TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ
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TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/9/2006 2:00:31 AM
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FredTT
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Hiya guys,
I'm seeing a lot of people post here questions about nitrous, what it does, how it works, does it work, is it safe, how to install, what to buy, etc, so I figured I would type this up for everyone who has questions (and hopefully I'll get stickied). Anyways, let us get started...
What exactly is Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous Oxide, or N2O, is two parts nitrous and one part oxygen. Commonly referred to as funny gas (for it’s use as laughing gas during medical operations), the injection of nitrous oxide into an engine causes the compound to split into nitrous and oxygen, allowing for more oxygen to be used during engine combustion. With more oxygen, you can and must add more fuel, which creates an instant boost of power. Nitrous oxide is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to provide a quick gain of power to any engine.
Nitrous not only provides a large power gain, but when nitrous is injected into the intake of the vehicle, it cools the air coming into the engine. Common physics tell us, that when you cool the air, the density increases, and even more oxygen can make it to the cylinder.
Is It Safe?
Very plain and simple, with a proper tune, nitrous oxide is very safe. Nitrous oxide causes an increase in cylinder pressure, and anytime you do that, you increase the engine’s predisposition to detonation. This is why nitrous powered motors require retarded spark timing. However, nitrous is no more harmful to your engine then any other major power add-on. Too much supercharger boost, low octane fuel, excessive compression ratio, large turbo PSI, or overly lean air-fuel ratio will also cause the same kinds of damage.
The hardest thing with getting nitrous to work properly, is achieving a perfect air/fuel ratio. If you have too much oxygen and not enough fuel, it will cause the engine to “lean” out and increase your chance of detonation. Adding too much fuel will cause your engine to run rich, and will drastically reduce your power gain.
Nitrous oxide is like any other major power add-on. If you use it properly, it works just as well as a turbo or supercharger. When used stupidly, it could cause thousands of dollars in damage and a huge headache. Make sure that the kit is properly installed and that the car is professionally tuned on a Dyno.
What will it give me?
A properly used shot of nitrous will give you a 35-35% increase in power on stock engines. Anything past this is too much power for a stock engine to handle, and could cause durability issues. Take our stock GT engines, up the horsepower to 450hp and do nothing to improve durability and your engine will eventually suffer. However, any add-on will affect the engine past the 450hp mark.
What Types are there?
There are three types of nitrous systems: "Dry", "Wet", and "Direct Port".
"Dry" nitrous system
A “Dry” nitrous system utilizes one solenoid to spray the nitrous oxide into the intake. The nitrous is usually sprayed before the MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow), which tell the computer that a much cooler, denser air is coming into the engine, and allows it to compensate by adding more fuel. This is the cheapest and most ineffective nitrous method. This method is very hard to tune, and can only be used with smaller shots.
"Wet" nitrous system
A “wet” nitrous system is similar to the “dry” system, however, another solenoid is added to inject fuel into the intake to mix with the nitrous. Instead of using the MAF to compensate for the nitrous, fuel is drawn from the fuel rail and mixed with the nitrous in the intake. "Wet" nitrous systems produce more power then “dry” systems, but are more expensive and tend to be more difficult to install.
"Direct Port" nitrous system
I am not going to go to far into the specifics of the “Direct Port” system, because if your are considering installing this, you probably shouldn’t be reading this FAQ. A “direct port" nitrous system injects the nitrous/fuel mix directly into each cylinder. A “direct port” system is the most powerful and efficient type of nitrous system, and by far the most expensive. Most “direct port” systems are built and used in race applications.
How long does installation take?
To install a wet kit, you should factor a install time of 3-5 hours. Installation of most kits are very straight forward and come with step-by-step directions with specific installation drawings, wiring diagrams, and bottle mounting procedures as well as performance tips and a thorough trouble shooting guide.
So when do I get to push the button like in the movies?
You don't. Newer nitrous systems don't have Push-Button activation, but rather, are automatically controlled. All you have to do it flip the arming switch to activate the system. The system will then "spray" only at WOT (wide open throttle) and, if you have a window switch, only through certain RPM ranges.
Can you use regular gas?
