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New to nitrous

4K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  1MTNCAT 
#1 ·
anybody know of any links or resources for someone new to nitrous? I'm not really looking for vehicle specific information, though that would be helpful. I found a site once that had a really good write-up and pix of a nitrous kit being installed in a 4.6L Mustang GT, I figured that would be close to what I would need to pay attn to on my Cougar, but now I cannot seem to find it.

thx
 
#3 ·
been doing that for the last couple of weeks... and I still had to post my question... see any problem with that?

there's a lot of assumed knowledge with the majority of these posts, and conflicting arguements, I'm looking for something with some pretty straightforward information

IE: taking a car from bone stock to ready to run a giggle gas.
 
#4 ·
Well,

I can tell you this, when you press the button, make sure it's not hooked up to the gas mask on your face or it's an instant high and it'll make you feel like you're going fast!

thehehehe

- Pelezo
 
#5 ·
LMAO yeah, that one I did figure, I've got my bottle already, I used to have a N.O.S. brand 75 dry shot kit for one of my previous projects, but my storage building was broken into and everything was stolen, I have been able to figure out that I'm wanting to go with a dry kit, I'm just going to piece together my own kit. I actually have my bottle, downtube, and feed line ready to go in, will probably mount everything and make sure my bottle will clear the trunk lid (I have a 15lb bottle) that part I'm familiar with from helping my friends install stuff like that, but everything under the hood, I'm unfamiliar with, and I'm the type that prefers to do stuff myself.
 
#6 ·
theintrusion4.6 said:
LMAO yeah, that one I did figure, I've got my bottle already, I used to have a N.O.S. brand 75 dry shot kit for one of my previous projects, but my storage building was broken into and everything was stolen, I have been able to figure out that I'm wanting to go with a dry kit, I'm just going to piece together my own kit. I actually have my bottle, downtube, and feed line ready to go in, will probably mount everything and make sure my bottle will clear the trunk lid (I have a 15lb bottle) that part I'm familiar with from helping my friends install stuff like that, but everything under the hood, I'm unfamiliar with, and I'm the type that prefers to do stuff myself.
i was going to recommend the zex kit for ease of installations. avoid all the bs that comes along with solenoids. just 3 simple wires to connect with the zex kit and thats it. i'm not 100% sure on this because i've never installed anything but a zex kit but if your peicing your own system together i think you would just need a nitrous solenoid, some jets, wiring and some switches. someone else might be able to confirm what you need for sure. you'll also want an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and high flow fuel pump. also i'd recommend a full throttle activation switch just to be safe. its cheap insurance. check out this thread . its from when i installed my nitrous kit and has pics of everything. like i said though the zex kit just uses the nitrous management unit (the purple box) so you dont have to mess with solenoids. your install will probably look much different and be more involved.

Frank
 
#7 ·
Don't use ZEX.

I really don't like Zex systems, or any other dry nitrous system for that matter. I have used nitrous since 1990 and have tried a dry system myself once. I have installed 4 other dry kits. But now I refuse to. All of those kits caused problems. You simply cannot rely on the fuel management devices that come with these kits to deliver the needed fuel as immediately as the nitrous is introduced into the engine. Trust me I have seen the inside of many of my friends plastic intakes from 4.6's to LS1's. One of my friends actually broke a piston in his 3 month old Mustang on the first dyno pull with A 125 hp shot. I am a dealer for NOS, Compucar, and Nitrous Express, so I can probably get you what you need to complete your kit. Actually I probably have everything you need lying around my shop. Let me know, Scott
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
scottrob said:
I really don't like Zex systems, or any other dry nitrous system for that matter. I have used nitrous since 1990 and have tried a dry system myself once. I have installed 4 other dry kits. But now I refuse to. All of those kits caused problems. You simply cannot rely on the fuel management devices that come with these kits to deliver the needed fuel as immediately as the nitrous is introduced into the engine. Trust me I have seen the inside of many of my friends plastic intakes from 4.6's to LS1's. One of my friends actually broke a piston in his 3 month old Mustang on the first dyno pull with A 125 hp shot. I am a dealer for NOS, Compucar, and Nitrous Express, so I can probably get you what you need to complete your kit. Actually I probably have everything you need lying around my shop. Let me know, Scott

