INTRODUCTION
I have decided to approach this review very differently compared to my other performance/modification reviews so that the text, pictures and videos serve more as a visual & pictorial essay and provide a relevant reference and bookmarker on this topic that can be updated overtime. Hence the unusual length of the review that reserves posts 1 & 2. Hopefully, the review appeals to you.
Nitrous oxide, N2O, was first discovered in 1793 by the English scientist and clergyman Joseph Priestley, who was also famous for being the first person to isolate other important gases such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and sulphur dioxide.
The Chemist, Humphrey Davy experimented with nitrous oxide on himself and others for medicinal purposes during 1799 and noted about the effects: "Not in the ideal dreams of wild desire have I beheld a rapture-waking formula" But it was his friend and revolutionary poet Robert Southey that wrote the well known and beautiful exclamatory effusion about nitrous oxide (N2O): "I am sure the air in heaven must be this wonder-working gas of delight!"
DEMYSTIFYING N2O
N2O has been described by many names, most notably nitrogen oxide, dinitrogen monoxide, hyponitrous acid anhydride and factitious air. But its most well known name is 'laughing gas' due to its intoxicating effects when inhaled. On the street it is also known as JUICE; NOS; BOOST; on the bottle; on the button or on the gas. Chemically, N2O is a non flammable, odourless, colourless gas with a slightly sweet odour and no appreciable taste at normal ambient temperature and pressure.
Nitrous oxide is a gaseous mixture of two parts nitrogen and one part oxygen (N2O). When used in motor vehicles for racing the gas helps make power in the following ways.
1. During combustion, oxygen separates from the nitrogen molecules and is available to help burn additional fuel. The nitrogen molecules act as a buffer to combustion, slowing the burning process to a more manageable rate as opposed to a violent explosion that is extremely hard on pistons, rods and crankshafts. That is why nitrous oxide is used as opposed to pure oxygen.
2. It allows more fuel to be burned to create more heat and pressure during the combustion process.
3. That conversion reduces overall inlet-air temperature by absorbing heat, contributing to increased power by making the air/fuel mixture more dense. When you reduce the intake air temperature, you increase the air's density, and this provides even more oxygen inside the cylinder.
4. However, it is not oxygen alone which creates additional power, but the ability of the oxygen to burn more fuel.
5. As pressurized nitrous oxide is injected into the intake manifold, it changes from a liquid to a gas (boils). This boiling affect has a reverse effect and reduces and cools the temperature of the nitrous. This "cooling effect" in turn significantly reduces intake charge temperatures, which create additional power.
335 TWIN TURBO IN THE WIZARD OF NOS
The tuning potential of the BMW twin turbo models have been widely acknowledged. There are so many aftermarket bolt-on power adding options ranging from various tunes; performance downpipes; performance exhausts; diverter/blow off valves; charge pipes; DCIs; meth kits; bigger intercoolers, radiators and oil coolers to bigger turbos that it was only a question of time before we realise N2O as another option and probably the ultimate option when maximum acceleration is the primary objective. Installing bigger turbos is the ideal but very costly at this stage of R&D but should become more affordable over time. So right now N2O offers more performance per R/$ spent, than any other performance modification. You can't buy more performance with less money than nitrous, period!
There are also other benefits:
* N20 installations are relatively easy to accomplish and the power increase is dramatic.
* Since N20 is used only when needed, it offers you the advantages of complete "stock" drivability when not activated.
* Systems available for virtually any power need from 5 HP to over 500 extra HP.
* Systems can easily be removed or transferred to another vehicle unlike conventional tuning parts.
* And, nitrous offers tremendous gains in torque without having to rev the engine to excessive rpm's.
* These factors help your engine last longer than many other methods of boosting power.
* Engine disassembly is not required for installation-and the system can be removed for resale at any time.
NX NITROUS EXPRESS: NEXT GENERATION NITROUS SYSTEMS
There are many systems on the market as a casual Google search will confirm. NX Nitrous Express was my first choice because of the positive experience another forum member had with them and after reading up on the company and learning about NXs reputation for quality products and service. And I am so glad I did because they are everything that people made them out to be and much more. NX describes their company motto as: "At NX we live and dream Nitrous Oxide." This statement says it all. You can be assured of excellent advice and prompt replies. My orders shipped with UPS the next day and arrived within 3 days from date of shipment.
(Please note: Importing the nitrous [bottle] with the kit may cause a delay at customs but ensure that you inform NX to include a certificate that confirms that the 10lb bottle is [empty] otherwise S.A. customs will not release the kit until such a guarantee is complied with.)
On inspection of the NX products on arrival, I was amazed at the top class quality of all the components, which gave a huge boost of confidence to install the kit in my car. Without a doubt, the NX nitrous system is advanced in any way possible in terms of technology, engineering, and workmanship.
Check out some of these teaser pictures!
I am sure you wonder what the above picture is about. Well it is not from NX but a very important part of my overall set up. More about this later in the review.
Single Dry Shot:
I decided to go for a traditional single nozzle dry shot system; ported into the charge pipe; because of the success 335/135 owners were having with these dry kits. This system provides nitrous through a single Dry shark nozzle which give adjustability from 50 to 300 wheel horsepower. This system does not add fuel and comes with enough nitrous jets for you to explore. A dry kit is simple and easy and works on all fuel injected BMWs.
NX (EFI) DRY SYSTEM INCLUDES:
* 10 lb bottle (Empty of course)
* Single dry nozzle (no fuel)
* Billet aluminium / carbon fiber lightning series solenoid
* Lightning solenoids
* Solenoid Mounting Brackets
* Billet Lightning 45 bottle valve with pressure gauge
* Stainless bottle brackets
* Braided stainless N20 lines
* Jetting for 31, 35, 41, 52 and 62HP shots. Smaller or bigger jets can be purchased separately.
* Relay
* Wiring and terminals
* All necessary hardware & guides to complete the installation
The complete Dry kit costs about $540 without shipping. In addition to the basic kit, I also ordered:
* The Maximiser 3, progressive controller & Hardware
* Purge system with valve & accessories.
* Automatic bottle opener with complete kit
* Two stainless steel line & T fitting for Purge system
* Bottle heater & gauge
* From NANO, the new Nitrous Oxide Regulation System
As well as a Billet roll bar mounted bracket from NX.
THE NITROUS PLAN & INSTALLATION
This is the first and most important step. No one rushes into installing Nitrous. It requires careful planning; reading about the topic; discussions with the installer and buying the right equipment first time round. My first contact was with a 335 owner on another BMW forumite, Former_Boosted_IS, who successfully installed the kit on his own car and reported great gains in a beautifully written DIY guide. He assisted me with developing my initial plan and providing advice and some pointers. I thank him for this and his motorsport enthusiasm, which is widely appreciated in the x35i community.
I purchased the entire NX Nitrous kit in May 2010. For 3 months, I worked on the plan and how I wanted the kit installed as well as making sure I had every piece of equipment before the installation procedure. I then approached All Speed Racing Technologies (ART), who has considerable experience with installing Nitrous. It took us another 3 weeks of detailed planning and installation: checking the equipment to the last bolt & nut; working out the best plumbing route and then testing each component after it was installed to ensure it was correctly installed and that it was working perfectly. My input was 100%.
As part of the entire planning and installation process, I developed a lever arch-file containing a description of each NX component; all instruction manuals; plenty of reading materials and articles such as, optimizing AFRs 2and fuelling resistors. I insisted that ART read all the materials to ensure that we were both on the same page and have the same outcome in mind. ART also spent considerable time data-logging with the nitrous and dialling in new water/meth injection parameters to work in conjunction with the Nitrous. It surely was a thorough detailed process and worth the many weeks of waiting before I took delivery of the new beast.
DESCRIPTION & INSTALLATION OF THE NX NITROUS COMPONENTS
Maximiser 3 Progressive Controller:
The Maximiser 3 controller is the heart & soul of the NX system. The controller comes with a CD Rom that enables the user to configure data by way of - drag & slide; menu pull-downs; typing in values; check marks; increment/decrement buttons into the various data fields.