Use of a premium type leaded or unleaded fuel of 93, or greater, octance is recommended for most applications. Many systems are designed for use with service station pump gas. However, when higher compression or higher horsepower levels are used, a racing fuel of 100 octane, or more, must be used.
What nitrous kit should I get?
First of all, I would NOT recommend the Dynotune kit. I had 3 solenoids fail on me before I finally gave up, so its not a well built kit. With Nitrous, it truely is, you get what you pay for. Don't look for cheap kits. Now, with that being said, N/X and Zex are both very good kits. The only real difference between them is the way the solenoids are. The Zex kit contains a box with the solenoids, so nothing is really exposed. Its a MUCH cleaner looking kit, and intalls MUCH quicker (you don't need to pay your tuner to install it, you can do it yourself). Also, the good thing about the Zex kit is the integrated TPS. This way your activation is always at WOT, I don't think the N/X kit comes with that.
Overall, I would suggest the ZEX kit, especially if your are doing the install on your own. However, seeing as there is no major difference, if your installer likes working from N/X, then it probably would be smarter to get that (since they know it better).
How much will the wet shot kit cost me?
Alright, lets do some number crunching... (This is just an estimate of different parts you need)
Hardware
05-06 Mustang GT Nitrous System - $489
This includes a 10lb bottle with high flow valve, 4AN stainless bottle nut & Teflon washer, stainless quick connect Bottle brackets and hardware, 16 foot braided stainless feed line, high Flow Nitrous and Fuel solenoids, solenoid mounting bracket, 2 foot Braided stainless Nitrous and Fuel feed lines, braided stainless line for Fuel rail test port installation, jets for 75, 100 and 150HP, high flow Wet Nozzle "Chrome", Wet Nozzle Mounting adaptor so the Nozzle does not blow out during injection causing a fire, lighted arming switch, relay, wire and wire harness, fuse, crimp terminals etc, micro throttle activation switch and mounting bracket and a 22 page Nitrous installation and tuning book.
Accessories
Bottle Opener - $219
Billet Aluminum Remote Bottle Valve Opener with Handle. Show quality. Quick release head with built in Valve Knob. This will prevent you from having to go to your trunk everytime to open the bottle.
Bottle Heater - $139
This is a rubbery strap that gets wrapped around your bottle to heat it up and increase the pressure in the bottle, which will actually affect performance quite a bit, especially if you live in colder regions where your bottle pressure will be too low and you will yield much less results. They come with an automatic pressure sensors. When it reaches a certain temp, it turns itself off. Even if you live in a hot area, this is a great investment.
Purge - $69
This is a solenoid that releases nitrous out of the nitrous lines to remove any gas in the line. This will allow for a more constant flow of nitrous to your engine. This is more for "show" then anything.
Fuel Pressure Safety Switch - $40
This is a switch that gets tapped into the fuel lines, and will save your engine if the fuel pump dies. This is to prevent grossly lean situations which WILL cause detonation. Very good safety device for the money. YOU NEED THIS!
Nitrous Pressure Gauge - $25
Allows you to monitor your bottle pressure. This will let you know when you need ot refill your bottle, or when the pressure is not high enough for a constant run.
Spark Plugs - $10/Plug
To run nitrous, we need spark plugs that run one heat range colder. Autolite HT0s are the only plugs that are currently out and can be purchased from EvolutionProformance.
Electronics
TPS and RPM Window Switch - $129
There is also no way to activate the nitrous on these cars via a throttle switch. S2 channel RPM activated window switch (RPMWS) with a integrated throttle-position activation switch (TPAS) that works with the irregular signals from our tachs is perfect. The Zex kit comes with a built in TPS.
What do we need to do tuning wise?
On these vehicles you must realize there is no way to hold two tunes and switch on the fly you must turn the vehicle off load the nitrous tune into the vehicle and then go back and reinstall the NA tune when not spraying. The car will feel and be down on power when the nitrous tune is installed and you are not spraying it as there will be less timing in the tune for safety reasons. Since there is no way to instantly change the tune we have to just live with this on the 05-06 mustang. Unfortunately there is no active timing retard available for them and there for the tune has to be switched. This is not a problem though if you are at the track and you know your going to be spraying it the next pass you just switch the tunes. However you will not be able to just spray it at any given time when driving around unless you have the nitrous tune installed in the computer via the hand held controller. You can possibly have a "middle" tune. Your car will run slower then your normalled canned 93-octane tune, but you will be able to use nitrous on the road with it.