I won't get into the "Which is better here cause they all have certain qualities that are better than the competitor". Case in fact Scottrob, since you are a distributor of the other brands, (Non-ZEX) I'd expect such a reply. But let me assure you, all that you say is NOT True. Most all the people I've known on here that have toasted motors on the juice have run wet kits, the ones blowing up intakes have been wet kits, etc, etc. You can talk the talk but prove it. I know of several cars that are/have been running ZEX kits for a long period of time and have NEVER, blown an intake manifold, fried a motor or hurt anything else. Am I saying its not possible, of course not but not nearly as likely as a nitrous back fire with a wet system etc. Beleive me, I've seen some of those and the associated devastation of the intakes as well. For a 5.0 or aluminum intake, thats different maybe. There are a lot of "Other" reasons for damage too other than the systems. A lot has to do with the operator!

Again, I'm not talking one system over another. I know what I have and have run for over 6 Years, and with no problems, NOT 1. Nor have most of the folks I've been associated with that used the ZEX system and installed it properly with the correct upgrades.

I hope this will relay some information to those that just don't know any better. Bottom line is the dry system is JUST as good as a wet system for the most part as long as they are used appropriately and the powerplant you are using it on is reliable and in good working order. I will agree that a wet system will generally make a bit more power but at what cost?? Plastic intake manifolds and wet kits, do not mix well and that is a fact.

Just my Knowlegeable .02 cents/Take it for what its worth.
 
#9 ·
Well actually Comp owns ZEX, and I am also a dealer for Comp so that really has nothing to do with it. I dont get any kind of kick back from any nitrous companies when I sell a kit. Not to mention Compucar, and NOS sell dry systems too. So that kills your dealer theory. I am talking purely from experience. I simply don't like how the extra fuel is delivered. I did not say that dry kits dont work. Obviously they do. Some work well. But nitrous backfires are more often than not driver error, whether it be wet or dry. It is not from fuel puddling in the intake. It is usually from the driver trying to hit the nitrous at too low of an rpm. Second if you have a car with a plastic intake and are running nitrous you should know that your running the risk of blowing it apart. Plastic intakes and any kind of nitrous don't mix if there is a backfire. As for knowledge, I had a dual stage wet kit on my fuel injected 351W Mustang for 3 years running a 150 shot on the first stage and a 175 shot on the second. Thats a total of 325 hp. Anyone here running that much? My T-Bird has a 175 shot wet system and has not had any problems. I installed my 1st kit in 1990 on my Mustang and have used nitrous since. Thats talking the talk, and walking the walk. Most of the dry kits that I have messed with had malfuntions with the fuel pressure switch, or did not increase fuel pressure enough and caused a lean condition. Or the engine had a dirty or faulty injector and leaned out that cylinder. Now I am not blaming this on the dry setup, but if the person had been using a wet system the lean condition would not have been such a problem an would have likely burned a plug instead of a piston. I just like having my fuel added in conjunction with the nitrous. If used properly a wet system WILL make more power and will be completely reliable. You even stated that yourself. If it makes more power then it is better. I'm not trying to make enemies, and your certainly entitled to your opinion. I was not flaming all dry systems. Notice I didn't mention any brand names. I know people that have hurt engines on wet systems too. If you don't know how to tune you will hurt parts with any kit. Timing is critical on nitrous of any kind. But I know for a fact that a wet style system is a better. Also, if one ZEX kit is your knowledge base, then wouldn't that make me just a little more knowledgable than you? :D
 
#10 ·
I know someone that has fried their engine with the Zex kit, it was professionally installed (except for the running of the feed line and mounting the bottle) I dont know the whole story but I do know it toasted their engine when the box malfunctioned

Right now I'm starting to think 100 shot wet, I'm starting to get my thoughts and a list together so I can start prepping my engine. It's already got new head gaskets, trying to find out if they replaced the timing set. I'm also going to put new plugs and wires in, just not found out which ones to go with yet.
 