This small & sturdy controller can progressively control one or two separate stages of nitrous based on RPM, time or throttle percentage and can be installed almost anywhere in the vehicle as long as the location is away from heat sources that can damage the wires. The LED indicators in the picture - green yellow and red are used to display the status of the Maximiser 3 and are useful in diagnosing problems.
I chose an RPM percentage for the Nitrous flow. The RPM trigger & RPM cut-off feature allows the user to set the minimum or upper RPM required before the nitrous can be triggered or cut-off. A solenoid frequency feature is also a welcome addition and sets the rate at which the controller will pulse the solenoid.
The throttle percentage feature allows you to pedal the car in the event of wheel spin. Nitrous flow smoothly increases and decreases as you work the throttle, allowing you to regain traction and continue racing. The throttle percentage feature is also beneficial for street cars because it allows you to introduce a small amount of nitrous at mid throttle while smoothly transitioning to full nitrous power as you press the throttle to the floor.
The "real curve" ramp technology feature, is simply amazing and allows the user you to create a progressive curve instead of just a linear ramp. The ramp can be Time based, RPM based or Throttle based. The user can drag and drop any dot on the ramp (in the software simulator) between 0 - 100%. The controller will extrapolate between the dots thus creating a nitrous curve instead of the traditional ramp. The software will apply a smoothing algorithm until the desired curve is achieved by the user. And if you are not happy with the simulation you can just press the undo button and start again.
The Maximiser 3 also features traction controlled progressive nitrous when used with the Davis Technologies traction control module. The Maximiser 3 will progressively reduce nitrous flow when wheel spin is detected and will smoothly restore nitrous flow as traction is regained. The Maximiser 3 software can be updated free of charge via the NX website.
Here is a screen shot (off the laptop) of the software in action:
The good news for the JB3 user is that Nitrous flow management is integrated into the tuning interface of the JB3 (but with less features than the dedicated Maximiser 3 controller) but you would be able to run your nitrous kit without the additional controller but also without the benefit of the progressive ramp features of the Maximiser 3. So you will have to decide how much control you want over the entire Nitrous system and what suit your pocket and needs best.
I however, prefer to have two separate, independent and dedicated controllers for meth & nitrous management. The next generation JB4 Canbus version is due December 2010 and will come with a host of brand new general, Meth and Nitrous features as well as in dash code reading/clearing; reading boost; timing; IAT all via the steering wheel controls! This will open up our tuning options and provide additional safety guards. Please note that you have to modify your current JB3 board if you want to run Nitrous and higher boost levels. But if you wait for the JB4 version it will be packed with all necessary features and capabilities.
NX Lightning Series Solenoids:
NX does not recommend using a second nitrous solenoid in line with the nitrous solenoid that came with the basic NX system. Using a second nitrous solenoid in series was popular in the old days. NX specifically designed the Lightning solenoids to handle the demands of a progressive controller such as the Maximiser 3. NX Solenoids use an industrial grade Teflon which does not cut or tear. The Teflon sealing material in the NX Lightning solenoids is spring loaded so the inertia of the closing piston does not slam the sealing material into the seat. Lastly, NX Lightning solenoids have a high amp magnet that makes the solenoid open very quickly. This allows the Lightning solenoid to accurately control the nitrous at lower percentages on the progressive controller.
Check out the aluminium and carbon fibre look of the solenoid. Just stunning!
Purge Valve & Kit:
The purpose of the purge is to remove all gaseous nitrous and air from your main feed line at the solenoid. This puts liquid nitrous at the solenoid resulting in a harder leave or hit? The preferred venting is at the windshield base or where the nitrous purge flow can be seen. My purge venting lines were installed to protrude through the bumper grill with two tiny red lights on the tips, so that it is easy to see the purge of the elastic fluid of Nitrous coming from the vent line in daylight. At the press of a button which is located inside the cabin, nitrous is released into the atmosphere. It is rather thrilling to watch the liquid (white) plume of gas not just the sound of air; blowing/venting thick and stable; indicating that Nitrous has reached the solenoids and the system is ready to go.
No photoshop editing done here!
Here is a short video clip of the purge kit in action:
Installation of the Nozzle:
For systems that utilize a nozzle located in the air intake, location and orientation of the nozzle must be carefully selected, aiming the stream of nitrous into the throttle body without obstruction. I started off with the .35 nozzle on map 8; which will remain my default choice for running Nitrous (for now). Some users are already experimenting with nozzle sizes .41 and .52 of which the latter nozzle is good for 100HP.
Mounting the Bottle:
The best positioning of the bottle is with the valve opening facing the front of the vehicle using the stainless bottle brackets provided. Mounting the bottle in this manner will allow the internal siphon tube to be covered with liquid nitrous at all times and properly supports the bottle. If the liquid is pulled away from the internal (siphon tube) under acceleration or cornering, you get vapour and this causes a rich condition, resulting in a loss of power. The bottle brackets should be secured by grade 5 bolts. Before drilling the holes, check for clearance beneath the mounting surface, i.e. fuel tank, fuel lines, and brake lines. Incorrect nitrous installations can be hazardous. With the bottle rolling around in the back seat, a careless driver not only risks injury by flying bottles in an accident, but also inconsistent nitrous flow.
We laid out the stainless steel brackets on the inside with a protective layer of black felt to prevent it from scratching the bottle.
We made our own aluminium mounting surface with stunning looking carbon guard (3M DI-NOC) and with a soft carpet underneath to give it a very professional and solid look. The original removable boot carpet can be stored away and replaced when needed.
Bottle properly mounted and perfectly secured.
The Nitrous bottle is plumbed using the best possible route under the vehicle for the braided stainless N20 lines through to the engine bay connected to an electric solenoid valve which permits nitrous oxide to flow in a liquid state into the engine's air intake manifold via precise orifices/jets to control flow. These orifices/jets are engineered to deliver a measured supply of the liquid nitrous oxide. The overall density of the fuel/air mixture being drawn into the combustion chamber increases sharply as the nitrous oxide changes from liquid to a gas within the intake passage. The picture below shows the braided Nitrous line fed through the carbon carpet to the underbelly of the vehicle.
After a couple of weeks, I replaced the stainless steel brackets with the very light aluminium, NX adjustable billet roll bar mounted brackets which does not require hand tools to remove the nitrous bottle.
Notice the rubber on the inside of the bracket to protect the bottle and the user from scratches and cutting.
As usual, the packaging from NX is simply the best.
A close up of the cylinder & the bracket as it appears on the NX site:
The new bracket installed:
Remote Bottle Opener:
This opener allows one to stay in the comfort of your seat and open the nitrous bottle. NX designed the opener to work with NX bottles, but may be adapted to fit all other bottles valves. The motor has been installed on the main body for convenience. For example, NX uses a bulkier hand wheel (on the bottle) to give extra support. Our bottle also had a port on the side of the valve for a nitrous pressure gauge, and this allows the driver to read the pressure without opening the bottle.
The next picture was a nice touch once again and an indication of the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the installation procedure. After the installer (ART) connected the opener to the bottle it was covered with plastic to protect it from scratching, dirt marks and dust until it was ready to be installed in the boot.
Here is the remote bottle opener completely assembled & installed in the boot:
Bottle Pressure:
Bottle pressure is a function of both the amount of nitrous remaining in the bottle and the temperature of the bottle. On a cold day you may only see 600 psi, while on an extremely hot day you could see well over 1000 psi. Because the flow rate of the nitrous is greatly affected by pressure, it's important to run the same pressure every time. An electric bottle heater is the solution to this. Most bottle heaters are equipped with thermostats that automatically turn the heater on and off to keep the bottle within a certain temperature range.
Bottle Heater:
With over 60 square inches of heating area, the heater will keep the bottle at the correct pressure under the most demanding conditions. Nitrous Express heater is the only one on the market that is controlled by internal bottle pressure, not by temperature. The bottle heater will begin to heat when bottle pressure drops below 900psi and will turn off at approximately 1050psi, the ideal bottle pressure for the NX system.
