79 L82 What is needed for me to be able to put a nitros kit on? Do I need forged pistons, lower compression, higher compression, steel crank? Help Please.

 

It all depends on how much nitrus you're going to run. You could run a little 50 or 75 horsepower shot without doing any motor work at all and without having a seperate fuel pump for it...much over that and you are asking for trouble unless you build the motor for it. As long as you hook it up properly and use it properly it is a safe and cheap way of adding horsepower. There are usually three switches in a setup. One switch arms it, the second switch is on the throttle to assure you are at the proper RPM range and the third switch sprays it. Obviously forged internals are nice to have but not a must at the level we are talking about.

 

Depends on how big a shot you give it, 100hp doesn't require any mods.

 

Thanks for the help I wont go over 75 hp.

 

You need to retard timing, using optimal SBC mechanical advance (36* or so) is probably too much with nitrous (detonation is a killer with NOS). Check the instructions that come with the kit to determine how much.

 

more reading here:


http://www.holley.com/TechService/FAQ.asp?category=NOS

 

Great link thanks

 

don't mean to hijack the thread but what problems are encountered with nitrous on a Q-Jet? i've read you can do it but can't use certain systems (like top shot). why not?

 

If you have a real L-82, your in luck. You have forged pistons and crankshaft, and I believe 4 bolt mains as well. Heads have screw-in studs and guide-plates. A good building block for a 150 shot.

 

A 150 shot should be fine with a stock L82. Weak point would be the rods.The problem with nitrous on the vette is the plate systems will raise the carb 3/4 of an inch. Might have clearance issues. Drop base air cleaner which will help with hood clearance issues may not clear solinoids. You will have to do some careful planning and maybe some custom plumbing to make sure it will all fit.

 

As some have said here, you can go with the lower doses without much worries. But, you do have to make sure that you retard the timing (trust me, I really know). Since you must retard the timing, I would suggest that (for a few dollars more) you go ahead and get even more safety features by getting a Jacob's Nitrous Mastermind. It will retard the timing, has a rev limiter, adjusts what RPM's nitrous comes in at and at what RPM it is fully engaged. It also has a low fuel pressure safety shut down. All of this for way less than buying seperate units. I got a brand new one off stinkbay for I think it was $150. Good luck and have fun!!!

 

Every 50hp shot retard the timing 1 degree...

 

I think you have gotten good advise, but I do not think you need to do much to run a 100-150 shot. My race cars eats about 8lbs of nitrous a week, 2 lbs in 5 seconds

For a combination as simple as yours I would not bother with any timing controls or dedicated fuel systems. Contrary to popular belief one small pump will feed a lot of power. On my buddies 725 hp 528 in. Dodge wedge motor we feed the motor and a 100 shot with one Holley 140 gph pump and one 3/8 in. line. The car weighs almost 4000 lbs with the driver and goes 6.30's in the 1/8 (9.90's in the 1/4).

When you run the nitrous make sure to pull 2 degrees of timing out for every 50 hp (it is usually too much, but safe) and make sure to flow your fuel system. This is where most guys get in trouble. You must have accuratly set up the fuel pressure side of the nitrous system or you can / will hurt things.

If you keep it to a 100-150 shot you will have no problems, I would also do a little research on nitrous motors in general to educate myself. It is the uneducated nitrous user who burns stuff up.

When you are on the button the shifts points come up a lot quicker so be ready for that. Do not over rev the motor, and it is not a good idea to bump the rev limiter when you are on the nitrous.

Go have fun..

John

 

Thanks guys for all the advice.

 

At 100 horse you do NOT retart the timming, you do NOT need a dedicated fuel system, stock heat range plugs, Nothing if you stay at the 100 horse level.
At 150 you need a dedicated fuel system, colder plugs and retart the timing by 2 degrees.
Stick to 100 horse and you will be fine with a normal setup.
I use about .054 # 54 nitrous jet and #55 or .055 fuel jet. I prefer to jet square.
Nitrous at this level will do no harm. Nitrous is not the problem. The problem is with the increase torque and quicker reving motor you tend to over rev and destroy parts that way, Nitrous itself doesn't harm the motor. Nitrous is minus 60 degrees so it actually cools the motor.
You can run wide open for as long as you have gas in the bottle or don't run out of rpm.
Keep the revs down and a stock motor will live at the 100 horse level.
I have installed a number of kits for the local teenager and only give them jetting for the 100 horse. I have seen a 16 second car drop to 13.9's with just this simple 100 horse setup.
Never have we hurt a motor.

 

I just read your response John. I have set up at least 6 cars with this 100 horse jetting combination and we leave everything alone, I try to jet square, meaning equal nitrous and fuel but since the kits only come with so many jets I set the fuel one number higher and leave it at that.
I have never run into a problem and one of the guys goes in burn out contests and actually has lite the tires on fire with a wild smoke show and he is running this standard square jetting.
We leave timing alone until you jump to the 150 horse level, That is were the dedicated fuel, colder plugs and 2 degrees less timing comes into play.

 

Not retarding goes against what every expert out there says. I'm not claiming to be any more than a level or two above an idiot, but am just sharing what I've read and heard a whole bunch of times. To say you can get away with it is true, for a while. I however beleive that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". I had been told "no problem" putting a 100 shot to my motor without retarding. It worked great and I had gobs o fun...for a while. I would probably still be running that motor if I had retarded my timing. I didn't, so I'ts toast.

 

I am in the process of installing a NOS super power shot now. I am planning on limiting it to a 100 hp shot and have had several tell me that no retard is necessary but I am installing the Jacobs Nitrous Mastemind anyway. I like the added safety of this unit and a little retard and the built in rev control. Seems like cheap insurance to protect your engine

 

Exactly!

 

The correct way to do it is to learn how to read a nitrous plug and adjust fuel and timing off that. In 99% of street motors you can run a 100 shot with no timing adjustment and be totally safe. If however, you are running a motor that is close to the edge as far as detonation goes, an untimed 100 shot could cause problems. The simple fact is nitrous accelerates combustion. Running the system oversquare like Norval described helps with detonation control, but will cost a little power.

On any serious nitrous system you do not want to bump the rev limiter when on nitrous. Most rev limiters work by dropping a cylinder and then firing it the next time around. When that happens with a nitrous system you end up "double filling" the cylinder.....not good. I run a window switch on mine. It allows me to control what rpm the nitrous comes on and goes off at. I have the off set 300 rpms below the rev limiter.