Nitrous Oxide Kits
Nitrous oxide kits for cars are probably most famous for their role in Fast and Furious. Called “NOS,” shorthand for a company called Nitrous Oxide Systems,” nitrous oxide became known giving a speed boost to cars, even to those who had no real interest in the topic. It’s ironic, because nitrous oxide is a product that has absolutely no use to the general public. In fact, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be extremely dangerous to both you and your car.
Nitrous oxide allows gasoline to burn oxygen more efficiently. Your Nitrous Oxide tank pours a small burst of nitrous into your engine, which interacts with the normal fuel your car uses. Because nitrous oxide contains two molecules of oxygen for every molecule of Nitrogen, the oxygen is burned very efficiently and quickly. Oxygen is a very explosive element because of its electron imbalance, and this creates the speed boost that nitrous oxide is used for. Nitrogen, on the other hand, is an element that is not very explosive, so it acts as a cooling agent; pouring pure oxygen into your engine would likely cause an explosion.
For cars, nitrous oxide kits can, if configured correctly, increase performance by over 50%. A nitrous oxide kit is, essentially, a collection of nitrous materials in one package, meant to give users as many of the necessary parts as possible to install a nitrous oxide system. Kits generally are very helpful in the installation process, because they can cover all the bases for installation for some car models. The problem with kits is that often, they offer no instructions and provide little to no safety features. Because equipping your car with nitrous oxide is an inherently explosive activity, unless you are very knowledgeable in car repairs, you should only install nitrous oxide with the help of a professional.
When it comes to choosing a nitrous oxide system, the main consideration is whether to buy a “dry” or “wet” system, the two major categories of nitrous systems. A “dry” system does not inject any fuel into the manifold. Instead, the extra fuel goes through the fuel injectors. This means that dry systems generally create less power, and are fairly high maintenance. The upside to dry systems is that they are generally more affordable than wet systems. It also is much more likely to work with stock motors.
Wet systems mix the nitrous oxide with fuel and feed. Among wet systems, there are a few different ways in which the nitrous is fed into the engine. In single-point systems, the nitrous is fed into the upper intake only. With multi-point systems, the nitrous is fed into every intake of the engine. There are multiple ways to successfully install a wet nitrous system, and it has become easier recently as new technologies for installation are produced. Even still, installing a wet system is much harder than installing a dry system. Because of the combustibility of nitrous systems, installation problems can destroy your engine, or even put your life in danger. As a consequence, it is recommended that only people with very advanced car maintenance skills try installing nitrous tanks.
After deciding what kind of system to purchase, the next step is to research the type of nitrous oxide kit you need. Many providers advertise different kits for different car makes or models. The make sure to shop widely and from different venders when making a decision on kits; they will all contain the basic materials you need, but all may not be as well equipped with safety materials, instructions or other materials that will make your experience easier.
