o.k. guys i have some questions for those in the know and i think this could be informative to many others in my position. i have done my homework. i understand the good bad and the ugly of nitrous. i understand how it works, why and when things go bad, i know what i want to achieve with it in my car. for me turbo or sc is not an option because the car has to be returned and i can not see spending upward of 5000 to rip it off and try to sell it in a few years or god forbid something goes wrong. having that said i am presently running an aem intake, injen exaust, crawford plenum,and earthing kit. the car has just over 20 thousand and runs strong and solid as any other z with a fourth of my mileage. just from comparisons to other cars i have run some of witch i can vouch for thier slips i am easily in the 13.6 to 13.8 quarter club. i will be doing the fly wheel and test pipes within the next 4-6 weeks and possibly headers if we see some in a moderate price range with some good dyno numbers of at least 10-12 horse down the line. as far as i see this basically all i can do na without altering anything major that i cannot return to factory without major headaches when the need arises. this is not goin to get me where i want to be. i want to break into the twelves. not deep but lets say 12.8 is a great sounding number to me. i would like to this while still being able to return the car to original condition and still be a returnable car in consideration of its mileage. by the way the car is manual. pertaining to my situation i have these questions....

1. what should i be concerned with in relation to a z besides what pertains to nitrouse use in general . what would be the ideal accesories with the longtevity, safety and well being of the car in mind? for instance air fuel guage, pressure guage, warmer, and peticuliarly the msd window switch that can be made so not to spray if not in safe rpm's. i am not interested in remote openers or anything like that although i love the idea i want to do this right. i will spend the $$ to do so but only in the neccassary places pertaining to the above criteria.

2.i am assuming i will need no more then a 75or 80 shot and will likely be a wet kit. do i need to take any precautions to insure adequate fuel delivery?

3.do i need to take any precautions when condidering a ecu upgrade or possibly should i be considering some type air fuel control system?

4. traction? i will always run as i come but i am presently running 285 35 19 falcons and traction is already a big issue of the line and coming into second. is there a signifigantly grippier tire brand that i should look into? larger is not an option and i actually would like to go down to a 275 since it is only a 9" rim.

5. plugs? what would the ideal plug be? 1 or 2 degrees colder and what would the proper gapping be for me?

6.finally and probably most importantly who should i consider in the newyork,newjersey area that is highly knowledgable and thoroughly experienced that can do this job correctly, handle, and understand any problems or other concerns that may arise.

sorry for all the questions, and thanks for all the help this is the final step in my achieving my goals and seeing 12's. gonna feel good!!!!

 

come on nitrouse guys, i know you are out there!

 

To be honest, that was a lot of words and i just skimmed your post due to my slight case of ADD! But, I am running that lovely noble gas and I can tell you this...

1 - nitrous kit went in at 3000 miles. I turned 11,000 yesterday. haven't had so much as a hiccup. (knocking on wood, or forehead if wood is not available) The car loves it.

2 - i'm running the NOS universal EFI wet shot kit. Started with a 50 shot, went to 80, went 100, now at 125. It loves it.

3 - Plugs. I'm running irridiums IHK22, because I want to. I don't think it was totally necessary since it ran fine with stock, but i started reading places that extensive exposure to nitrous oxide has a tendency to denature the electrode of a platinum plug, so since I love irridiums anyway, I swapped.

4 - my ecu is stock. I haven't seen anything that blows up my skirt yet. If someone can merge the results of the powerperfect piggy back and the technosquare then i'm in.

5 - traction, first gear is a pipe dream on juice, second gear slides out on a non sticky surface. beyond that it rules.

6 - email me and i can point you in the right direction as to where to get it done.

 

I am looking at the same thing now. Also, my goals are the same as yours, but looking for a little less performance. I am looking for a safe (very safe) dry kit that will yield 40-75 HP. It should be easily installed and maintained by a professional. It should also be hard for the dealer to spot when service is needed (I would remove certain pieces when servicing). Finally, I am looking for a window switch or WOT switch. I would prefer a window one. Any information that can be provided would be great. I am still doing my research however. I would be looking to install in a few months. For those in Ohio, does Summit Racing do nitrous installs? Any other installers in the area worth looking at?

 

"safe" and "dry kit" are not to be used in the same sentence when speaking about a stock bolt on. You need a wet kit to supply the needed fuel to avoid detonation.

The install is fairly easy. But if you've never done it have a pro do it. I also advise you to purchase a new fuel line and dampener since they will be cutting into yours, keep a stock on hand in case you need to remove the system.

