Читать книгу How to Install and Tune Nitrous Oxide Systems - Bob McClurg - Страница 25

Nitrous Supply is one of the most recognized nitrous oxide systems and components parts houses in the industry. Founded by Mike Thermos, one of the original co-founders of Nitrous Oxide Systems, Inc., NS caters to hardcore nitrous racers and offers a huge inventory of nitrous system hard parts, ranging from maximum-power valves to lightweight composite nitrous bottles and trick nitrous solenoids. The company stocks myriad fogger-type nozzles, gauges, jets, braided nitrous line, and virtually anything needed to custom-build your own single- or multi-stage N₂O injection system.

NS also offers a modest line of street/strip nitrous kits geared toward the more common makes of engine, of which the small-block Chevrolet is the most popular. Not surprisingly, NS offers a 75- to 150-hp carbureted plate system for Holley-equipped small-block Chevrolet engines. (It’s known as the NS Powerstar, listed under PN 8001.) The kit includes a 10-pound N₂O bottle/valve assembly, an N₂O bottle bracket set, nitrous valve/line adaptors, 14 feet of braided stainless steel nitrous feed line, nitrous and fuel solenoids, solenoid brackets, blue N₂O fuel filter fitting, gasoline filter fitting, blue N₂O feed tube, red gasoline feed tube, sprayer plate, a set of metering flare jets, carburetor plate gaskets, a carburetor stud kit, a gasoline hose T-fitting, nitrous micro switch and universal micro-switch bracket, nitrous arming switch, inline fuse wire and fuse, and a wiring and hardware pack. The retail price of this kit is $422, FOB from Huntington Beach, California.

There’s nothing like a shot of nitrous oxide to get a performance leg up on the other guy, and Nitrous Supply’s Powerstar Single-Stage Carburetor Plate nitrous oxide kit (PN 8001) for the small-block Chevrolet V-8 safely delivers between 75 and 150 hp at the flick of a switch. Shown is Nicholas Morales’ 1969 Chevelle SS 350 being trial fitted for an NS 10-pound bottle.

The chosen recipient of an NS Powerstar 8001 kit was Nicholas and Charlene Morales’ red 1969 Chevelle street machine. The car is powered by a 9.25:1 compression-ratio 1997 GM Vortec 350-ci crate engine. Nicholas’ 350 also features a set of Dart Iron Eagle cylinder heads, an Edelbrock Air Gap RPM intake, a 750-cfm Holley carburetor, Hooker Shorty Headers, and a GM HEI ignition. The transmission is a Lokar-equipped GM TH350. This car is the perfect street candidate for a single-plate N₂O kit installation.

Installation time is quick (about six hours) and easy using a floor jack and common shop tools. Of course the proof is in the performance, so we strapped Morales’ Chevelle onto Rob Gavel’s Dyno Jet 248 portable chassis dyno. Nicholas’ Chevelle recorded 278.50 hp at 5,275 rpm and 278.90 ft-lbs at 4,200 rpm as delivered. With the 100 N₂O jets installed and the nitrous switched on, the Chevelle cranked out 350.58 hp at 5,750 rpm and 341.43 ft-lbs at 5,000 rpm. When you take into consideration a parasitic loss of 20 to 22 percent at the flywheel, this old Chevelle is making some pretty good horsepower. See the dyno chart on page 38.

Our next stop was at Hilo Raceway Park, where the Chevelle clicked off 2.417-second 60-foot times and a best elapsed time of 14.029 seconds at 100.59 mph at sea level on the engine alone. With the NS Powerstar N₂O system activated, Morales’ Chevelle cranked out a best of 2.227 seconds to 60 feet and registered a 13.281-second elapsed time with a terminal speed of 106.564 mph! Two weeks later, Nicholas and the Chevelle were back again at Hilo Raceway Park. With the Mickey Thompson tires thoroughly heated from the 30-plus-mile warm-weather drive, Morales lowered the tire pressure to 16 psi, and proceeded to crank off a 1.87-second 60-foot time and a 12.72-second pass at 105.99 mph! A couple of weeks later, Nick and his Chevelle made a return engagement and, with the 125 jets installed, the red-and-white Chevelle reeled off a best of 12.67 seconds at 108 mph!

Begin the installation by attaching the nitrous and nitrous-valve-line adaptor snugly with a crescent wrench.

After installing the NS 10-pound bottle in the provided bottle brackets, spacing them approximately 10 to 12 inches apart, place the bottle inside the trunk on the passenger side with the bottle facing forward.

After choosing a suitable mounting location, use a marker to scribe the bottle bracket mounting hole, and then mark the trunk pan with a punch.

Drill four 5/16-inch holes.

Install the NS bottle brackets, using the provided 5/16 x 1 ½-inch bolts.

After strapping the 10-pound NS bottle into position, use a tape measure to indicate the proper spacing at approximately 4 inches from the front mounting bracket.

Use a step bit to create a 1/4-inch-diameter hole in the trunk pan for the braided stainless-steel N2O delivery line.

The finished hole, complete with protective rubber pan plug.

The center of the pan plug must be opened up to accept the actual nitrous feed line.

Fully attach the NS nitrous delivery line to the bottle and route it into the trunk pan. Note Nitrous Supply’s optional 1,500-pound Gauge and Line Adaptor (PN 25910).

Route the nitrous supply line from the rear of the car to the engine compartment, using the front and rear sub-frames as anchoring points.

Next, route the nitrous supply line into the car’s engine compartment between the passenger-side fender apron and air conditioning condenser, away from any heat.

Remove the Chevelle’s K&N X-Stream Top High Performance Air Cleaner.

Remove the carburetor from its intake. In this case it was a 750-cfm Holley.

With the carburetor removed, install the larger carburetor studs necessary to accommodate the 1/2-inch-thicker NS nitrous spay bar plate.

Install the NS spray bar plate with the red fuel fitting facing forward.

With the NS spray bar in place, re-install the carburetor.

Set up the fuel solenoid on its corresponding mounting bracket, using the screws provided.

Use Teflon tape to secure the fuel line fitting to the fuel solenoid.

Install the fuel tag on the front carburetor onto the front carburetor stud on the passenger side of the engine.

Next, place the N2O solenoid onto the back stud of the carburetor.

Bend the N2O line extending from the N2O solenoid to the carburetor plate.

Prior to hooking up the newly fabricated line, select a jet and insert it into the N2O port at the rear of the spray bar. Then attach and tighten the nitrous line.

Fabricate and install the fuel line using the provided number-53 fuel jet. Then insert the fuel-filter fitting into the port of the N2O solenoid.

Install the barbed fuel-line fitting onto the fuel solenoid located at the front of the engine.

Install the fuel line.

Install the nitrous supply line to the fitting located on the N2O solenoid.

Prior to doing any electrical work, disconnect the battery.

Wire the solenoids using the schematic in Nitrous Supply’s Installation and Operation instructions.