#11 · (Edited)
i blew up my intake with a compucar wet kit. oh well its a known issue when running n2o with a plastic intake it happens. i replaced it and downgraded the nitrous jets for the time being. my car wasnt tuned for the nitrous and thats the risk i took. oh well.

you can read through this link here, i havent gone through it in a while but have a look anyway. http://tccoa.com/articles/misc/Nitrous/N2O-FAQ.shtml

my advise, dont believe the people that say use nitrous cause its cheep, its NOT cheep. you gotta have all the extra safety items to run nitrous.
 
#12 ·
True Vic

Vics last statement is very true to a degree. Nitrous is not cheap when you buy many of the needed accessories to have a good reliable kit. Also if you consider long term use of nitrous, those refills do add up. But if you compare the initial investment of nitrous to a blower or turbo, it is very cheap. Not trying to advertise here, just making a point. I sell Compucar wet systems for the 5.0 or 4.6 cars for $450. Then you should always have a gauge. I like the NX ones, they are easier to read. Thats about $50. A bottle heater is not a necessity, but on a street car is worthwhile. Thats another $100 or so. This is really all you need. Which is a total investment of $600 and you can make another 150 hp. If you drive the car properly. By that I mean you do not activate the system below 2500 rpm, and do not allow the engine to hit the rev limiter or fuel shut-off. You have a very reliable, safe kit. A blower that will make the same hp will cost $3000 up front at the cheapest. A turbo kit will cost even more. Even if you use a 10 lb bottle a week you will have only spent $1820 in a full year on nitrous refills. So nitrous is the cheaper power adder. The only other thing I would ever recommend would be a bigger fuel pump and an RPM activated window switch. Which will set you back about $190. Those items are just a little added insurance. Intrusion4.6, let me know if I can help you out, I have some stuff lying around, or I would gladly get you what you want.
 
#13 ·
scottrob said:
Vics last statement is very true to a degree. Nitrous is not cheap when you buy many of the needed accessories to have a good reliable kit. Also if you consider long term use of nitrous, those refills do add up. But if you compare the initial investment of nitrous to a blower or turbo, it is very cheap. Not trying to advertise here, just making a point. I sell Compucar wet systems for the 5.0 or 4.6 cars for $450. Then you should always have a gauge. I like the NX ones, they are easier to read. Thats about $50. A bottle heater is not a necessity, but on a street car is worthwhile. Thats another $100 or so. This is really all you need. Which is a total investment of $600 and you can make another 150 hp. If you drive the car properly. By that I mean you do not activate the system below 2500 rpm, and do not allow the engine to hit the rev limiter or fuel shut-off. You have a very reliable, safe kit. A blower that will make the same hp will cost $3000 up front at the cheapest. A turbo kit will cost even more. Even if you use a 10 lb bottle a week you will have only spent $1820 in a full year on nitrous refills. So nitrous is the cheaper power adder. The only other thing I would ever recommend would be a bigger fuel pump and an RPM activated window switch. Which will set you back about $190. Those items are just a little added insurance. Intrusion4.6, let me know if I can help you out, I have some stuff lying around, or I would gladly get you what you want.
i dont think a fuel pump is just added insurance... its a neccessity for anything over a 75 shot on these cars. if you dont upgrade your fuel system and plan on running more than a 75 shot your kit will be far from safe.

Frank
 
#14 ·
Well, since you asked for information and Scottrob is the resident expert on this stuff, I suggest going with his information and whatever kit he suggests.

He's obviously more knowledgeable than I am in regards to whats safe or not on our 4.6L cars.

As for me, I'll stick with what I have thank you and look forward to seeing all the results from his experiences down the road. As for me, I'll be spraying off the line like I have for the past 6 years till the old stocker gives up I guess. Looks like, with his advice, we will be having some mighty fast nitrous cars coming in the future.

Good luck to all you putting the bottle to your rides.