If the bottle pressure is below 900psi the system will run rich and lose power. If the bottle pressure is above 1050psi the system will run lean, possibly damaging engine parts. This pressure can be maintained by the bottle heater and easily monitored by the NX liquid filled pressure gauge which is installed in the Nitrous bottle.
Left picture: Yet another special tweak by the installer -The tie-knot over the wiring is to secure the wiring from being ripped out accidentally as well as a special clip at the bottom gives a neat looking install.
The In-Cabin Remote Controls:
Love the detailed planning & designing that went into fitting and locating the remote controls. From a sketch to a Nintendo Wii display...? Wouldn't that be grand?...in this case it is something far more exciting!
The switch in front of the panel is for the remote bottle opener. If you press left (white dot) it remotely opens the bottle and right click closes the bottle. The switch in the middle (right) is to arm the nitrous but it will not fire the solenoid until all the conditions are met which you preset with the Maximiser 3 controller. The switch in the middle (left) is to switch on the bottle heater. For my setting the Nitrous is preset to trigger the solenoid (progressively) @ 20% when 3000rpms are reached and shuts off the nitrous @ 100% flow when 6500rpms are reached. The red button is not a turbo boost function but the purge switch. First, you have to press the switch in the middle (right) to arm the Nitrous as said before and then press the red button to purge.
The picture below mixes business with pleasure...and I had to show off the iphone of course. I like the BMW snap-on adapter for the charging of the iphone as well as optimizing the network connection via the external aerial of the car. However, the adapter is not necessary for bluetooth pairing with the car. Bluetooth technology is simply fantastic for hands free movement. You can make and receive phone calls even if the phone is in the boot or your pocket by using the controls on the steering wheel or simply speaking the commands. Your entire phonebook is stored in the memory of the cars control systems. Those with an eye for detail will also notice the Nitrous is armed!
Plug & Play Wiring Connectors:
This is worth a mention. It has always been one of my aims to ensure that my power modifications are plug & play where possible. In other words the entire installation must be done professionally and in a manner that can be restored to look OEM in matter of minutes. Special care was taken with the connections of all the wiring, in the cabin; in the boot area and the engine bay for safety reasons but also to make it easy to remove or install. The connectors had to be of high quality and should enable the novice user to be able to plug-in or unplug the system without professional service or support. This was initially a challenge but the NX system already comes with the best quality connectors for the wiring and tubing and we took our cue from there. See the following pictures as a demonstration of what I mean.
You can't have it easier than this. Simply great work!
The picture above shows the care that was taken by the installer to protect the wiring with OEM tubing as well as clip on connectors to keep wiring in one place for a clean look.
Left picture: Meth line & purge wiring in OEM tubing enclosures to protect against engine heat and for a clean look.
Right Picture: We removed the entire OEM boost line running from the OEM solenoids to the diverter valves with brand new heat resistant and high flow tubing with strong secure clips that would not cause kinks or boost leaks under any circumstances.
NANO NITROUS OXIDE REGULATION SYSTEM:
Now let me return to the picture that we introduced earlier in the review of the NANO 4500 Pressure Compensation Regulator on top of a 117 ci high pressure NANO bottle:
The system is manufactured by NANO and stands for: nitrogen-assisted nitrous oxide. NANOnitrous.com is an aftermarket performance company based in the US. The NANO system is a bolt-on kit added to the NX system, and it uses nitrogen gas (or air) stored under pressure in a separate reserve tank. I have been reliably informed by NANO that my kit is the first sold in Africa!
There are three basic NANO kits: Universal, Sport, and Competition. I purchased the NANO 10# Sport 4500psi kit with a complete regulator system which includes:
1. NANO Super Hi Flo Valve with port modification & Interconnect Braided Line & T-Bolt NANO Bottle Bracket Assembly. The brackets with the NANO bottle can be installed in any variety of ways and in any direction:
2. NANO Super Hi Flo Valve with Stainless Steel Anti-Reversion Nitrous Check Valve: If you use the NX bottle with the remote bottle opener which is a high flow system then you don't need this Valve but only the additional fitting for the nitrogen gas which you can order separately. I did not need or use this valve in our installation.
3. NANO Universal Fill Adapter On/Off Valve. You can turn the NANO off when not in use:
4. Sticker style, temperature gauge for use on the Nitrous bottle. I already have a temperature & pressure gauge but will nevertheless stick this on the Nitrous bottle for comparison:
HOW DOES THE NANO SYSTEM WORK?
As I explained under the "Bottle Heater" section; in order to operate at peak efficiency, a nitrous system is calibrated for a specific bottle pressure typically between 950-1050psi of pressure. Above the calibrated pressures, more nitrous is introduced into the engine due to higher pressures, resulting in the air/fuel ratio leaning out. Conversely, at pressures under the target, less nitrous is introduced, resulting in rich conditions. As the level of nitrous in the bottle(s) change, so too will the resulting bottle pressure.
As both the amount of liquid and the bottle pressure vary with use and atmospheric conditions, variables are introduced that lead to inconsistent performance.
In order to combat the variables, NANO developed the bolt-on nitrous regulation system that controls both the nitrous oxide density and bottle pressure. The primary objective of a NANO system is to achieve consistent mass flow of nitrous oxide exiting the nitrous bottle.
"By piggybacking a cylinder filled with either high-pressure air or high-pressure nitrogen onto either a standard 10- or 15-lb nitrous bottle in line with the nitrous, the high pressure gas ensures that the bottle pressure remains constant. In addition to consistent bottle pressures, the high pressure (air or nitrogen) forces all the contents of the nitrous bottle out."
This NANO system has now made the use of a (Bottle Heater) to manage bottle pressure and bottle temperature redundant.
Benefits of the Nano system:
i. The NANO system uses "mass flow technology" to constantly compensate for changes in bottle temperature and pressure and produces constant flow of nitrous oxide at all times.
ii. NANO turns on instantly and provides the perfect bottle pressure in just seconds; without having to wait for the bottle to be heated to reach desired temperatures.
iii. In practical terms the NANO system can achieve over 100% more run time without any decrease in performance until almost all 10 lbs of nitrous are used.
iv. NANO, is only used while the system is actively spraying.
v. There is no waiting for the bottle pressure to come up, and it works regardless of actual bottle temperature.
vi. The bottle pressure is maintained at a preset static rate of 1,050psi, which provides a dynamic pressure of approximately 950 psi in the bottle.
The Nano kit is an amazing development and is an essential component in running a safe nitrous system. No need to worry anymore for fear of running a lean or too rich engine condition due to fluctuating or inconsistent bottle pressures or temperatures.
In this review we introduced the NX bottle heater. And for those that want to run a basic Nitrous kit the bottle heater will suffice. But for those that want to install the ultimate kit with the best possible safety features; the NANO system is the way to go.
The bottle heater cannot and absolutely must not be used together with the NANO Nitrous Oxide Regulation System. Period.
However, I decided to keep the Bottle Heater installed as is but keep it disengaged when the NANO kit is in operation. This gives me the option to switch on the Bottle Heater in the unlikely scenario, when the NANO bottle runs out of nitrogen before the Nitrous bottle is empty.
There are only certain selected outlets such as Scuba Diving shops or Fire Brigade stations than can supply Nitrogen or the high pressure air for the NANO bottle. The shop must have the correct valve size as well as a high pressure pump to fill the NANO cylinder to 4500 psi.
See the pictures of the Nano kit installed. The braided line from the NANO bottle is interconnected with a T-connector after the pressure gauge. Due to the lightness of the NANO bottle and adjustability of the NANO brackets the NANO bottle is securely attached to the Nitrous bottle.
The completed installation with the new billet brackets is so easy to install and remove.
