouble-shoot on your own time. Meaning that if a switch goes bad or something, you can still drive the car like normal. You cannot do that with other power-adders.

I'm a big blower guy really, and there are +/- to whatever you choose.

My issue is that now having had nitrous on the car, if I ever build up some sweet engine combo, it will still not be as fast as my car is now with the bottle. So the bottle will always stay on the car. :D
 
#14 ·
If you're not going to run more than a 150hp shot, then I don't think a direct-port is that much more efficient. However, if you are going to fine-tune the thing to the ragged edge, then it will offer more flexibility.

I cannot speak directly to the new DP NX kit as I have not seen it in person. Again, it really depends on how much you're going to spray, more than how often. 100-150rwhp shot with a typical wet kit (NX or TNT) will work fine. If you're going to go for 200 or more, then a direct kit is all I would use, no matter the cost or installation issues.
 
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