CrazyAl discovered a way to run one tune. Kudos to him for the following info.
"Here's the trick: You need two MSD DIS-4 ignitions. Each one operates four coils, so with 8 coils total, you need two of them. Then you need four "dual igniton adapters" which are used to make the MSD units play nice with the factory computer. (At summit prices, this is about $1100--ouch!) I have confirmed with MSD tech that this does in fact work (and the wiring diagram is available in their directions)
The price is the bad part. Once you have this stuff installed, here's the good part. The DIS-4 boxes have built-in retard modules that you simply hook up to your NOS wiring. So, when the solenoids come on, the timing is instantly retarded. There are switches to adjust how much timing is pulled, so you can dial them in however you like. They also have a nifty little feature that keeps the ignition retarded for one second after the spray stops. This makes sure that the engine has a chance to burn all the nitrous before switching back to advanced timing, eliminating the chance of a backfire.
This means you can run your 93 octane high-performance tune AND spray Nitrous whenever you want without having to change tunes.
Furthermore, the MSD units deliver a much stronger spark than OEM--and that's a good thing as well, especially with Nitrous being involved. "
Is Nitrous Oxide illegal?
Having a nitrous oxide system installed in your car is not illegal. However Injecting nitrous oxide into your engine whilst driving on a public road can not really be commented on as I can not find any law against this but at the same time I can't find one that permits it. So I recommend keeping the bottle turned off until you're in a suitable surrounding to inject nitrous oxide, e.g. drag strip.
Where is the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) wire?
The TPS wire is the yellow wire located in the four wire cluster on the passenger side of the throttle body on the 05-06 GT models. It is on the drivers side in the 05/06 V6 models.
Where can I get a Tach signal for my window switch?
A Tach signal can be tapped from any wire that is NOT red coming from any ignition coil or fuel injector.
Can I use platinum plugs with nitrous injection?
No. There have been instances where the platinum tip has lost its bond to either the center or ground electrode when they were used in a motor with nitrous. Thus far the tech's say they have had no problems using Iridium plugs with nitrous. This is why I highly recommend the Autolite HT0's which run a heat range cooler then the stock plugs.
How did you get the bottle to mount in the trunk?
The screws that come with the Dynotune kit for the brackets are the bolt/nut type. However, there is a well under our trunks that won't give us access to put the nut on, so instead, I bough some self tapping screws from AutoZone. They work just as well, if not better, and are much easier to install.
Do I have to drill a hole to run the nitrous line from my bottle out of my trunk?
Nope, Ford has already done that for us. All you need to do is remove the black rubber stopper under the carpet and you will have instant access to the underside of your body.
What shot is safe for our cars?
I would say a 100hp shot is the safe route for a stock engine/tranny. A 125hp shot would work but you would be pushing the limits of the fuel pump so I HIGHLY recommend using a Fuel Pressure Safety Switch with this shot (or any shot for that matter). If you don't want to tune it, you should be safe running a 75hp shot, just don't forget to change the spark plugs.
Can I leave the bottle open?
Not for a long time. Leaving it open puts a lot of pressure on the solenoid, and could cause it to fail. You'll also lose some of the nitrous. Only leave it open for as long as you need to (your drive or your track run).
How long will the bottle last?
With a 10lb bottle and a 100 shot, expect to last about 7-10 runs down the 1/4 mile, if you spray the entire run (and a few purges at the tree).
Will I loose traction if I hit it at WOT?
You will lose some traction. My tires were pretty worn down. I was on the Highway doing about 65, and I floored it with nitrous engaged, and I lost a little traction, but nothing near enough to cause me to lose control. I have floored it from a stop, and I'll spin through all of first gear. I suggest you do not engage until you hit second gear.
Can I use medical grade Nitrous?
Yes you can, but their is absolutly NO performance difference. The nitrous sold for use in automobiles (called Ny-trous Plus) contains 100ppm sulfur dioxide, to defer people from buying it for substance abuse.