Please note that after installing the NANO system you must retune the car. The Nitrous will flow 20% more at a minimum with the NANO system active. I decided to lower the map to map 7 for testing and progressively selected maps upwards. The advantage of the NANO system is that one can now get more power from a .35 jet which was not previously not the case. I will be monitoring this for the next month or so before exploring with the .50 jet. NANO provides a pilling chart with the kit which gives an indication of how much more power the NANO adds to a jet size.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
While nitrous is one of the oldest and most effective power adders, it is still misconceived as a black art. Safety must be the most important consideration when purchasing a kit and when choosing an installer or when installing it yourself. Don't focus on price before having made a full & detailed Nitrous plan for your application. The system needs to be affordable but, sometimes for a couple bucks more you can have a much better system by getting the right equipment and not trying to take the cheap way out; this is indeed the first step in staying safe. An extinguisher is not just for the track. Fitted underneath my passenger seat for easy access.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
Q: Is nitrous oxide flammable?
A: No. Nitrous Oxide by itself is non-flammable. However, the oxygen present in Nitrous Oxide causes combustion of fuel to take place more rapidly inside the engine. N2O will not burn, nor is it a fuel. It is merely an oxygen-rich compound that supports the combustion of additional fuel. If cylinder pressure does rise above the octane tolerance of the fuel being used, detonation could occur, and that will damage pistons, rings, etc.
Q: Will nitrous oxide cause detonation?
A: Not directly. Detonation is the result of too little fuel present during combustion (lean) or too low of an octane of fuel. Too much ignition advance also causes detonation.
Q: Does nitrous oxide raise cylinder pressures and temperatures?
A: Yes. Due to the ability to burn more fuel, this is exactly why nitrous makes so much power. But the richer you run it the less heat. So if you want more power use more of both. Do not just try to weaken the mixture to the limit as richer is safer!
Q: Does N2O adds octane to the fuel being used and reduces detonation?
A: N2O does not increase the octane of the fuel being used. However, nitrous oxide injection may suppress/dampen detonation due to the inter-cooling effect of the depressurizing of the compressed N2O and by the introduction of extra fuel.
Q: Should I only use race fuel or premium fuel with N2O injection?
A: I found different and very interesting answers to this question. Read this carefully. The purpose of N2O injection is to support the combustion of extra fuel, thereby releasing more work-producing heat in the combustion chambers. Consequently, maximum cylinder pressures with N2O will be higher than when it isn't in use. Extra cylinder pressure does tend to cause pre-ignition and uncontrolled combustion, but, N2O injection also tends to suppress detonation. With most street N2O systems, these two opposing forces tend to cancel each other out, which mean you can continue to use the same octane gas that was acceptable before the N2O was added. However, it is advisable not to use anything less than premium pump fuel but ideally you want to provide the highest possible available unleaded octane fuel with nitrous for the additional buffer of safety.
Q: Does Water/Methanol injection reduces detonation and can it be injected in conjunction with Nitrous?
A: Yes, Water/Methanol injection has many benefits. It allows you to make tremendous amounts of power on pump gas. The effect is similar to running 104 octane all the time, with additional cooling benefits allowing for more power than you could ever make on race gas alone. Water/methanol injection (50/50% mix) can be safely used with nitrous and because it increases the fuel octane it also effectively reduces detonation and makes it an essential modification when running Nitrous.
We installed the Nitrous nozzle closer to the throttle- body to prevent any possible obstruction to the elastic Nitrous fluid and the water/methanol CM10 injector further away in the STETT elbow. The first bung in the STETT charge pipe (left picture) is for the Nitrous and the second bung remains shut. The picture on the right is the STETT elbow that fits snugly into the other end of the STETT or stock charge pipe for the meth nozzle.
In the picture below you can see the meth line is clear and then "black". We fitted black tubing over the clear meth line to protect it against heat but also to create a stealth look in the engine bay.
Meth pump pressure was bumped up to full capacity to provide the best atomization for the new CM10 nozzle. As shown before - notice again the plug & play feature of the connectors for easy removal when you have to dash off to the supermarket to pick up groceries. The connectors just slide through the grommet and under the carbon cover when not in use.
You can find my Water/Meth reviews here:
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=9577
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=5453
PERFORMANCE OF THE NITROUS SYSTEM: THE FAST & FURIOUS
Everything that I have discussed so far is about the performance of the various systems and components from the amazing Maximiser 3 controller; dry nozzle & 35 jet; purge kit; solenoid; gauge; brackets; NANO system and NX cylinder - they all make up and contribute to the overall performance of the Nitrous package and the eventual performance of the vehicle. It is not only about the size of the jet neither is it only about the top speed or extra power. But then again Nitrous is all about power.
Considerable time was spent dyno and street datalogging. We did various baseline runs on maps 7, 8, 9 & 10 with meth and race gas and without race gas. We also tested the car with all the bolt-ons, race gas, meth and Nitrous. Here is a picture of the car on the dyno. See the gauges, laptop with Maximiser 3 interface and the ever present Autologic diagnostic tool.
For the first phase of testing we decided to use the default maps offered by the JB3 and not to develop a special map (map one) for the Nitrous since we want to explore the capabilities and possibilities of the car with Nitrous without too much fine tuning (at this stage), but also because we are waiting with anticipation for the release of the JB4 Pro to be released. During the many dyno runs the car was well within the targets and parameters of the AFR & timing ratios which we were aiming for.
The 35 jet is a very small shot of Nitrous and our power outputs were right within the output target for such a small jet. We achieved on map 8 on a very conservative Dyno I may add, a meaty 25Kw and 35Nm power increase. The goal was to see how well the car would respond to this small shot and provide a new Nitrous baseline as we upgrade with each jet. So nothing earth shattering at this stage. We also deliberately have not tried any race maps yet.
A couple of things got us excited:
The fuel ratios and water temps were right within target. The modified 15ohm JB board ensured that we run rich within the window the Nitrous was flowing.
We were running (less) boost and less rpms when Nitrous was flowing but gained (more) power in comparison to the baseline runs and the intake charge temps were also considerably lower despite the additional load.
Sustained boost on map 9 is 15.5psi without Nitrous. And with Nitrous on map 9 we achieved more power but at 14psi.
An area of concern was the increase in oil temps running up to 130 degrees celsius on the dyno after a couple of runs; but the oil temps did not climb above the expected 120 degrees target during spirited driving on the street. I may have to consider an additional oil cooler to bring the oil temps within range, as a precaution.
On the street the car is an animal. The Maximiser 3 controler is a very smart gadget. When Nitrous is armed the Nitrous only injects 20% @ 3000rpms and increases progressively to 100% @ 6500rpms. This progressive injection is great for street runs as well as the smooth curve or ramp that my tuner created for how the Nitrous should flow during the rpm window. You do not feel the Nitrous "kick in" as in the "Fast & Furious" movies. There is no hard push into your seat experience, there are no noises or strange boost signs....nothing. You can just feel the car pulls stronger as the rpms build up. The difference is even more pronounced on the street when you run the car on map 9 which is a reasonably aggressive JB3 map without Nitrous and the car feels noticably very slow even though it is not, but because one got used to the extra power from the Nitrous and when you arm the Nitrous on the same map 9 you feel the power is "back on" again. For the next couple of months I will continue to explore the various default maps and continue to datalog as well as experimenting with the bigger jets 45 & 55.
My verdict after many dyno and street runs: The 335 is responding extremely well to a shot of Nitrous and goes about her business with extra vigour. I can run map 9 with the 35 jet every day and will be far from exceeding the capacity and capabilities of the engine and far from overworking the stock turbos whilst gaining more power and all done on less boost.
I am itching to explore something very soon. My experience with the 335 is that in a street run (not a topend run) the contest is won or lost between sustained 3700 rpms and 5600 rpms and not at 6000 and above rpm. My current Nitrous flow for 100% flow is not within this rpm window. With The Maximiser controller one can set the Nitrous flow in whichever way you want it and for whatever occasion. Each occasion will require a different controller setting. I am kind of excited to plug the laptop in tomorrow and see what happens...a world of possibilities have opened up. And when the bigger snails arrive one can just ponder on all the potential.
