I have nothing against nitrous but heres another approch. Build you car to run so very good that your opponent will need it to keep up with you or beat you. Good ole reliable raw power...there whenever you need it. Nitrous can definatly add a ton of power at a push of a button. I think I remember other words associated with nitrous.....melted pistons :smash: :eek: :cheers:

 

For the dollar nothing can beat nitrous. Used cheater systems go for around $350 and a easy 100hp will not melt pistons or anything else. I have seen a shot mustang go from 16's to 13.90 with just 100hp. Stay reasonable and it will not harm stock motors.
Norval

 

Lets be honest now. In the long run, there is no such thing as cheap horsepower. :chevy

 

Are there any Nitrous systems that anyone recomends over any other?

 

I'm happy with the Edelbrock RPM system. It is quality except for the solinoid and throttle switch brackets. My neighbor has an NOS system and the brackets are the same junk. I also run the fuel before the regulator at 10 psi, a window switch and 1 step retard to 32 just to be safe. It is probably not needed at 125(I've got those darn jets to go to 250) but it is a no worry mash on it. As I said above, Nitrous is your friend!

 

Personally, I'm not that impressed with it. It does make great power, but for a few hundred bucks it can be added to any car. Even an otherwise stock 4 cylinder Pinto can put on a show, until it self destructs! I am more impressed with normally aspirated, well engineered engines that can deliver power any time and for sustained periods.

Asking if nitrous causes more wear and tear on a motor. Aircraft engine's TBO periods are largely based on how much sustained horsepower the engine produces within a certain number of engine hours. Two identical engines can have different TBO's if the planes each is put in have significant weight differences. The engine in the heavier plane uses more power more often and must be rebuilt more frequently. This same fact hold true for cars. Running 500 miles per engine isn't very impressive until you consider it is producing 500-700 horsepower the whole time. Such a meticulously assembled and engineered engine would go 100's of thousands of miles around a track if they just cruised at 70-80 mph. The same would be true for any car engine. The less stress it has, the longer it will last if properly maintained.

I would still drive my cars to redline (6,500rpm) dozens of times every time I took it out. I would go over 100,000 miles before I felt I had better take it apart and take a look.

Chuck


[Modified by Chuck Harmon, 12:04 PM 9/7/2001]

 

I have the Edelbrock system for my C3. I haven't run it yet but plan to just use it at the track when the cubes just aren't enough. There is no such thing as too much power.

 

Chuck just contradicted himself. Having a nitrous system means only having the extra power when you need it. Built up engines have their additional power all the time as stated above. Therefore, the average life expectancy of a typical built up engine is shorter than a stock engine.

The beauty of a modest nitrous system is that when properly installed and maitained, the engine will last a very long time because 99.9% of the time the engine is running stock.

You only stress the engine once in a blue moon instead of all the time.

 

This month's Super Chevy magazine features "power adders" (turbos, blowers, N20). They fragged their N2O test motor with too much timing advance and too much N20 (200HP dose). By the time they realized it was detonating during a dyno run it was too late! :D

Mark


[Modified by mdsmith, 6:14 PM 9/7/2001]

 

Does anyone have a turbo smallblock vette? Now that would be trick!!!! when set up properly, turbo is the most streetable power. Expensive to set it up though i guess. My bro has a turbo regal that runs 11.9's and gets 25mpg on the highway. Thats with a 231ci 6 in a 3600lb car!!! just think what a turbo charged 350ci vette would do. Turbo is cool. It lays totally idle to you homp on it.

 

I don't think so! A 500-600 horsepower non NO2 engine will not work any harder to cruise down the road than a NO2 motor. I would even say that my heavy duty motor will live longer than yours if we were to run them side by side on computer controlled dynos generating the same power levels. It wouldn't matter if you want to run at light cruise or sustained high power levels. Either scenario I would out last a standard stock motor.

The race engine can modulate the power much more controllably. Try hitting the NO2 switch while taking a corner. If at a given rpm you make 300hp without nitrous or 450+ hp with. There is no middle ground.

You can only make power with the nitrous if you have gas in the bottle. I can make the power anytime I have gas in the tank. You can build a car getting better mileage plus the nitrous, but giving up a car that can handle a road course with power and grace is not something I am prepared to do. I would have kept my 69 Charger if all I wanted to do was just go straight.

