The following are the most frequently asked questions that we have encountered. If you do not find the answer to your question/s below, please join our forum and post your question there;
Q) Will nitrous injection damage my engine?
A) The use of a correctly designed, high quality nitrous system, that is fitted and used correctly within safe limits, will put your engine at little to no risk of damage.
Should you be unwise enough to use one of the many badly made generic kits (as sold by most other companies), you would be at substantial risk of damaging your engine, especially if it’s not used correctly.
It should always be remembered, that no matter what tuning method you use to enhance engine power it is wise to make sure that;
your components are adequate for the job
the installation work is carried out correctly
you avoid the temptation to increase the power beyond safe limits
Failure to comply with the above advice will increase the risk of engine damage.
Adding a sensible power increase correctly to an engine in good condition, will not increase the risk of engine component failure any more than by using any other tuning method. In actual fact it is uniquely possible to reduce the stress on key engine components and yet still improve vehicle performance when using nitrous oxide, unlike any other tuning method.
Q) Will using a nitrous system wear my engine out quicker?
A) A well designed, correctly fitted and set up nitrous system will not increase engine wear. In fact it is possible to use a nitrous system in such a way, as to reduce engine wear and yet still improve vehicle performance.
Anyone who finds it hard to believe that engine wear will not be at a higher rate than normal engine wear should consider the following;
Most wear occurs during initial cranking and the warm-up cycle
The wear rate once the engine is at running temperature under normal conditions is quite low and this is the only time nitrous should be used.
Even if the wear rate was worse when using nitrous, it would only be worse than normal running, which as we’ve just covered is not when the worst wear happens anyway.
The time that the engine is actually using nitrous, is an insignificantly small percentage of an engines running time.
With all the above in mind, even if nitrous increased wear, the overall impact on the engine would be insignificant.
Q) Is nitrous oxide flammable?
A) No, nitrous oxide is not flammable, in the state that it is used in automotive applications. In fact, due to it’s very low boiling point and the pressure it’s contained under it’s actually more likely to put out a small fire (see our videos section). Nitrous oxide is simply an oxidiser, which provides extra oxygen that allows more fuel to be burned, but even this oxygen isn’t available until the nitrous has been broken down into its two elements (oxygen and nitrogen), which requires a temperature of 565 degrees F.
Q) Is nitrous legal on road cars? WON team, who single handedly convinced the insurance industry, to reverse the anti-nitrous position that they held up to a few years ago. In general the legality of nitrous use on the road varies from country to country, even within the EU. Furthermore there is no relevant law in the Highway Code or the MOT handbook prohibiting the use of nitrous injection. It should be remembered that just as with any tuning modification, the owner must inform their insurance company and obtain adequate cover, otherwise any performance modification would be illegal. Therefore the only way you will break the law by having your street car fitted with a nitrous kit in the UK, is if you fail to inform your insurance company that you have done so. Insuring a nitrous injected vehicle has become even easier than it was when WON first joined forces with Adrian Flux, because other insurers (like Greenlight Insurance) have also started offering cover for nitrous equipped cars.
There is a degree of confusion over the need to have a hazard warning sticker on the outside of the car. We previously explained that nitrous oxide is neither a flammable nor a hazardous gas but it is a relatively highly pressured oxidiser. Whilst there is a legal requirement for commercial vehicles to display a suitable sticker, this same rule does not apply to private vehicles, which are not even obliged to display a green compressed gas sticker. However, displaying such a warning sticker might well be advantageous to you and the emergency services, if you were unfortunate enough to be involved in any kind of accident, as this would inform them that you were carrying a container of compressed oxidiser in your car.
A) In the UK nitrous oxide use is legal on road cars (contrary to what many people believe, including some police officers) and that’s thanks solely to the efforts of the
Q) What tests can I do to ensure my engine is in a good condition prior to fitting a nitrous system?
A) You can determine with as much confidence as possible, if your engine components are in good working condition prior to fitting a nitrous system by carrying out a ‘Leak down test’. Unfortunately, there is no way of being 100% certain that you do not have a weak or slightly damaged engine component, just waiting to be pushed over the edge by the extra power increase, supplied by the nitrous system or indeed any other tuning upgrade.
By carrying out a leak down test, you can confirm that the engine's internals (particularly the pistons, valves, head gaskets, etc.) are likely to be in an undamaged condition and in good working order.