What happens if the bottle is cold?
You loose power. It the bottle is cold, you will have a drastic decrease in pressure, causing less nitrous to flow to the engine. This means their will be to much fuel, and you will run rich, lossing potential power.
Should my solenoids have these filters on them? What if they don't have any?
Yes they should, and if you don't have any, GET THEM! This will stop foreign objects from getting into your solenoid which could possibly cause it to get stuck. Trust me, you don't want this...
Can I purify auto grade Nitrous? (I actually got this in a couple PMs...)
Now why would you want to do that?  For those of you wondering, yes you can. Simply bubble it through a extremly basic solution (something with like a pH of 12). Baking soda in water will do the trick (about 16oz of BS for 5 gallons of water). Run it through two chambers like this (second chamber not so basic) and it should be pure. Now stop asking...
How much does it cost to fill a bottle?
Where I live, the shops normally charge around $3/pound. At the track, its $5/pound.
Will there be any timing-retards coming out?
Yes, we have to retard the timing when we use nitrous. The reason is because the oxygen becomes more dense, and that cause the A/F mix to burn quicker. That cause the peak cylinder pressure to happen alot closer to TDC. Because of that, not all energy created by the combustion is used to power the piston, but instead is it transfered to the rotating assembly, possible damaging it over time. So, to stop all of that from happining, you need to retard you timeing roughly 2-1/2 degrees for every 75 hp added.
What about downshifting or power shifting while driving?
Think about it, when you downshift normally when your driving, what happens? An insane amount of torque as you move into the Powerband. Now add an extra instantaneous 100 torque and 100 hp to that downshift, what happens? Your going to break traction and fly into a pole. Nitrous is made to be used as you increase RPMs. This stops you from going crazy. But if you engage nitrous, and from crusing in 5th you pop it into 3rd, you are asking for trouble.
Powershifting is a big NO NO with nitrous. If you do not left off the gas, the the engine RPMs will spike to fuel cut off. If your running a dry kit, your engine will the full of N20 and no fuel, which will cause a grossly lean situation. If your runnign a wet kit, its not as bad because your still supplying fuel with the nitrous. However, the engine is not getting enough ans as you reach your approch the max RPM, the PCM can't stop your engine RPM because nitrous will still be spraying. This can cause spun bearings, thrown rods, etc.
What if I miss a gear?
Well then your screwed. Immediatly take your foot off the gas. Do not leave the car at WOT, if you do, you won't be able to stop your engine from over-revving and doing damage. When you finally get the gear, ease back onto WOT, don't quickly go there, or you will lose traction.
That’s all I can really thing of right now. If you have any questions, ask, and I'll be more then happy to answer.
~Fred
< Message edited by FredTT -- 2/8/2007 9:50:07 AM >
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2005 Mineral Gray GT Automatic - Powerdyne S/C @ 8PSI
STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/9/2006 1:08:19 PM
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FredTT
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Updated...
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/9/2006 3:57:11 PM
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Rkbarnes82
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entirely too much time on your hands but thanks for the info.
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/9/2006 4:33:08 PM
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jet22
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damn! ... nice write up
, keep in mind. In some states it is illigal to have the bottle open on public roads. I don't know if the bottle opener is street legal
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/9/2006 5:17:38 PM
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FredTT
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jet22
damn! ... nice write up
, keep in mind. In some states it is illigal to have the bottle open on public roads. I don't know if the bottle opener is street legal
If I recall correctly, CA is the only state where this is illegal (to keep the bottle open or to purge). I'll look it up tonight when I get home. Thanks for the question, I'll add it to the FAQ shortly.
~Fred
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2005 Mineral Gray GT Automatic - Powerdyne S/C @ 8PSI
STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/10/2006 2:44:39 AM
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FredTT
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Remrats1234
wow, how considerate of u...thanks for the people who ask and havnt thanked u yet
Your welcome. :-) In the process of writing one for gears.
4 Q and As added
Is Nitrous Oxide illegal?
Where is the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) wire?
Where can I get a Tach signal for my window switch?
Can I use platinum plugs with nitrous injection?