Chuck

p.s. Please note my post is number 427. I will ask for a few moments of respectful silence for this distinguished engine displacement! :chevy


[Modified by Chuck Harmon, 7:09 PM 9/7/2001]

 

I love it!! silence given. I also agree on the rest of your post.
John

 

Chuck, race engines are usually set up a looser than street engines. They also have high lift, long duration cams and high compression. That's great at the track. Race engines will need to be freshened up quite often as compared to a tight street engine with a mild cam. You will never see the far side 100k miles with a 500-600hp engine.

There really is no such thing as a street/strip engine. That is were nitrous shines. It allows you to have a low compression pump gas engine with a/c and all the benifits of good vacuum (power brakes). When you want to go fast, hit the switch and enjoy. When you are done you get to mosey home in comfort.

I have both by the way. I have nitrous on my '90 ZR-1 and it is great. I also have a built up 461 in my '71. It shakes the ground. There is a time and a place for both.

 

Cam Potter,

To me, nitrous is the same as finding the steepest hill you can, setup 1/4 mile lights and trap, screaming down the face of it, and bragging about the times. The use of gravity is about a sophisticated and effective as the engineering required for a nitrous system.

My L88 uses he same clearances as any other 4 bolt big block. A tad more clearance in the bores, but with today's oils, I will go 100,000 miles plus as I have with other engines setup the same way. The L88 cam is small and lazy compared to today’s higher lift, shorter duration cams. But I believe Monty's premium component valve train would outlast any stock setup matching power mile for mile. Race engines only need to be freshened up because they have been working very hard in the meantime. If you worked your engine as hard it would certainly need to freshened up too, if it hadn't blown up by then. Your ZR1 is a magnificent piece of engineering, but, the more you use it at high power outputs, the sooner it will have to be torn down too, with or without nitrous. Yet your ZR1 is just about the best example of having both worlds without the nitrous. You have road course performance and/or straight line performance all the while being cooled with a/c and soothed to Mozart.

Nitrous gives cheap thrills of great (but short) blasts of power. So would attaching a JATO pod. Neither does anything for me. Monty's engine would impress me. Your ZR1 motor would impress me, but I would look upon the nitrous system with as much appreciation as if you had a little dog with bobbing head fixed at your rear window. Now if the eyes got real big when you stomped on the gas, that would be a different story! :D

I think it is best if we agree to disagree.. :cheers:

Chuck


[Modified by Chuck Harmon, 8:45 AM 9/10/2001]

 

The nitrous system on my ZR-1 allows me to whip the GTS Vipers that troll around my town. It is for the rare occasion when I need to kick it up a notch for the short blast you mentioned.

So I agree you completely, it "gives cheap thrills of great (but short) blasts of power". I have the best of both worlds, and a little extra for the occasional pit bull I encounter.

 

There are always going to be those that say nitrous is "cheating". Is a blower or a turbo(s) "cheating"? Many people don't have the $$$ to build a nornally aspirated 500 - 700 hp motor, especially if they drive their car on a consistent basis and not just bring it out of the garage on the weekend. I can live with my 16 inches of vacuum, 16 mpg, 170 degree temp and mid 12 quarter mile times on a DAILY basis. If I want to go mid to low 11's, I "cheat" and use nitrous. After that mid to low 11 run, I'm back with my liveable DAILY driver. There is probably someone here that does it but I would guess there aren't many people that drive their well-tuned 500 - 700 hp normally aspirated cars 600 - 1000 miles EVERY month like I do. And yes, I do have other vehicles to drive. This is just my opinion and not directed at anyone in particular. So no one take it personally.

 

A perfect example of what I was talking about. Could you imagine commuting to work with a L-88 under the hood. 12:1 compression, solid lifters, no engine vacuum. Not very practical.

 

One man's pain is another man's joy!:D

By the way, were your referring to the engine vacuum or the one speculated to exist between my ears? You wouldn't be the first to bring up this question.

Chuck

 

Chuck I would never speculate If you have a problem with vacuum. I'm sure you have a problem with traction though.

 

It makes me laugh!