CONCLUSION
This modification is for the serious enthusiast. This is not a DIY. You take responsibility yourself for modifications done to your car. In its instruction manual, NX warns the user to follow the installation instructions & procedures in the NX manual to the letter and states:
"Do not listen to:
A. Your buddy!
B. Your buddys friend!
C. The local nitrous guru!
D. Any article in any magazine"
The use of nitrous oxide can be a complicated subject and, unfortunately, many people misunderstand or just don't pay attention to all the information on the topic. I agree that adhering to the manufacturers instructions will prevent faulty installations and possible disastrous results. But there is no harm in listening to your buddy and his friends and their experiences of nitrous; listen to your local nitrous guru; read as much as you can on nitrous on the web, magazine articles and books. In the words of the student creed: Knowledge is power. You will find conflicting views and different installation guides on Nitrous, and you will have to navigate your way through the maze. But make sure you understand the installation procedures of the manufacturer for the product you purchased even if someone else is installing the nitrous kit for you. Give 100% input on the installation and subsequent testing and if you don't understand something, do ask even if it makes you feel stupid - including from the manufacturer of the system if necessary.
Anyone who has done their homework on nitrous knows that when done right, it can be a hell of a good time when you become part of the "nitrous oxide mania club" and share in the eulogy of Robert Southey about N2O: "I am sure the air in heaven must be this wonder-working gas of delight!"
Keep safe and have fun!
SOURCES CONSULTED
http://www.nitrousdirect.com/nitrousoxide.html
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/n2o/erratum.htm
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/n2o/n2oc.htm
http://www.poemhunter.com/robert-southey/
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0601gm_nitrous_systems/index.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0601gm_nitrous_system_tips/index.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0211gmhtp_installing_running_nitrous_safely/index.html
http://www.nano-nitrous.com/
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_1003_nano_nitrous_system/70_opel_gt_drag_test.html
INTERESTING READING
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question2591.htm
http://www.nitrousdirect.com/
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-iii/p-block-elements/nitrogen.php
I have decided to approach this review very differently compared to my other performance/modification reviews so that the text, pictures and videos serve more as a visual & pictorial essay and provide a relevant reference and bookmarker on this topic that can be updated overtime. Hence the unusual length of the review that reserves posts 1 & 2. Hopefully, the review appeals to you.
Nitrous oxide, N2O, was first discovered in 1793 by the English scientist and clergyman Joseph Priestley, who was also famous for being the first person to isolate other important gases such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and sulphur dioxide.
The Chemist, Humphrey Davy experimented with nitrous oxide on himself and others for medicinal purposes during 1799 and noted about the effects: "Not in the ideal dreams of wild desire have I beheld a rapture-waking formula" But it was his friend and revolutionary poet Robert Southey that wrote the well known and beautiful exclamatory effusion about nitrous oxide (N2O): "I am sure the air in heaven must be this wonder-working gas of delight!"
DEMYSTIFYING N2O
N2O has been described by many names, most notably nitrogen oxide, dinitrogen monoxide, hyponitrous acid anhydride and factitious air. But its most well known name is 'laughing gas' due to its intoxicating effects when inhaled. On the street it is also known as JUICE; NOS; BOOST; on the bottle; on the button or on the gas. Chemically, N2O is a non flammable, odourless, colourless gas with a slightly sweet odour and no appreciable taste at normal ambient temperature and pressure.
Nitrous oxide is a gaseous mixture of two parts nitrogen and one part oxygen (N2O). When used in motor vehicles for racing the gas helps make power in the following ways.
1. During combustion, oxygen separates from the nitrogen molecules and is available to help burn additional fuel. The nitrogen molecules act as a buffer to combustion, slowing the burning process to a more manageable rate as opposed to a violent explosion that is extremely hard on pistons, rods and crankshafts. That is why nitrous oxide is used as opposed to pure oxygen.
2. It allows more fuel to be burned to create more heat and pressure during the combustion process.
3. That conversion reduces overall inlet-air temperature by absorbing heat, contributing to increased power by making the air/fuel mixture more dense. When you reduce the intake air temperature, you increase the air's density, and this provides even more oxygen inside the cylinder.
4. However, it is not oxygen alone which creates additional power, but the ability of the oxygen to burn more fuel.
5. As pressurized nitrous oxide is injected into the intake manifold, it changes from a liquid to a gas (boils). This boiling affect has a reverse effect and reduces and cools the temperature of the nitrous. This "cooling effect" in turn significantly reduces intake charge temperatures, which create additional power.
335 TWIN TURBO IN THE WIZARD OF NOS
The tuning potential of the BMW twin turbo models have been widely acknowledged. There are so many aftermarket bolt-on power adding options ranging from various tunes; performance downpipes; performance exhausts; diverter/blow off valves; charge pipes; DCIs; meth kits; bigger intercoolers, radiators and oil coolers to bigger turbos that it was only a question of time before we realise N2O as another option and probably the ultimate option when maximum acceleration is the primary objective. Installing bigger turbos is the ideal but very costly at this stage of R&D but should become more affordable over time. So right now N2O offers more performance per R/$ spent, than any other performance modification. You can't buy more performance with less money than nitrous, period!
There are also other benefits:
* N20 installations are relatively easy to accomplish and the power increase is dramatic.
* Since N20 is used only when needed, it offers you the advantages of complete "stock" drivability when not activated.
* Systems available for virtually any power need from 5 HP to over 500 extra HP.
* Systems can easily be removed or transferred to another vehicle unlike conventional tuning parts.
* And, nitrous offers tremendous gains in torque without having to rev the engine to excessive rpm's.
* These factors help your engine last longer than many other methods of boosting power.
* Engine disassembly is not required for installation-and the system can be removed for resale at any time.
NX NITROUS EXPRESS: NEXT GENERATION NITROUS SYSTEMS
There are many systems on the market as a casual Google search will confirm. NX Nitrous Express was my first choice because of the positive experience another forum member had with them and after reading up on the company and learning about NXs reputation for quality products and service. And I am so glad I did because they are everything that people made them out to be and much more. NX describes their company motto as: "At NX we live and dream Nitrous Oxide." This statement says it all. You can be assured of excellent advice and prompt replies. My orders shipped with UPS the next day and arrived within 3 days from date of shipment.
(Please note: Importing the nitrous [bottle] with the kit may cause a delay at customs but ensure that you inform NX to include a certificate that confirms that the 10lb bottle is [empty] otherwise S.A. customs will not release the kit until such a guarantee is complied with.)
On inspection of the NX products on arrival, I was amazed at the top class quality of all the components, which gave a huge boost of confidence to install the kit in my car. Without a doubt, the NX nitrous system is advanced in any way possible in terms of technology, engineering, and workmanship.
Check out some of these teaser pictures!
I am sure you wonder what the above picture is about. Well it is not from NX but a very important part of my overall set up. More about this later in the review.
Single Dry Shot:
I decided to go for a traditional single nozzle dry shot system; ported into the charge pipe; because of the success 335/135 owners were having with these dry kits. This system provides nitrous through a single Dry shark nozzle which give adjustability from 50 to 300 wheel horsepower. This system does not add fuel and comes with enough nitrous jets for you to explore. A dry kit is simple and easy and works on all fuel injected BMWs.
NX (EFI) DRY SYSTEM INCLUDES:
* 10 lb bottle (Empty of course)
* Single dry nozzle (no fuel)
* Billet aluminium / carbon fiber lightning series solenoid
* Lightning solenoids
* Solenoid Mounting Brackets
* Billet Lightning 45 bottle valve with pressure gauge
* Stainless bottle brackets
* Braided stainless N20 lines
* Jetting for 31, 35, 41, 52 and 62HP shots. Smaller or bigger jets can be purchased separately.