This test will also indicate if there is a loss of compression, due to worn rings or bore wear. A higher reading than 10% leakage from any cylinder is unacceptable and an indication that you have some serious internal wear or damage. The cause for any such problem must be found and dealt with before fitting a nitrous system, otherwise it’s very likely that you will at least fail to get the maximum benefit from your nitrous system and at worst be inviting serious engine failure.
Q) What modifications will be necessary or beneficial before fitting the system?
A) Having your engine serviced, your fuelling and timing optimised, fitting a replacement distributor cap and rotor arm (if appropriate), fitting new harder (colder) spark plugs, checking the torque settings of your head bolts, changing your oil and fitting a replacement fuel filter, are all procedures to carry out, before fitting a nitrous system, however, no major modifications should be needed unless you intend to add more power than the existing engine components can handle.
Any modifications that will be of benefit to the standard engine will also be beneficial to a nitrous injected motor. Whether the modifications are necessary rather than beneficial will depend on the power level you wish to achieve and the limitations of each of your original engine components. It is impossible to know what modifications may need to be made and at what power level they may be needed, therefore building the strongest possible engine is the only way to ensure maximum reliability. This is one of the reasons why it is essential to gradually increase the power level in modest sensible increments, rather than jumping in at the deep end with a large power increase right at the start. By starting at a low power level and making small incremental steps there is a greater chance of a problem becoming obvious, before serious damage is caused.
Whilst most people expect engine components like pistons and con rods to be at risk when using nitrous, it’s usually the ignition components, the head gasket or the clutch that usually show signs of weakness first. Whilst there is the possible risk of piston failure, it is very unlikely when using a suitable nitrous system that has been fitted correctly and set to a reasonable power level.
Q) Does my plug gap need to be altered and can I use my existing plugs?
A) Nitrous increases the pre-combustion pressure, which means more spark strength is required to jump a given plug gap size. With ignition systems that have spark strength which is border line or inadequate, reducing the plug gap will make it easier for the spark to jump a gap and fire the charge.
Stock spark plugs can act as a glow plug due to the higher cylinder temperatures that nitrous can cause, resulting in pre-ignition, therefore it is essential to replace the original plugs with a suitable grade harder.
Q) Can nitrous injection be a constant source of power?
A) Although nitrous oxide injection could be used as a permanent power booster (like a turbocharger), it is impractical to do so, because it is impossible to carry an adequate size cylinder in a car. The fact that nitrous injection provides a temporary increase in power, which can be switched on and off, is however an advantage in many situations. This is particularly true when fitted to street cars/engines that produce enough power to satisfy the driver for normal day to day use. When the occasion arises that you need that extra burst of power, you can reach for the arming switch, put your foot to the floor and unleash some of your power reserve. With just a flick of a switch, the engine can be immediately transformed from mild to wild and back again. In contrast to other forms of tuning (which constantly have an adverse effect on an engine’s fuel economy), a nitrous system only adversely affects fuel economy while the system is activated. With petrol prices as they are, fuel economy should be an important consideration when deciding which power enhancing method to choose.
Q) How long does nitrous last?
A) People frequently ask us this question and our standard reply is “not long enough”, which is the same response we’d give if someone asked us how long a petrol tank would last. A quantifiable answer to that question is just as impossible as try to give an answer to “how long is a piece of string?” When the system is first fitted it is likely to get used like a new a toy, so the contents of the nitrous cylinder are used relatively quickly. However, once the novelty has worn off and the system is used in a more practical manner, the usage rate becomes less frequent and the cylinder will need refilling less often. In everyday use and real world terms, some people can use a cylinder of nitrous oxide a day and others take up to 6 months. It is all down to the owner, how often the switch is flicked on and how long he keeps his foot to the floor each time. Thankfully when you run out of nitrous there is one advantage over the same situation with petrol; your car will still run normally until you get a refill.
Q) How long can the system be held activated for?
A) You are in complete control of when, where and for how long you activate the system. You can activate the system for as long as you want or at least until you’ve emptied the cylinder. As explained above, how long the nitrous lasts is the only limiting factor as to how long you can hold the system activate for. However, the nitrous system is usually activated for only a few seconds at a time for overtaking, blowing someone away from traffic lights and for competing over the ¼ mile track.
Q) Can I activate the system at any time under any conditions?
