Once we picked the spot where...
Once we picked the spot where we wanted the bottle to be located, we mocked up all that we could to get a general idea where we needed to drill holes, run lines, and install items. We got under the truck and double-checked our point of installation, making sure it would be easy to access the bottle bracket bolts from underneath. We also eyed up how we would be running the nitrous feed lines and bottle heater wires from the bed to the front of the truck. Once we had everything mocked up, it was time to get cracking. The first thing we did was take out the nitrous bottle and wrap it with the bottle brackets so we could mark off where the bottle would go in the bed.
With the 75 shot in the books, we switched the jets for the 100hp shot, once again keeping the fuel jets leaner than recommended to make up for the rich condition. Even though the truck was still looking for more timing, it was able to dial up 720 rwhp. To solidify the fact that this was a take-it-to-the-track-and-run-it tune, we pulled the truck off the rollers, turned off the nitrous system, filled the gas tank with 93-octane pump gas, and cruised home without any difficulties.
If you run the numbers yourself, you'll find out as we did that while the kit advertised each shot as a 50, 75, and 100hp increase, each nitrous pull showed a higher-than-advertised horsepower figure. "You will make more power putting nitrous on a supercharged engine because the nitrous has a cooling effect, leading to a denser air charge," D'Amore says. "If we had run the truck on C116 race gas and increased the boost to 20 pounds and the timing to 14 degrees, the truck would have easily made 880-890 rwhp with the 100hp shot."
In addition, we kept the bottle pressure at an ideal 1,050 psi by using Carnivore's new Nitrousaurus-X nitrous oxide pressure-control system. This innovative new product is a bottle heater and cooler in one package.
"I have raced using nitrous, and the more I raced, the more I saw a need for a system like this," says Carnivore's founder, Dennis Clarke. "The Nitrousaurus-X helps the nitrous stay at a consistent pressure, which leads to more consistent performances.
With the bottle shroud in...
With the bottle shroud in the bottle brackets, Shaun Lacko of JDM carefully situated the bottle in the bed, moving it around until he found the mounting point he liked best. Once he had the bottle in the correct spot, he took a Sharpie marker, marked where he needed to drill the holes for the bottle brackets, and then proceeded to drill in the bed. To access the bed and make drilling easier, remove the tailgate. Drill a small pilot hole first before drilling the hole to the correct size. In addition to drilling the holes for brackets, Lacko also drilled holes for the nitrous line and bottle heater wires to go through.
"I found that one battery was having a hard time between rounds handling the draw of the bottle heater, making it difficult to start the car. To combat that, you have to add a second battery, and it's like a domino effect. Also, I race my car at Los Angeles County Raceway, where in the summertime it gets around a 100 degrees or so. In those temperatures, you need to cool the bottle down to the proper pressure. The Nitrousaurus-X adequately keeps the pressure the same by heating or cooling the bottle as needed."
The Nitrousaurus-X completely encases a 10-pound bottle, with the top of the bottle poking through the top of the casing, allowing you to turn the bottle on or off. The casing can mount in the vehicle and plugs into the cigarette lighter. Pressure is measured through a sensor wire, and using a set-it-and-forget-it system, you set the pressure at the desired level, and the Nitrousaurus-X will either heat the bottle to the desired pressure or switch on the cooling fan to lower the pressure.
"As of now, this version can handle up to a 150hp to 175hp system," Clarke says. "Addition-ally, the system needs only 15 minutes or so to regenerate the pressure to where it is set at.
"Right now, we are working on the next generation of this system. It will feature newer electronics that will enable the system to monitor pressure drop, temperature, and pressure. We're slimming down the case so it isn't as bulky and adding an interface that will allow users to data log a pass, download it to a laptop, and plot the run. In addition, we're adding a second cooling fan, which will increase efficiency by 120 percent while drawing less than 10 amps."
A good item to put in when you do a nitrous install is a nitrous controller, such as the one we got from Nitrous Express. If you plan on running your nitrous-snorting Ford on the strip, then a nitrous controller will help you use the extra power instead of boiling the hides.
"A nitrous controller can help out with many aspects of nitrous tuning," says Nitrous Express' Marketing Director Randell Mathis. "One of the main things a controller can be used for is to help in a limited traction situation. Bringing the nitrous on progressively will allow for less tire spin and strain on drivetrain components."