* Relay
* Wiring and terminals
* All necessary hardware & guides to complete the installation
The complete Dry kit costs about $540 without shipping. In addition to the basic kit, I also ordered:
* The Maximiser 3, progressive controller & Hardware
* Purge system with valve & accessories.
* Automatic bottle opener with complete kit
* Two stainless steel line & T fitting for Purge system
* Bottle heater & gauge
* From NANO, the new Nitrous Oxide Regulation System
As well as a Billet roll bar mounted bracket from NX.
THE NITROUS PLAN & INSTALLATION
This is the first and most important step. No one rushes into installing Nitrous. It requires careful planning; reading about the topic; discussions with the installer and buying the right equipment first time round. My first contact was with a 335 owner on another BMW forumite, Former_Boosted_IS, who successfully installed the kit on his own car and reported great gains in a beautifully written DIY guide. He assisted me with developing my initial plan and providing advice and some pointers. I thank him for this and his motorsport enthusiasm, which is widely appreciated in the x35i community.
I purchased the entire NX Nitrous kit in May 2010. For 3 months, I worked on the plan and how I wanted the kit installed as well as making sure I had every piece of equipment before the installation procedure. I then approached All Speed Racing Technologies (ART), who has considerable experience with installing Nitrous. It took us another 3 weeks of detailed planning and installation: checking the equipment to the last bolt & nut; working out the best plumbing route and then testing each component after it was installed to ensure it was correctly installed and that it was working perfectly. My input was 100%.
As part of the entire planning and installation process, I developed a lever arch-file containing a description of each NX component; all instruction manuals; plenty of reading materials and articles such as, optimizing AFRs 2and fuelling resistors. I insisted that ART read all the materials to ensure that we were both on the same page and have the same outcome in mind. ART also spent considerable time data-logging with the nitrous and dialling in new water/meth injection parameters to work in conjunction with the Nitrous. It surely was a thorough detailed process and worth the many weeks of waiting before I took delivery of the new beast.
DESCRIPTION & INSTALLATION OF THE NX NITROUS COMPONENTS
Maximiser 3 Progressive Controller:
The Maximiser 3 controller is the heart & soul of the NX system. The controller comes with a CD Rom that enables the user to configure data by way of - drag & slide; menu pull-downs; typing in values; check marks; increment/decrement buttons into the various data fields.
This small & sturdy controller can progressively control one or two separate stages of nitrous based on RPM, time or throttle percentage and can be installed almost anywhere in the vehicle as long as the location is away from heat sources that can damage the wires. The LED indicators in the picture - green yellow and red are used to display the status of the Maximiser 3 and are useful in diagnosing problems.
I chose an RPM percentage for the Nitrous flow. The RPM trigger & RPM cut-off feature allows the user to set the minimum or upper RPM required before the nitrous can be triggered or cut-off. A solenoid frequency feature is also a welcome addition and sets the rate at which the controller will pulse the solenoid.
The throttle percentage feature allows you to pedal the car in the event of wheel spin. Nitrous flow smoothly increases and decreases as you work the throttle, allowing you to regain traction and continue racing. The throttle percentage feature is also beneficial for street cars because it allows you to introduce a small amount of nitrous at mid throttle while smoothly transitioning to full nitrous power as you press the throttle to the floor.
The "real curve" ramp technology feature, is simply amazing and allows the user you to create a progressive curve instead of just a linear ramp. The ramp can be Time based, RPM based or Throttle based. The user can drag and drop any dot on the ramp (in the software simulator) between 0 - 100%. The controller will extrapolate between the dots thus creating a nitrous curve instead of the traditional ramp. The software will apply a smoothing algorithm until the desired curve is achieved by the user. And if you are not happy with the simulation you can just press the undo button and start again.
The Maximiser 3 also features traction controlled progressive nitrous when used with the Davis Technologies traction control module. The Maximiser 3 will progressively reduce nitrous flow when wheel spin is detected and will smoothly restore nitrous flow as traction is regained. The Maximiser 3 software can be updated free of charge via the NX website.
Here is a screen shot (off the laptop) of the software in action:
The good news for the JB3 user is that Nitrous flow management is integrated into the tuning interface of the JB3 (but with less features than the dedicated Maximiser 3 controller) but you would be able to run your nitrous kit without the additional controller but also without the benefit of the progressive ramp features of the Maximiser 3. So you will have to decide how much control you want over the entire Nitrous system and what suit your pocket and needs best.
I however, prefer to have two separate, independent and dedicated controllers for meth & nitrous management. The next generation JB4 Canbus version is due December 2010 and will come with a host of brand new general, Meth and Nitrous features as well as in dash code reading/clearing; reading boost; timing; IAT all via the steering wheel controls! This will open up our tuning options and provide additional safety guards. Please note that you have to modify your current JB3 board if you want to run Nitrous and higher boost levels. But if you wait for the JB4 version it will be packed with all necessary features and capabilities.
NX Lightning Series Solenoids:
NX does not recommend using a second nitrous solenoid in line with the nitrous solenoid that came with the basic NX system. Using a second nitrous solenoid in series was popular in the old days. NX specifically designed the Lightning solenoids to handle the demands of a progressive controller such as the Maximiser 3. NX Solenoids use an industrial grade Teflon which does not cut or tear. The Teflon sealing material in the NX Lightning solenoids is spring loaded so the inertia of the closing piston does not slam the sealing material into the seat. Lastly, NX Lightning solenoids have a high amp magnet that makes the solenoid open very quickly. This allows the Lightning solenoid to accurately control the nitrous at lower percentages on the progressive controller.
Check out the aluminium and carbon fibre look of the solenoid. Just stunning!
Purge Valve & Kit:
The purpose of the purge is to remove all gaseous nitrous and air from your main feed line at the solenoid. This puts liquid nitrous at the solenoid resulting in a harder leave or hit? The preferred venting is at the windshield base or where the nitrous purge flow can be seen. My purge venting lines were installed to protrude through the bumper grill with two tiny red lights on the tips, so that it is easy to see the purge of the elastic fluid of Nitrous coming from the vent line in daylight. At the press of a button which is located inside the cabin, nitrous is released into the atmosphere. It is rather thrilling to watch the liquid (white) plume of gas not just the sound of air; blowing/venting thick and stable; indicating that Nitrous has reached the solenoids and the system is ready to go.
No photoshop editing done here!
Here is a short video clip of the purge kit in action:
Installation of the Nozzle:
For systems that utilize a nozzle located in the air intake, location and orientation of the nozzle must be carefully selected, aiming the stream of nitrous into the throttle body without obstruction. I started off with the .35 nozzle on map 8; which will remain my default choice for running Nitrous (for now). Some users are already experimenting with nozzle sizes .41 and .52 of which the latter nozzle is good for 100HP.
Mounting the Bottle:
The best positioning of the bottle is with the valve opening facing the front of the vehicle using the stainless bottle brackets provided. Mounting the bottle in this manner will allow the internal siphon tube to be covered with liquid nitrous at all times and properly supports the bottle. If the liquid is pulled away from the internal (siphon tube) under acceleration or cornering, you get vapour and this causes a rich condition, resulting in a loss of power. The bottle brackets should be secured by grade 5 bolts. Before drilling the holes, check for clearance beneath the mounting surface, i.e. fuel tank, fuel lines, and brake lines. Incorrect nitrous installations can be hazardous. With the bottle rolling around in the back seat, a careless driver not only risks injury by flying bottles in an accident, but also inconsistent nitrous flow.
We laid out the stainless steel brackets on the inside with a protective layer of black felt to prevent it from scratching the bottle.
We made our own aluminium mounting surface with stunning looking carbon guard (3M DI-NOC) and with a soft carpet underneath to give it a very professional and solid look. The original removable boot carpet can be stored away and replaced when needed.
Bottle properly mounted and perfectly secured.
