Ok, I hear about safety switches and window switches and the like. Can someone outline what exactly they are and where do you have yours mounted? Also, as far as bottle heaters(warmers) go, do you use them ,and if so where did you get them? I see in Summit that the bottle heater is $113 for 10 lb. bottle, and the fuel pressure safety switch(is this the aforementioned safety switch) goes for $36. And is the window switch the final arming switch?

Lots of questions, just cuz I'm interested.
Thanks

 

Ok basically you've said most of what goes on.

Nitrous best works at 900psi, which is what the bottle heater is for. When you start to hit over 1000psi, you are getting a bit risky, so most warmers have an automatic on/off to them.

The window switches are to allow the system to only work between a set window of safe RPM, say 3000 to 6000 or something like that. It's dependent on the car. Kicking the power on too low will probably just promote wheelspin, and too high could make it far too interesting if you miss a shift. You want the nitrous shut off a few hundred RPM before your rev limiter also.

The WOT switches are literally just that, a small microswitch usually mounted either on the throttle body or behind the gas pedal to insure that you are at full throttle before the system is "active".

The fuel pressure switch will cut the nitrous out if fuel pressure drops below a safe level. You do NOT want to run lean with nitrous. Parts melt that way.

Also a remote bottle opener can open the bottle without you haveing to turn around and crank her open by hand.

When I install a system in my car I will have 4 switches in the cockpit. Three toggle, and one momentary.

Heater : Kind of obvious.
Remote Bottle Opener : Open the bottle.
Arm : System will engage when full throttle and RPM window is met.
Purge : Purge out any liquid nitrous built up in the lines. (momentary switch)


[Modified by scorp508, 11:49 PM 12/18/2001]

 

I was thinking about gutting out the bin behind the passenger seat, so you open the lid, and just turn on the valve by hand.

 

Scorp pretty much nailed it. I will add that the NOS is temp controled. The NX one is pressure controled, which I like much better!
Reaching aroud back and twisting the bottle open is one way of doing it. The other is hitting a button. :) You have to decide which one you would rather do.

 

Not a whole lot of room in a Vette so there is not a lot of need for a remote bottle opener unless you mount the bottle somewhere other than the back seat. The only time I am not able to reach mine quickly is when I have my 5 point drawn and quartered. Your dime though.

The problem with mountnig a bottle in one of the rear compartments is that the angle the bottle will be sitting is not optimal. You want to mount the bottle where the pickup inside will get every last lb out of it before you go empty. Mounting the bottle verticle may not work very well. The best mounting practice is to mount the bottle at a 10-15 degree angle with the valve facing the front of the vehicle.

 

I am thinking of going the spare tire route, and insulating around it.

 

I have a 15# bottle mounted at about the 2 o'clock position in the rear hatch area. This makes reaching back and opening the valve very easy to do. I do not have any nitrous pick up problems until I get down to the last three pounds.

I get best performance with a bottle pressure of 1050psi.

I prefer Nitrous Oxide Sytems components. Go to any big Pro Mod race and you will find that the majority of the race cars run blue bottles and NOS solenoids. Also, their model specific kits are the most comprehensive and contain the best instruction manuals bar none.

Whatever system you end up with, it is a very good idea to get your car on a dyno with a wide band O2 sensor to ensure that your air/fuel ratios are safe.

 

That wouldn't be because of sponsorship, would it??? ;) If you give someone something for free, they tend to use it.... :)
Just a posibility.

 

That would not be a pratical location Scorp. If you use the nitrous as much as I do, you will be installing and removing the bottle quite often. Doing so on your back would be a royal PITA not to mention a hazard from any road debris that may get kicked up.

 

I really don't think so. Serious racers will only use products that work. I know a few and that's the case with them.

 

For me it could be practical. I travel a few hundred miles sometimes to go racing. Having it under the car would allow me to still bring clothes, tools, and drag radials in the hatch with me. :) AAA can be my spare tire then.

Plus I can make brackets to mount them at the correct pickup angle when the tire carrier is bolted up. Removing the entire carrier with the bottle(s) would be easy. Just undo the bolt a few threads, then push the back up and forward to drop the back off of the hangers.

Just a though.....

 

Have you ever seen anyone do this in a C4? Is there enough room for a normal sized bottle?

AAA is my spare too. I can't use my 16" spare tire in my Vette anyways. 17x11 won't fit in the trunk and spare tire won't fit over my 13" brakes. I supose I could buy a 17" spare, but I would rather spend my Money elsewhere.

 

It's a bad idea IMHO.

 

Yes, somebody posted a picture of a guy with two 10lb bottles in the tire carrier not too long ago. We had a thread going about a month ago on this I think.

 

These reasons don't make much sense to me. With the bottle in the hatch area I can access the valve easily. I can view the bottle pressure gauge. I can remove/install the bottle quickly. I can cover everything with the factory cover for stealth.

The hatch pan is made of fiberglass. Regardless of whether you place it above or below the hatch pan you are going to have a high pressure bottle near you. That pan certainly won't provide you any protection.

Nitrous systems require maintenance and constant attention. Having the bottles buried under the car is not a plce that is condusive to that . I like being able to keep an eye on everything and the hatch area allows me to do that.

As far as damaging the interior, if you are careful with the installation you won't be able to see any signs of it after it is removed. My system was off my car for a number of years and nobody was ever able to detect the very small holes for the bottle mounts, hose, and blow down tube.

Black Bart said it himself, he doesn't use the nitrous very often.

I've used 75 pounds in the last month.

 

Keep in mind that the cockpit is for lack of better description "sealed". An explosion inside the car will result in far more devestating concussion effects than one sitting under the car. The gas tank is probably your worst enemy whether the bottle inside the car or not, but at least outside the car some of the pressure effects will be allowed to divert away from the car instead of just making the inside go even more KABOOM. :)

 

The more I read about N20, the more I will stay away from it.

 

A bottle explosion is not even on my "Things to Worry about" list. Heck, do a real trick install and hide it in the quarter panel. Doesn't really matter where the bottle goes as long as it is out of the elements. The tire carrier should protect it well enough. I have mine removed completely so that is not an option for me, plus I use more juice than Bart and need no more reasons to go underneath the car. ;)

 

Now THERE is an idea. :D :D There is easily enough room with the right brackets made and attached to the frame. Hehehehe, stop making me think!!!

Between that and the AN-AL fitting, u're on a roll. :lol:

 

Bottles don't explode. They come with burst caps to prevent that from happening. If you get rear ended you'll be in bigger trouble with the bottles in the spare tub because the spare tire is part of the crush protection. Only you'll be crushing a N2O bottle instead of your spare.

Vette92 and I run too much nitrous to be jacking around with bottles under the car.


[Modified by Cam Potter, 3:11 PM 12/19/2001]