WOT switch and window switches do different things. the wot switch is what activates the solenoids instead of a button. the advantage of the wot switch is there is no chance of running nitrous when not running wide open throttle so as to prevent a lean condition. A window switch will turn off the nitrous at a pre determined rpm to avoid running a spray and having the rev limiter cut fuel. Honestly, i don't see the need since the car has a shift light, you have a visual indicator that you are approaching your rev limiter.

I'm actually thinking about ditching the WOT switch and putting a button in the car. The reason being as the car gets faster and faster NA, first gear with the juice is nothing but spin city. I want to manually hit the juice in second gear so that at the top of 1st i can go wide open throttle without breaking the rear, and into second.

 

Thanks for the info, that certainly helps out. However, I have a couple questions. I know that nitrous plus not enough fuel means detonation. However, in the "big bad nitrous" post on this board they say you can safely run a dry kit to a certain shot level. I think it was 50. The reason I want dry is that it is cheaper and requires fewer mods. I was planning on a FMU so that when running nitrous I could up the fuel coming out of the injectors. Is this not possible or a bad idea?

In the end I want a moderate increase in HP, safety, reliability, and a minimally intrusive system. This is my daily driver we are talking about. I don't want special plugs that will screw regular drives but that will handle occasional nitrous use just fine. Is this a realistic wish list? Oh, thanks for the WOT and window switch info. It certainly helps. I do have one last question. What happens if you open up a nitrous shot and you have to shut down before the full shot is let loose? Can a shot of nitrous be cut off half way through, or is it a total commitment thing? Thanks.

 

The only extra mod that needs to be done for a wet kit is an additional solenoid and tapping the fuel line. not a big deal. The problem with running more fuel using a fuel management system is 1- making sure you change your setting so you aren't running too lean when spraying or too rich when not, and 2- calculating how much extra fuel to run with that size shot. Changing the jets on the fogger takes the guess work out. I personally would not run a dry kit on this car. It's asking for trouble.

The plug thing, like i said, i changed because i happen to like irridium plugs. In regard to the shot length, very simple. with a WOT switch, you're on the wood (wot) the solenoids are open and your spraying. you left off enough that the swtich is open, you stop spraying. That's it. You're not obligated to stay on it because the spray is active. you control it.

 

thanks for the pionters bro, anyone else have some thoughts to share?

 

I went back and re-read the big bad nitrous post. This time I read much deeper. I completely agree about the wet kit now. I have heard some bad things (in multiple places) about Zex, but there kit seems simply. I also like the NX kit. Of course I would need to add some safety/efficiency items to it. This idea is growing on me.

 

NITROUS 101.

Add this to everything else already said here, and you should be good to go...

1. The vq engine loves nitrous. When i installed the NOS Wet single fogger kit (which means non-direct port) the car didnt even feel different at 50 shot. My check engine light went away today when i shot up to 120mph today. I have a check engine light problem because I have plugs that are running 4 heat ranges colder than stock, causing a rough idle. I shoot nitrous alot!

2. I am currently at 150 Shot Wet into the intake. The car pulls like an beast! My activation is on wide open throttle, whenever my gas is floored, the nitrous is shooting! i pulled a 13.11 @ 106mph on 100 shot, 19" wheels. I am guessing 12.8 or better on 19s with my 150shot. So bang for the buck, $1000 installed, you cant beat Nitrous. Compare that to a exhaust system that claims this and that with doubtful real world results. And Nitrous is fully reversable and you can remove it.

3. When choosing brands, I picked NOS because #1, they sponsored me, and #2 the parts/accessories are READILY available everywhere. My friend with supra has NX. Parts are sometime hard to find for NX. I am talking common hardware. Which is very frustrating. You can have a full nitrous bottle but missing 1 part that prevents you from having fun.

4. Progressive nitrous systems are safer because they are almost like a turbo spooling. It delivers a predetermined amount of nitrous at certain rpms. The only draw back here is the nitrous lag so to speak. Progressive systems will start from zero delivery every time you shift and get on it again. unless you are power shifting. A single fogger wet kit on wot like mine is instant 150 shot whenever my car is floored.

5. Installation will make or break your car! Installing nitrous should be done at a professional shop that has extensive knowledge! you can have the best system but with a half a$$ install, you will be regretting it very shortly. So research and interview your installer like you were leavin you son/daughter with a babysitter, get references of previous installations, and pay for the install. If you pay fair value, you can hold someone accountable. Do not shop around for the lowest cost install!

 

Thanks for the info. I am looking for an installer now, but it is difficult in Cleveland. Not only am I new to the area, but I also don't know any car fanatics or have relationships with car shops. Can anyone help? Summit Racing is pretty close by, but I am not sure if they do nitrous installs. I will be calling. I can also drive to Columbus to hit Jegs, but again, I am not sure if they do nitrous installs. I would trust both of these places as they are true racing shops with an extensive online and offline presence.