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2005 Mineral Gray GT Automatic - Powerdyne S/C @ 8PSI
STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/10/2006 9:44:17 AM
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jet22
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dude you are cool... I recomend this as a sticky
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2005 4.0 Black AUTO, Black leather - shaker 1000
Mods done:
-MRT Areo-Turbine Axle-Back
-Air hog drop in
-Dynamat X
-Street Scene lower grile (Black Chrome)
-Street Scene upr. W/GT fog lights (Black Chrome)
-High Pro. Yokahomas'
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/11/2006 3:02:50 AM
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FredTT
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jet22
dude you are cool... I recomend this as a sticky
Thanks! Your cool too.
Added 3 more questions. I'll put up a picture install guide tomorrow when I pull them off my digital camera.
How did you get the bottle to mount in the trunk?
Do I have to drill a hole to run the nitrous line from my bottle out of my trunk?
What shot is safe for our cars?
~Fred
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2005 Mineral Gray GT Automatic - Powerdyne S/C @ 8PSI
STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/11/2006 8:53:06 AM
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Cruehead
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Awesome write up! I found a few things I hadn't thought about (ie. switching tunes on the fly).
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'07 redfire GT
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'94 GT Vert
***BONE STOCK***
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/11/2006 10:43:25 AM
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JD1969
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jet22
dude you are cool... I recomend this as a sticky
Yes, well, if you guys would go out of this section you would see we have a Pipe/Boost/Juice section that has a ton of info, including a FAQ.
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/11/2006 11:23:34 AM
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FredTT
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JD1969
Yes, well, if you guys would go out of this section you would see we have a Pipe/Boost/Juice section that has a ton of info, including a FAQ.
Well, this FAQ, if you haven't read it (which I am assuming you haven't), is specific for the 05/06 Stangs. THats why it is in this section and not the pipes and boost section.
~Fred
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2005 Mineral Gray GT Automatic - Powerdyne S/C @ 8PSI
STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 5/11/2006 3:13:48 PM
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JD1969
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quote:
ORIGINAL: FredTT
quote:
ORIGINAL: JD1969
Yes, well, if you guys would go out of this section you would see we have a Pipe/Boost/Juice section that has a ton of info, including a FAQ.
Well, this FAQ, if you haven't read it (which I am assuming you haven't), is specific for the 05/06 Stangs. THats why it is in this section and not the pipes and boost section.
~Fred
It does'nt really matter, you guys need to start putting stuff in the proper sections. Yea I know it's for the 05/06 cars but that is only a minor differance.
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 8/13/2006 1:11:12 PM
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FredTT
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Updated...
"Can I leave the bottle open?"
~Fred
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STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 8/13/2006 1:26:32 PM
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281GT
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FredTT - That was an excelent writeup. Just one thing I would like to point out. "you can also inject more fuel". Should read "you MUST inject more fuel" Not injecting more fuel will create a lean condition when using the nitrous. I have seen many destroyed engines using nitrous when the selonoid that injects the extra fuel has failed.
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 8/13/2006 1:32:59 PM
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FredTT
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Nice catch. I know there are a few typo's in there. 
Hopefully this will answer alot of questions (and stop so many repetitive threads.)
~Fred
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STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 8/13/2006 4:33:10 PM
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MikeHawke
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this is good info Fred. I remember you sending it to me before. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you on it. The problem with making it a sticky is that some it seems to be copied from somewhere else.....I googled "When you heat nitrous oxide to about 570 degrees F" and got the exact paragraph you have word for word from another site.....which is not a problem, research is research, and we are cool with that. I cut and paste alot of info instead of typing it all out myself. I'm not asking you to change either. It's great info and you have obviously done alot of hard work compiling it. Thanks. However, due to legal stuff that I don't fully understand, all stickies must be author/mustangforums originals.
Soooooo, if you were to put a few things in your own words, I'm sure we could stick it to the top.
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RE: TECH: Nitrous Oxide FAQ - 8/13/2006 6:24:21 PM
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FredTT
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Re-Written.
Added:
How long will the bottle last?
Will I loose traction if I hit it at WOT?
~Fred
< Message edited by FredTT -- 8/13/2006 7:56:04 PM >
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STATUS: Vandalized and Robbed.... :-( - At the performance shop
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