The Nitrous bottle is plumbed using the best possible route under the vehicle for the braided stainless N20 lines through to the engine bay connected to an electric solenoid valve which permits nitrous oxide to flow in a liquid state into the engine's air intake manifold via precise orifices/jets to control flow. These orifices/jets are engineered to deliver a measured supply of the liquid nitrous oxide. The overall density of the fuel/air mixture being drawn into the combustion chamber increases sharply as the nitrous oxide changes from liquid to a gas within the intake passage. The picture below shows the braided Nitrous line fed through the carbon carpet to the underbelly of the vehicle.
After a couple of weeks, I replaced the stainless steel brackets with the very light aluminium, NX adjustable billet roll bar mounted brackets which does not require hand tools to remove the nitrous bottle.
Notice the rubber on the inside of the bracket to protect the bottle and the user from scratches and cutting.
As usual, the packaging from NX is simply the best.
A close up of the cylinder & the bracket as it appears on the NX site:
The new bracket installed:
Remote Bottle Opener:
This opener allows one to stay in the comfort of your seat and open the nitrous bottle. NX designed the opener to work with NX bottles, but may be adapted to fit all other bottles valves. The motor has been installed on the main body for convenience. For example, NX uses a bulkier hand wheel (on the bottle) to give extra support. Our bottle also had a port on the side of the valve for a nitrous pressure gauge, and this allows the driver to read the pressure without opening the bottle.
The next picture was a nice touch once again and an indication of the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the installation procedure. After the installer (ART) connected the opener to the bottle it was covered with plastic to protect it from scratching, dirt marks and dust until it was ready to be installed in the boot.
Here is the remote bottle opener completely assembled & installed in the boot:
Bottle Pressure:
Bottle pressure is a function of both the amount of nitrous remaining in the bottle and the temperature of the bottle. On a cold day you may only see 600 psi, while on an extremely hot day you could see well over 1000 psi. Because the flow rate of the nitrous is greatly affected by pressure, it's important to run the same pressure every time. An electric bottle heater is the solution to this. Most bottle heaters are equipped with thermostats that automatically turn the heater on and off to keep the bottle within a certain temperature range.
Bottle Heater:
With over 60 square inches of heating area, the heater will keep the bottle at the correct pressure under the most demanding conditions. Nitrous Express heater is the only one on the market that is controlled by internal bottle pressure, not by temperature. The bottle heater will begin to heat when bottle pressure drops below 900psi and will turn off at approximately 1050psi, the ideal bottle pressure for the NX system.
If the bottle pressure is below 900psi the system will run rich and lose power. If the bottle pressure is above 1050psi the system will run lean, possibly damaging engine parts. This pressure can be maintained by the bottle heater and easily monitored by the NX liquid filled pressure gauge which is installed in the Nitrous bottle.
Left picture: Yet another special tweak by the installer -The tie-knot over the wiring is to secure the wiring from being ripped out accidentally as well as a special clip at the bottom gives a neat looking install.
The In-Cabin Remote Controls:
Love the detailed planning & designing that went into fitting and locating the remote controls. From a sketch to a Nintendo Wii display...? Wouldn't that be grand?...in this case it is something far more exciting!
The switch in front of the panel is for the remote bottle opener. If you press left (white dot) it remotely opens the bottle and right click closes the bottle. The switch in the middle (right) is to arm the nitrous but it will not fire the solenoid until all the conditions are met which you preset with the Maximiser 3 controller. The switch in the middle (left) is to switch on the bottle heater. For my setting the Nitrous is preset to trigger the solenoid (progressively) @ 20% when 3000rpms are reached and shuts off the nitrous @ 100% flow when 6500rpms are reached. The red button is not a turbo boost function but the purge switch. First, you have to press the switch in the middle (right) to arm the Nitrous as said before and then press the red button to purge.
The picture below mixes business with pleasure...and I had to show off the iphone of course. I like the BMW snap-on adapter for the charging of the iphone as well as optimizing the network connection via the external aerial of the car. However, the adapter is not necessary for bluetooth pairing with the car. Bluetooth technology is simply fantastic for hands free movement. You can make and receive phone calls even if the phone is in the boot or your pocket by using the controls on the steering wheel or simply speaking the commands. Your entire phonebook is stored in the memory of the cars control systems. Those with an eye for detail will also notice the Nitrous is armed!
Plug & Play Wiring Connectors:
This is worth a mention. It has always been one of my aims to ensure that my power modifications are plug & play where possible. In other words the entire installation must be done professionally and in a manner that can be restored to look OEM in matter of minutes. Special care was taken with the connections of all the wiring, in the cabin; in the boot area and the engine bay for safety reasons but also to make it easy to remove or install. The connectors had to be of high quality and should enable the novice user to be able to plug-in or unplug the system without professional service or support. This was initially a challenge but the NX system already comes with the best quality connectors for the wiring and tubing and we took our cue from there. See the following pictures as a demonstration of what I mean.
You can't have it easier than this. Simply great work!
The picture above shows the care that was taken by the installer to protect the wiring with OEM tubing as well as clip on connectors to keep wiring in one place for a clean look.
Left picture: Meth line & purge wiring in OEM tubing enclosures to protect against engine heat and for a clean look.
Right Picture: We removed the entire OEM boost line running from the OEM solenoids to the diverter valves with brand new heat resistant and high flow tubing with strong secure clips that would not cause kinks or boost leaks under any circumstances.
NANO NITROUS OXIDE REGULATION SYSTEM:
Now let me return to the picture that we introduced earlier in the review of the NANO 4500 Pressure Compensation Regulator on top of a 117 ci high pressure NANO bottle:
The system is manufactured by NANO and stands for: nitrogen-assisted nitrous oxide. NANOnitrous.com is an aftermarket performance company based in the US. The NANO system is a bolt-on kit added to the NX system, and it uses nitrogen gas (or air) stored under pressure in a separate reserve tank. I have been reliably informed by NANO that my kit is the first sold in Africa!
There are three basic NANO kits: Universal, Sport, and Competition. I purchased the NANO 10# Sport 4500psi kit with a complete regulator system which includes:
1. NANO Super Hi Flo Valve with port modification & Interconnect Braided Line & T-Bolt NANO Bottle Bracket Assembly. The brackets with the NANO bottle can be installed in any variety of ways and in any direction:
2. NANO Super Hi Flo Valve with Stainless Steel Anti-Reversion Nitrous Check Valve: If you use the NX bottle with the remote bottle opener which is a high flow system then you don't need this Valve but only the additional fitting for the nitrogen gas which you can order separately. I did not need or use this valve in our installation.
3. NANO Universal Fill Adapter On/Off Valve. You can turn the NANO off when not in use:
4. Sticker style, temperature gauge for use on the Nitrous bottle. I already have a temperature & pressure gauge but will nevertheless stick this on the Nitrous bottle for comparison:
HOW DOES THE NANO SYSTEM WORK?
As I explained under the "Bottle Heater" section; in order to operate at peak efficiency, a nitrous system is calibrated for a specific bottle pressure typically between 950-1050psi of pressure. Above the calibrated pressures, more nitrous is introduced into the engine due to higher pressures, resulting in the air/fuel ratio leaning out. Conversely, at pressures under the target, less nitrous is introduced, resulting in rich conditions. As the level of nitrous in the bottle(s) change, so too will the resulting bottle pressure.
As both the amount of liquid and the bottle pressure vary with use and atmospheric conditions, variables are introduced that lead to inconsistent performance.
In order to combat the variables, NANO developed the bolt-on nitrous regulation system that controls both the nitrous oxide density and bottle pressure. The primary objective of a NANO system is to achieve consistent mass flow of nitrous oxide exiting the nitrous bottle.
"By piggybacking a cylinder filled with either high-pressure air or high-pressure nitrogen onto either a standard 10- or 15-lb nitrous bottle in line with the nitrous, the high pressure gas ensures that the bottle pressure remains constant. In addition to consistent bottle pressures, the high pressure (air or nitrogen) forces all the contents of the nitrous bottle out."
This NANO system has now made the use of a (Bottle Heater) to manage bottle pressure and bottle temperature redundant.