A) You can activate the system under any conditions, in which you would ‘normally’ wish to achieve hard acceleration. However, it would be unwise and an increased risk to your engine components, to use the nitrous system when your engine is under abnormally high loads. For example, it would be fine to use the nitrous system from a rolling start in first gear at 1,000 rpm, but it would be very unsafe to use the nitrous system from 1,000 rpm in top gear, especially on an uphill incline. In such an instance and before activating the nitrous system, ensure you are in the appropriate gear, so the engine can freely accelerate.
It is unwise to accelerate an engine through the rev limiter with or without the nitrous system activated, but the risks are increased when using nitrous oxide, because the engine accelerates more rapidly.
Never consider activating the system unless the engine is responding normally without nitrous. When nitrous is injected, the engine should respond as follows, the rpm should increase rapidly and the exhaust note should get louder. If you experience anything other than as described, switch off the system immediately and seek expert advice before using again.
Q) Will my catalytic converter be a problem?
A) Catalytic converters like many other exhaust components, act as a restriction to exhaust flow. Whilst the nitrous system is activated, the volume of exhaust flow through the exhaust system is increased. By restricting the exhaust flow from the engine, less power is produced from a given amount of nitrous.
Some people believe that nitrous oxide damages the converter, but that is not the case. Excess fuel however, can reduce the life of the catalyst, so it is very important to have the system jetted correctly, to avoid fuel wastage and damage to the converter. On most modern cars O2 monitoring and closed loop fuel adjustment normally prevents excessively rich mixtures causing damage to the catalyst.
Q) Where can I buy nitrous oxide from?
A) The most convenient and ultimately the cheapest option would be to purchase nitrous oxide in bulk by renting a large cylinder of nitrous oxide from one of the national gas manufacturers / suppliers (such as Nitrous Oxide Supplies, Energas or Linde Gas). This way you can store the cylinder in your garage and refill your small cylinder yourself at your convenience. To carry out this procedure safely you will need a stand, a refill adaptor and line (which we can supply at a lower price than the gas suppliers), but the cost of these extras are soon offset by the cost savings on the gas price.
Companies that sell nitrous systems often offer a refill service and unless you have to travel a long distance to reach their premises, this option can sometimes be more convenient and work out cheaper, depending on how much nitrous you use, etc. Paying per refill is also cheaper in the short term with less of a bulk drain on the wallet and if you’re not young and/or fit, will be an easier process.
To ensure you get the best price, I advise you to contact more than one company for a quote before deciding where to purchase your nitrous supplies from, because the price often varies by a substantial amount.
Q) Can nitrous systems be used with automatic transmission / gearboxes?
A) Yes nitrous systems can be used with automatic transmissions and in the majority of cases automatic transmission can handle larger power increases than a standard factory manual clutch and gearbox. Even the most likely weaknesses in an automatic gearbox (the torque converter and clutches), won’t be tested to their limitations if used with a progressive nitrous system. Introducing the power gradually, puts all of the components under less stress (applies just as much to manual transmissions), so the torque converter and clutches are less likely to slip than they would be with a basic fixed hit kit.
Q) What is the difference between Nitrous oxide and Nitro or are they the same?
A) Many people confuse nitrous oxide with nitro methane, because the term nitro is often used to abbreviate both but it was first used as an abbreviation for nitro methane. Nitro methane is a fuel used by top class Drag cars and is in no way similar or linked to nitrous oxide. In fact they couldn’t be more different, as nitro methane is a flammable fuel, while nitrous oxide is a non-flammable oxidiser.
Q) What is a progressive controller and do I need one?
A) Progressive controllers were developed primarily to vary the delivery rate of fuel and nitrous oxide through the system, which enables the user to start with a low power increase and rise to full power, at a rate that is best for optimum performance, considering the vehicle & prevailing weather and track conditions. The most advanced control unit (our Max Extreme), also offers adjustment of fuel delivery relative to nitrous oxide delivery, along with a host of other advanced and unique system control and safety features. Since even the simplest progressive unit is beneficial to performance and reliability, the extensive range of features the Max offers, makes it extremely beneficial in many ways to add to your system.
Q) What do the metering jets do?
