Car tuning tips and mods.

Nitrous has many names, the most popular is NoS which is actually a brand. Dinitrous Monoxide is the chemical name but for the purpose of this article we shall refer to it as nitrous. We will explore how it works and the various setup options available and see what this does for performance.

We understand that an engine needs oxygen in order to burn fuel. We also know that colder air carries more oxygen than warmer air. Nitrous is a highly flammable gas releasing oxygen as it burns. This property make it ideal for the explosive power requirements of drag racing.

An added benefit is that nitrous cools the air charge allowing even more oxygen into the engine. Obviously when you have more oxygen you will need to balance this up by using more fuel. The aim then is to match the fuelling with the extra oxygen released when nitrous is introduced into an engine.

Installation is relatively simple and you can choose from various configurations. One adds the nitrous into the intake manifold along side the fuel injectors, alternatively it can be introduced between the air filter and intake manifold. The latter is sprayed into air so is referred to as a dry system, the former is mixed with fuel and is referred to as a wet system.

Under current UK legislation you are not able to run a car with 2 forms of fuel and nitrous is classified as a fuel. Most insurers will also only cover cars if the nitrous is disabled for road use. So nitrous injection is the preserve of the track and drag strip.

Nitrous refills are a hidden cost. Although medical nitrous seems similar it is worth noting that automotive nitrous has some very nasty additives and must not be inhaled. You can however use medical grade nitrous in car engine. Medical nitrous is called laughing gas and this where we get the drag term “funny cars” from.

Nitrous should only be used in short bursts at full throttle. The amount of power you get depends on the jet size you select. Most cars will handle a 25bhp shot easily. Some turbo and larger engined cars can run with 50 bhp and 75bhp shots.

It is a good idea to have a fogger which vents nitrous to the outside of a car. This is a good way of clearing the nitrous lines. Starting an engine filled with nitrous is asking for trouble so if you have triggered your nitrous whilst the car is stationary with the engine off YOU MUST ENSURE that the engine is free of Nitrous BEFORE starting it.

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