Peace out!! :)
 
#16 ·
Yea you could put a "small" shot on their, but I don't know how big. I'd say 75 max, and that you would definitely feel.

1MTNCAT said:
As for me, I'll be spraying off the line like I have for the past 6 years till the old stocker gives up I guess
That there is a key part that everyone needs to know.
Dry kit means you can spray off the line, which unless you have a high stall t/c (I'd say 3000+) is the way to get ET's. Otherwise with a wet kit you won't be getting full use out of it because you won't be spraying off the line, thus not getting as good of ET, even though a wet kit normally gets better power/torque gains.
 
#17 ·
Aaron_T said:
Yea you could put a "small" shot on their, but I don't know how big. I'd say 75 max, and that you would definitely feel.



That there is a key part that everyone needs to know.
Dry kit means you can spray off the line, which unless you have a high stall t/c (I'd say 3000+) is the way to get ET's. Otherwise with a wet kit you won't be getting full use out of it because you won't be spraying off the line, thus not getting as good of ET, even though a wet kit normally gets better power/torque gains.
this is very true and one of the main reasons i went with a dry kit. the most important part of drag racing is the first 60 ft.

Frank
 
#18 ·
1mtncat

I didn't mean to step on your toes, or piss you off. I am glad that your nitrous works well, and that you can spray it off the line. I can spray mine from a dead stop too. But my car spins through 2nd gear when I do that. Thats not good for the 60 ft times. Maybe your car doesn't do that. Its not what I would recommend to a nitrous newbie, but it can be done with a dry or wet system. My comments were not made to throw off on what you have, or to change you over to a wet system. If your kit works well, then I would not recommend that you change it. I do not consider myself an expert by any means. But like I said before. You have installed your kit on your car. Maybe you have done others, I dont know. You have not said. But I have installed nitrous on every car I have owned since 1990. This includes a 90 GT, 91 LX, 86 GT, 87 Shelby GLHS, 93 Z-28, 90 LX, 2000 Dakota RT, 96 Cobra, dual stage on the 91 LX when I went to a 351W, and a 93 T-Bird. These are just my cars. As for my experience with 4.6's? None......in a T-Bird. But I have done several Mustangs with 4.6's. The best working kit was actually an NOS Nozzle kit that put on a 2002 GT. It was time consuming, but was in my opinion the best engineered nitrous kit I have ever seen for a fuel injected car. I would actually suggest that one, but most people don't want to spend that kind of money. But then again its a wet kit too.
 
#19 ·
scottrob said:
I didn't mean to step on your toes, or piss you off. I am glad that your nitrous works well, and that you can spray it off the line. I can spray mine from a dead stop too. But my car spins through 2nd gear when I do that. Thats not good for the 60 ft times. Maybe your car doesn't do that. Its not what I would recommend to a nitrous newbie, but it can be done with a dry or wet system. My comments were not made to throw off on what you have, or to change you over to a wet system. If your kit works well, then I would not recommend that you change it. I do not consider myself an expert by any means. But like I said before. You have installed your kit on your car. Maybe you have done others, I dont know. You have not said. But I have installed nitrous on every car I have owned since 1990. This includes a 90 GT, 91 LX, 86 GT, 87 Shelby GLHS, 93 Z-28, 90 LX, 2000 Dakota RT, 96 Cobra, dual stage on the 91 LX when I went to a 351W, and a 93 T-Bird. These are just my cars. As for my experience with 4.6's? None......in a T-Bird. But I have done several Mustangs with 4.6's. The best working kit was actually an NOS Nozzle kit that put on a 2002 GT. It was time consuming, but was in my opinion the best engineered nitrous kit I have ever seen for a fuel injected car. I would actually suggest that one, but most people don't want to spend that kind of money. But then again its a wet kit too.
i thought the noszle kit was direct port?

Frank
 
#20 ·
It is, direct fuel and Nitrous to the cylinder and I'd certainly agree that its likely the very best system out there for anyone having the money to do it.

Scottrob, You did not piss me off or anything of the sort. You have obviously used a whole lot of systems on various cars over the years. In light of that you certainly know more than I as far as some aspects of the kits and especially the wet kits.