A) Unlike other brands, our jets are stamped with flow rate numbers to make the tuning process more accurate and much easier, than relying on just the jet diameters. The ‘theoretical’ power rating of a given jet (@ 950 psi) in a WON system is half the number stamped on the nitrous jet, which means a jet stamped with 100 will make 50 hp, while a jet stamped with 200 will make 100 hp, and so on. On the fuel side we always recommend a safe rich starting ratio of 2:1 for fuel injection and 1:1 for low pressure carburettor applications. This translates into using a 50 fuel jet with a 100 nitrous jet if fuel injected and a 100 fuel jet with a 100 nitrous jet if using carburettors and low fuel pressure. Then if you need to go leaner with a 3:1 ratio for instance on a fuel injection motor, you would use a 33.3 (round up to a 35 jet) on the fuel side for the same 100 nitrous jet. After appropriate mixture adjustment has determined the optimum fuel & nitrous jet sizes at a low power level, it is then possible to calculate the ratio between the two and use that ratio to determine what sizes are needed as you step the power up. Therefore, if a 100 nitrous jet and 50 fuel jet (2:1) worked well to make 50 hp you should be able to use a 200 nitrous jet and 100 fuel jet to make 100 hp safely and maintain the same a/f ratio. In summary: 50hp using a 2:1 ratio = (100 N2O and 50 fuel) and a 4:1 ratio = (100 N2O and 25 fuel). This principle is only intended for at modest power levels and on high power levels and/or for race applications, the full system should be flow tested and measured to determine the exact jet sizes to use as you increase the power.
Q) How does bottle pressure affect my performance?
A) Achieving optimum performance from a nitrous system relies on both the fuel and nitrous being delivered through the nitrous system in such a way as to maintain a constant mixture ratio and this is best achieved by trying to maintain the delivery pressures of both at constant levels. The jet sizes provided with the nitrous system will only produce optimum results if both fuel and nitrous is delivered at the pressures the jets are intended to work at.
Unfortunately nitrous bottle pressure depends on the ambient temperature and the consumption rate that the nitrous is used at. A low ambient temperature will result in a low bottle pressure and high nitrous consumption (larger jet/s) will cause the bottle pressure to fall more rapidly than low consumption (smaller jets). With the above in mind it is essential to hold the bottle as close to the right ambient temperature as possible, so that the jet/s deliver the correct amount of nitrous from initiation to end of use. Adding a bottle heater is a good method of minimising the drop in bottle pressure and pulsing the solenoids helps to maintain a more constant level, while also providing a more controlled power delivery.
Q) What does the Lifetime Warranty cover?
A) The Lifetime Warranty covers any Highpower product that fails to operate perfectly for the lifetime of the original owner, due to a defective component or an incorrect assembly/testing procedure. The warranty does not cover components that have been subjected to any unapproved adjustments, modifications or misuse.
Q) How much extra power can my engine handle?
A) There is no definite answer to how much extra power any engine can handle because there are too many variables between one engine and another (even of the same type), to give an exact answer. The best we can do is offer advice based on previous experience and it's then the customer responsibility to decide how far to push the limits. What we can say for certain, is that using our systems in general (and our progressive systems in particular), will deliver much safer, more engine friendly power, than any other brand of nitrous kit in the world, because our systems uniquely consist of components designed specifically to achieve that aim, while other companies boast about how brutal their kits ‘hit’, at the expense of engine reliability.
Q) Why do WON use nylon line?
A) Nylon line is better suited than braided line to certain applications for numerous reasons.
• Nylon does not absorb or retain as much heat.
• Nylon with our external fittings maintains a constant I.D. throughout its length.
• Nylon can be cut to the exact length desired, which is beneficial for nitrous use as the shorter the flow path the more efficient it is.
When WON first started using nylon pipe it was unique in doing so but it is now becoming common practice even on high end race applications, confirming that WON had it right all along.
Our nylon however is not the same as used by other brands, because we have our pipe uniquely manufactured for us, to the highest possible specification. Even our low pressure nylon line is of higher quality than that offered by other companies, despite it being subjected to less pressure due to our unique jet location.
Q) Why is my motor not making the power I expected?
A) There could be a number of reasons ranging from a weak spark, incorrect fuel delivery, flow restriction, low bottle pressure, low bottle contents, etc. We always recommend the use of small power levels when trying to resolve such issues, as that minimises the load on the weak part and reduces the risks involved. To minimise the chance of the problem being outside the nitrous system itself and to help resolve the issue yourself, please purchase ‘The nitrous oxide high performance manual’ and read the appropriate section, then follow the appropriate advice. If you do not resolve the problem and achieve the performance level you expected, please complete the contacts page with as many details of you, your vehicle and the problem as possible, then we’ll get back to you to resolve the problem.