The Three Rules of using Nitrous.
1. Never spray more than 50% over your stock horsepower. (on a stock engine)
2. Always use Colder Spark plugs. (at least 1 stage colder for every 75 HP)
3. Always use a stronger fuel pump. (dont rely on the stock fuel pump)
1. Adequate fuel pressure and delivery are the key to successful nitrous systems. Be sure to use a high pressure fuel pump, don't rely on the stock fuel pump even if the instructions on the nitrous kit says its ok. There are many types of upgrade pumps that can be used on most efi cars. The easiest to work with are the in-line pumps. MSD makes a great pump for use with power adders and it sells for just around $130. The part number is (2225) MSD High pressure electric fuel pump, 43 GPH.
2. Fuel Quality is also very important. Be sure to use 92 octane pump gas whenever you use nitrous. If you are fine tuning your system, use a high quality octane booster like the kind made by NOS, Off road formula. It can boost your octane rating by up to 7 points!
3. Engine upgrades are not necessary for most low power nitrous systems. I suggest that you do not spray more than 50% over your stock horsepower.. IE: if your stock engine makes 100hp, then dont spray more than 50HP worth of nitrous. Be aware that if you have regular cast pistons (most stock engines do), then DO NOT plan to use more than 125 hp of nitrous (on a v8). If you risk using more, you can easily melt your pistons.
4. Spark plugs. DO NOT USE STOCK SPARK PLUGS WITH NITROUS! NGK sells really good spark plugs for almost any car in the world. They are the V-Racing series. I can get these spark plugs delivered to your door, just E-mail your vehicle information to me and I'll reply as fast as possible. I recomend using plugs with NON- PROJECTED NOSE, but if you cannot find those for your car, you can use the V-Racing plugs that are one heat range colder than stock for anything below 75 HP.
5. Timing should be retared at least +/- 1 degree for every 50 HP of nitrous used. If your vehicle is distributorless, and you want to spray more than 50 HP, then you can use an MSD DIGITAL ignition system that is specifically desinged for vehicles without distributors. For the rest of you, just adjust your distributor using a timing light from the auto parts store. Extra note: some low horsepower nitrous kits do not require any timing adjustments, but be aware that you must use the highest octane fuel possible.
6. Synthetic Oil is not required for use with nitrous. But I suggest that if you want to keep everything ultra lubricated while under the extra load while using nitrous... use MOBIL 1 full synthetic motor oil. Or if you dont like Mobil 1, then use whatever brand you want, as long as its full synthetic.
7. Manual Transmission cars should be aware of an issue concerning these kinds of trasmisions. The factory rev limiters in most modern cars cut the injector pulse rate when the redline is reached.. this can cause a lean condition while using nitrous. To avoid any potential problems, I suggest using an MSD Window switch along with an MSD ignition system. This device and be used to control exactly at what rpm the nitrous can spray, and at what rpm it will stop.. Hopefully you set it to stop BEFORE the factory rev limiter kicks in!
8. Automatic Transmission cars dont have any kind of limiter problems because on most modern cars the ECU will shift into the next gear before the limiter is hit. No Window switch is necessary as a safety precation, but you should be aware that nitrous shouldnt be applied before 2500 rpms. The solution to that problem is solved simply by adding a manual push-button activation switch inline with the WOT switch.. to spray the nitrous, two conditions must be met, the gas pedeal is at WOT, and the manual switch is enganged.
9. Relays should be used with any solenoids and fuel pumps that you install. Also, if you are adding a remote bottle opener and/or a bottle warmer, you should also use good relays for those. I have purchased some relays and harnesses at PEP BOYS for a fairly good price, and if they ever break, you can just walk in and buy a new one for cheap! Just ask for a fuel pump relay for a 1993 Ford Mustang, and you'll have exactly what you'll need for any nitrous electrical components.