I was not offended by your statement nor will I be. We are looking at the same thing from two apparently different angles. We each have opinions and reasons for them. Based on what I KNOW personally and have been a part of and seen, the 4.6's with the plastic intakes just do not like wet systems. I don't know the answer why, but they do like the dry systems, thats all I'm getting at. I can name (But won't) on this post several that have used wet kits and blown intakes, air tubes etc off the cars many times. Those that use the properly installed and set up dry kits have not that I am aware of. Remember, you can take a little pop on an aluminum aftermarket or Ford Cast Iron intake manifold and live. The 4.6 plastic pieces require "No POP", non whatsoever or bang. The only dry kits I have ever seen damage an engine were due to not being properly installed, too high with the bottle pressure, stock and lean fuel problems with no upgrades, trying to run too much of a shot, etc. Certainly there are other reasons possible as well, but thats the jist of it. greed and constant beating on the engine using the stuff is the most common I'd imagine.

As far as the car 60 fting etc. on street tires its useless to even try it. Mine will and has even with the top Dawg himself Mike Siska, sitting in the passenger side seat, spin through first, second and clear into drive before I lifted out of it so I know where you are coming from. If you can hook that power on drag tires, which I have, on a stock motor I have turned 1.62-1.70 60 ft times very consistently with good tires.

I've yet to hook this stock Bullitt combo on the juice to see what it could/will pull. Best on it so far on little Drag radials was a 1.84-1.85. I'll find out more when I get the new rubber on mine.

So lets just drop it at that and get on from here. Besides, I may want to get some help with a Big bore 351 with a wet kit sometime down the road. Might need the help there.

Later
 
#21 ·
just wanted to add, a while back, i took the car out and sprayed it and it did do the 'pop' but i got EXTREAMLY luck that the backfire poped the intake tube off of the throttle body, and jolted everything forward to the airfilter, the cylender airfilter looked more like a ball than when it started. i got lucky with that one. the 2nd time (didnt learn from the first time) it did the same thing, this time it took off the back runner right off the intake. found pieces of the intake 6 months later when i droped the trans.
 
#23 ·
I Never have on the Dry Kit. I'd be willing to venture over 250 Full throttle and bottle launches.

I knew Joel, Keith and some others have. Don't know of any others with dry kits having those problems.

Better check though, I wouldn't want to pass wrong information to be safe.
 
#24 ·
I have seen the zex kit on v6 mustang and on the 5.0 its a dry shot. It is very clean and reliable. For a street app 75 to 100 shot works great. It's when people get greedy that they blow the engines. You still have to upgrade the fuel pump etc.. put in a window switch etc--safety(So it doesn't spray below 2500 to 3k rpms) The reason people like the kit its packaged nicely and easy to install. They also have good customer support. You can also get a machinegun purge and neon lights. :) go to www.zex.com and watch the purge video they are ricey but unique. Iam sure mtncat has one. He is all show no go!!
 
#25 ·
mine did not have a nitrous tune in it, so, all i did was pull the octane pin and cross my fingers. obviously that didnt work. ive put about 50 runs through mine before it broke.
it was with a 90hp shot.

ive since droped it down to the 50hp jets and no tune and just pull the pin and run about 20something runs like that.

i have a fuel pressure safety switch that needs to go in, i have to fix the trans and im going to do a gear before i get it back on the rollers to do some tuning. at that point ill have a multi switch SCT chip/flash in the car.
 
#26 ·
Blake, Your a trip!!

No way I have that stuff on mine LMAO>!!!!!!!! Blake, I hope to see you soon. ;)

Keith my car was never tuned on the nitrous on the stock motor and all those passes. JW just tuned the car the first time this past summer on the motor. We made a pull on the dyno just to see the numbers and see how things looked.

You see the results in my sig.

But I do have all the goodies to support the system. Thats what makes the difference. But as Always, we know what can happen with those levels on a stock motor. Hopefully I'll never find out till I can build a new one.

later bud.
 
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