Nitrous Kits

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Dynotune / Wizards of NOS

Nitrous Kits range

Dynotune

Wizards of NOS

Nitrous Oxide Kits

Nitrous Oxide Explained

Nitrous Oxide is an often misunderstood gas and there is much mystery over it's use in the automobile! On this page we don't aim to explain everything about using Nitrous Oxide but rather to give you an overview of its use and an introduction to the hardware.

You will find more information on the specific items of hardware in the subsections of our website, this page is just an overview!

What is Nitrous Oxide?

Nitrous Oxide is a colourless, odorless gas with the chemical equation N2O. This means that for every two Nitrogen atoms there is one of Oxygen.

In automobile applications N2O is injected into the engine to carry this extra oxygen into the combustion chambers. When the extra oxygen is present along with the correct quantity of additional fuel it makes for a large increase in power!

How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?

When nitrous is injected into your engine's intake the first thing it does is cool down the intake charge. This improves charge density and helps prevent knock (the fuel igniting before the spark plug fires - aka pinking).

Next, inside the combustion chamber, nitrous oxide breaks down and gives up it's oxygen. If you've seen that physics experiment of how fast a cigarette burns in oxygen you can imagine what happens to your air/fuel mix now!

How Much Extra Power Will it Give Me?

As a very rough average a wet nitrous kit is rated at upto 150HP. This is based on the maximum nitrous oxide flow that the solenoid valves can pass. It is not what you should be aiming for.

When you plan your nitrous installation you need to think of how much power your engine put out when it left the factory and bear in mind that this is the power the car was designed for. Most manufacturer's err on the side of caution when they set the power output of the engine and then select the other components of the car (such as the clutch and gearbox) to suit. It goes without saying that the geartrain will take more than the standard power of the engine... but how much?

This 'how much' is where you need to be careful. By injecting a 150HP nitrous oxide and fuel 'shot' into your Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 it will end in disaster. Think along the lines of adding 10 to 30% of your engine's standard power output and play it safe! Think of 50% extra if you're prepared to set up your nitrous kit carefully!!

What is a Nitrous Oxide Kit?

Nitrous Oxide Kits come in two main types, wet nitrous or dry nitrous. They each have some common components but vary in the way that they inject the nitrous oxide and get the additional fuel into the engine. Both kits have a nitrous bottle (usually mounted in the boot), a nitrous line (aka hose) that carries the nitrous oxide to the engine bay and a nitrous solenoid valve on the end of the line. This valve is switched electrically and is energised at wide open throttle.

A Wet Nitrous kit injects the nitrous oxide along with a quantity of additional fuel. The additional fuel is taken from a 'tapping' into the car's fuel system and this hose is fed to a fuel solenoid. Again, the fuel solenoid is electrically energised in the same way as the nitrous solenoid. The two solenoids then have hoses that meet at an 'injector' called a fogger nozzle in the throttle body where the fuel and nitrous oxide are mixed in the correct quantities, atomised into a fine mist and squirted into the airflow.

A Dry Nitrous kit relies on the car's ECU to add the extra fuel, the nitrous system injects only nitrous oxide. Some dry nitrous kits inject the nitrous oxide in such a way as to 'trick' the ECU into adding the extra fuel. Other dry nitrous kits have the ECU reprogrammed to enrich the fuel injection when nitrous is added or use third party ECUs to control the engine.

Single Fogger or Direct Port Nitrous?

Most folk will find a single fogger wet nitrous kit is all they need. You can get upto 150HP extra with our universal kit!!

For those who want a more detailed nitrous oxide installation we can offer a direct port (aka Multi Port) nitrous kit. A direct port nitrous oxide system will have as many foggers as there are cylinders, so a V6 engine will have 6 foggers... one in each branch of the intake manifold.

Sometimes a direct port nitrous kit is necessary where the engine does not have a common intake manifold. For example, where there are 4 carburettors each with their own intake trumpet. Or a boxer (flat) engine where there might be two intake ports, one on each side of the engine.

Multi port nitrous oxide kits have the potential for more power as there are more foggers. They are also nice to look at and more 'developed' so the enthusiast might prefer the look and feel of a multi port nitrous system for his or her show car!

Will nitrous affect engine reliability?

As long as the nitrous system is installed per the instructions and the set-up procedures are followed, there is usually not any increase in engine wear.

How long does a bottle last?

It depends on bottle capacity and the size of the nitrous shot being used. On the 75hp setting, a 10 lb. bottle will last around 10 quarter mile runs. On the 125hp setting the bottle will last around 6 runs.

Is it OK to use a nitrous system on a high mileage engine?

It is OK only if the engine is in good mechanical condition. The primary concern is to ensure that the engine does not consume excessive oil. Oil in the combustion chamber can cause detonation.

Can I have a performance "chip" in my ECU while using my nitrous system?

Generally the answer is NO. Most performance "chips" on the market advance ignition timing to gain additional horsepower. This additional timing, when using nitrous, can cause engine damaging detonation. The only exception to this are "chips" that have been specifically programmed for nitrous use.

Do I need a purge kit?

Even though it's not essential a nitrous purge kit is a great addition as it clears the delivery lines of unwanted air and vapor and guarantees immediate power from your nitrous system. It's also used to intimidate your competition and shows the world your nitrous equipped by creating an awesome purge cloud.