What to know about nitrous oxide
02-27-2009, 05:45 PM
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What to know about nitrous oxide
The first thing you should know is the laws regarding Nitrous Oxide. Check with your city police and highway patrol. There may be regulations requiring you to not use it on the roads, keep the nozzle turned all the way off, disconnect the nitrous supply to the engine, maybe even remove or empty the bottle. From what I've heard, California just requires you to disconnect the mainline from the bottle while driving on public roads. This effectively turns your car into a nitrous oxide transportation device. Instead of being equipped with nitrous oxide, your car is then just transporting nitrous oxide. Luckily, there are no Nitrous Oxide laws in most states.
I've found that it's not safe to hit nitrous anywhere below 3500RPM. I've blown up my intake a few times trying to do this. Once when I first put the nitrous on my car and tried to take off at full throttle, and another time when I forgot to turn the nitrous off before getting onto an on-ramp to the highway.
Another time, I was at a car show. I had the car off and I was playing my in car DVD system, and showing off the nitrous system to a guy who asked a question. I shot a wet shot into the intake. This takes about 5 minutes to disperse so you're not starting the car on nitrous. A few minutes later, my buddy happened to notice my capacitor was reading 12V (which is low for my car). In the middle of a silence, i started my car, revved my engine to 5K and BOOM. I think at that point all 600 people at that car show were looking right at me, with a silly grin on my face.
f you have a nitrous explosion, you will most likely destroy your MAF sensor. Advanced auto parts has a MAF sensor for $90 for a 1999 Kia Sportage, in stock at most stores. Part numbers on the sensor match, but the actual housing is stamped Kia instead of Hyundai so it is not the proper part number as an assembly. The sensor fits all Beta I engines, RD/RC body style Tiburons and Elantras and some accents as well. The actual Hyundai Tiburon/accent/elantra part is $200 and is only stocked at warehouses, not even Advanced auto parts hub stores. I The only reason I know this sensor works is because I asked the cleark at Advanced, went through the boxes and found it myself. Remember that Advanced has a lifetime warranty. wink.gif
With the ZEX kit you may want to look at buying a RPM "window switch" as an accessory. It will prevent you from triggering your kit except when you're in your RPM "window". Simple to install. It costs $90. It's the only thing I want for my nitrous kit that I have not bought yet.
Spark plugs should be cooler, stubbier tip plugs which do not retain heat as well as longer plugs. All spark plugs are rated 1 as coldest and go up from there with the exception of NGK which are recommended by Hyundai as the plug of choice. NGK plugs are rated as a higher number = colder plug. Your stock plugs are NGK - R heat range 11. You want NGK - R heat range 13 or higher, normal .042" gap.
You need a safety blowdown kit. If you fill your tank at 70 degrees to 800PSI, then take it out to the car and it reaches 130 degrees, the nitrous expands and increases pressure up to 1400PSI. You could possibly rupture your seal. You need a blow down to vent the gas out of the car so you don't go into an unexpected nitrous induced sleep while driving.
Nitrous oxide is safe when done properly, it adds a predetermined HP value to your engine. It is more effective for use in lower gears. If, and only if it's been installed properly, you can consider nitrous oxide to be the same as a constantly spooled turbo which requires refills and is to be only used in short bursts.
I've found that it's not safe to hit nitrous anywhere below 3500RPM. I've blown up my intake a few times trying to do this. Once when I first put the nitrous on my car and tried to take off at full throttle, and another time when I forgot to turn the nitrous off before getting onto an on-ramp to the highway.
Another time, I was at a car show. I had the car off and I was playing my in car DVD system, and showing off the nitrous system to a guy who asked a question. I shot a wet shot into the intake. This takes about 5 minutes to disperse so you're not starting the car on nitrous. A few minutes later, my buddy happened to notice my capacitor was reading 12V (which is low for my car). In the middle of a silence, i started my car, revved my engine to 5K and BOOM. I think at that point all 600 people at that car show were looking right at me, with a silly grin on my face.
f you have a nitrous explosion, you will most likely destroy your MAF sensor. Advanced auto parts has a MAF sensor for $90 for a 1999 Kia Sportage, in stock at most stores. Part numbers on the sensor match, but the actual housing is stamped Kia instead of Hyundai so it is not the proper part number as an assembly. The sensor fits all Beta I engines, RD/RC body style Tiburons and Elantras and some accents as well. The actual Hyundai Tiburon/accent/elantra part is $200 and is only stocked at warehouses, not even Advanced auto parts hub stores. I The only reason I know this sensor works is because I asked the cleark at Advanced, went through the boxes and found it myself. Remember that Advanced has a lifetime warranty. wink.gif
With the ZEX kit you may want to look at buying a RPM "window switch" as an accessory. It will prevent you from triggering your kit except when you're in your RPM "window". Simple to install. It costs $90. It's the only thing I want for my nitrous kit that I have not bought yet.
Spark plugs should be cooler, stubbier tip plugs which do not retain heat as well as longer plugs. All spark plugs are rated 1 as coldest and go up from there with the exception of NGK which are recommended by Hyundai as the plug of choice. NGK plugs are rated as a higher number = colder plug. Your stock plugs are NGK - R heat range 11. You want NGK - R heat range 13 or higher, normal .042" gap.
You need a safety blowdown kit. If you fill your tank at 70 degrees to 800PSI, then take it out to the car and it reaches 130 degrees, the nitrous expands and increases pressure up to 1400PSI. You could possibly rupture your seal. You need a blow down to vent the gas out of the car so you don't go into an unexpected nitrous induced sleep while driving.
Nitrous oxide is safe when done properly, it adds a predetermined HP value to your engine. It is more effective for use in lower gears. If, and only if it's been installed properly, you can consider nitrous oxide to be the same as a constantly spooled turbo which requires refills and is to be only used in short bursts.
