Nitrous no-no's: 10 avoidable errors

National Dragster, Dec 10, 2004 by Moore, Sam

* Never heat a nitrous bottle with anything other than an approved bottle heater containing all necessary safety features. If a nitrous bottle is overheated or heated too quickly, a catastrophic explosion can occur.

* Never attach the power leads of a 12-volt nitrous bottle heater directly to a battery. Always use a 12-volt power supply that is active only when the ignition switch is in the run position, thereby making it a fail-safe installation.

* Never allow liquid nitrous to touch your skin. Liquid nitrous has a temperature of -125 degrees Fahrenheit (-87.2 degrees Celcius). Exposure to nitrous will cause severe and permanent frostbite.

* Never inhale nitrous oxide. Inhalation can cause suffocation and immediate death.

* Never leave the valve of the nitrous bottle open except when you are using it. Leaving the valve open for extended, periods can damage the seals in the nitrous solenoids.

* Do not exceed a bottle pressure of 1,100psi. Exceeding this pressure can cause the engine to become excessively lean, resulting in costly engine damage. Furthermore, higher pressures can damage the solenoid seals.

* Never assume that a stock fuel system is sufficient to meet the weeds of your nitrous system and the engine. If a stock fuel system cannot supply sufficient fuel to the engine, the mixture will become too lean, and severe engine will occur.

* Never assume that, fuel pressure at idle and wide-open throttle are the same, Regarding the latter, always check the fuel pressure at wide-open throttle and under load.

* Never use Teflon tape on any plumbing threads in a nitrous system. A loose piece of tape could obstruct a solenoid or jet orifice. Always use Teflon paste.

* Never activate the nitrous system without having the engine running. Doing so may cause an explosion during engine starting.

by Sam Moore, Nitrous Works