Benefits of the Nano system:
i. The NANO system uses "mass flow technology" to constantly compensate for changes in bottle temperature and pressure and produces constant flow of nitrous oxide at all times.
ii. NANO turns on instantly and provides the perfect bottle pressure in just seconds; without having to wait for the bottle to be heated to reach desired temperatures.
iii. In practical terms the NANO system can achieve over 100% more run time without any decrease in performance until almost all 10 lbs of nitrous are used.
iv. NANO, is only used while the system is actively spraying.
v. There is no waiting for the bottle pressure to come up, and it works regardless of actual bottle temperature.
vi. The bottle pressure is maintained at a preset static rate of 1,050psi, which provides a dynamic pressure of approximately 950 psi in the bottle.
The Nano kit is an amazing development and is an essential component in running a safe nitrous system. No need to worry anymore for fear of running a lean or too rich engine condition due to fluctuating or inconsistent bottle pressures or temperatures.
In this review we introduced the NX bottle heater. And for those that want to run a basic Nitrous kit the bottle heater will suffice. But for those that want to install the ultimate kit with the best possible safety features; the NANO system is the way to go.
The bottle heater cannot and absolutely must not be used together with the NANO Nitrous Oxide Regulation System. Period.
However, I decided to keep the Bottle Heater installed as is but keep it disengaged when the NANO kit is in operation. This gives me the option to switch on the Bottle Heater in the unlikely scenario, when the NANO bottle runs out of nitrogen before the Nitrous bottle is empty.
There are only certain selected outlets such as Scuba Diving shops or Fire Brigade stations than can supply Nitrogen or the high pressure air for the NANO bottle. The shop must have the correct valve size as well as a high pressure pump to fill the NANO cylinder to 4500 psi.
See the pictures of the Nano kit installed. The braided line from the NANO bottle is interconnected with a T-connector after the pressure gauge. Due to the lightness of the NANO bottle and adjustability of the NANO brackets the NANO bottle is securely attached to the Nitrous bottle.
The completed installation with the new billet brackets is so easy to install and remove.
Please note that after installing the NANO system you must retune the car. The Nitrous will flow 20% more at a minimum with the NANO system active. I decided to lower the map to map 7 for testing and progressively selected maps upwards. The advantage of the NANO system is that one can now get more power from a .35 jet which was not previously not the case. I will be monitoring this for the next month or so before exploring with the .50 jet. NANO provides a pilling chart with the kit which gives an indication of how much more power the NANO adds to a jet size.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
While nitrous is one of the oldest and most effective power adders, it is still misconceived as a black art. Safety must be the most important consideration when purchasing a kit and when choosing an installer or when installing it yourself. Don't focus on price before having made a full & detailed Nitrous plan for your application. The system needs to be affordable but, sometimes for a couple bucks more you can have a much better system by getting the right equipment and not trying to take the cheap way out; this is indeed the first step in staying safe. An extinguisher is not just for the track. Fitted underneath my passenger seat for easy access.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
Q: Is nitrous oxide flammable?
A: No. Nitrous Oxide by itself is non-flammable. However, the oxygen present in Nitrous Oxide causes combustion of fuel to take place more rapidly inside the engine. N2O will not burn, nor is it a fuel. It is merely an oxygen-rich compound that supports the combustion of additional fuel. If cylinder pressure does rise above the octane tolerance of the fuel being used, detonation could occur, and that will damage pistons, rings, etc.
Q: Will nitrous oxide cause detonation?
A: Not directly. Detonation is the result of too little fuel present during combustion (lean) or too low of an octane of fuel. Too much ignition advance also causes detonation.
Q: Does nitrous oxide raise cylinder pressures and temperatures?
A: Yes. Due to the ability to burn more fuel, this is exactly why nitrous makes so much power. But the richer you run it the less heat. So if you want more power use more of both. Do not just try to weaken the mixture to the limit as richer is safer!
Q: Does N2O adds octane to the fuel being used and reduces detonation?
A: N2O does not increase the octane of the fuel being used. However, nitrous oxide injection may suppress/dampen detonation due to the inter-cooling effect of the depressurizing of the compressed N2O and by the introduction of extra fuel.
Q: Should I only use race fuel or premium fuel with N2O injection?
A: I found different and very interesting answers to this question. Read this carefully. The purpose of N2O injection is to support the combustion of extra fuel, thereby releasing more work-producing heat in the combustion chambers. Consequently, maximum cylinder pressures with N2O will be higher than when it isn't in use. Extra cylinder pressure does tend to cause pre-ignition and uncontrolled combustion, but, N2O injection also tends to suppress detonation. With most street N2O systems, these two opposing forces tend to cancel each other out, which mean you can continue to use the same octane gas that was acceptable before the N2O was added. However, it is advisable not to use anything less than premium pump fuel but ideally you want to provide the highest possible available unleaded octane fuel with nitrous for the additional buffer of safety.
Q: Does Water/Methanol injection reduces detonation and can it be injected in conjunction with Nitrous?
A: Yes, Water/Methanol injection has many benefits. It allows you to make tremendous amounts of power on pump gas. The effect is similar to running 104 octane all the time, with additional cooling benefits allowing for more power than you could ever make on race gas alone. Water/methanol injection (50/50% mix) can be safely used with nitrous and because it increases the fuel octane it also effectively reduces detonation and makes it an essential modification when running Nitrous.
We installed the Nitrous nozzle closer to the throttle- body to prevent any possible obstruction to the elastic Nitrous fluid and the water/methanol CM10 injector further away in the STETT elbow. The first bung in the STETT charge pipe (left picture) is for the Nitrous and the second bung remains shut. The picture on the right is the STETT elbow that fits snugly into the other end of the STETT or stock charge pipe for the meth nozzle.
In the picture below you can see the meth line is clear and then "black". We fitted black tubing over the clear meth line to protect it against heat but also to create a stealth look in the engine bay.
Meth pump pressure was bumped up to full capacity to provide the best atomization for the new CM10 nozzle. As shown before - notice again the plug & play feature of the connectors for easy removal when you have to dash off to the supermarket to pick up groceries. The connectors just slide through the grommet and under the carbon cover when not in use.
You can find my Water/Meth reviews here:
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=9577
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=5453
PERFORMANCE OF THE NITROUS SYSTEM: THE FAST & FURIOUS
Everything that I have discussed so far is about the performance of the various systems and components from the amazing Maximiser 3 controller; dry nozzle & 35 jet; purge kit; solenoid; gauge; brackets; NANO system and NX cylinder - they all make up and contribute to the overall performance of the Nitrous package and the eventual performance of the vehicle. It is not only about the size of the jet neither is it only about the top speed or extra power. But then again Nitrous is all about power.
Considerable time was spent dyno and street datalogging. We did various baseline runs on maps 7, 8, 9 & 10 with meth and race gas and without race gas. We also tested the car with all the bolt-ons, race gas, meth and Nitrous. Here is a picture of the car on the dyno. See the gauges, laptop with Maximiser 3 interface and the ever present Autologic diagnostic tool.
For the first phase of testing we decided to use the default maps offered by the JB3 and not to develop a special map (map one) for the Nitrous since we want to explore the capabilities and possibilities of the car with Nitrous without too much fine tuning (at this stage), but also because we are waiting with anticipation for the release of the JB4 Pro to be released. During the many dyno runs the car was well within the targets and parameters of the AFR & timing ratios which we were aiming for.
The 35 jet is a very small shot of Nitrous and our power outputs were right within the output target for such a small jet. We achieved on map 8 on a very conservative Dyno I may add, a meaty 25Kw and 35Nm power increase. The goal was to see how well the car would respond to this small shot and provide a new Nitrous baseline as we upgrade with each jet. So nothing earth shattering at this stage. We also deliberately have not tried any race maps yet.
A couple of things got us excited:
The fuel ratios and water temps were right within target. The modified 15ohm JB board ensured that we run rich within the window the Nitrous was flowing.
We were running (less) boost and less rpms when Nitrous was flowing but gained (more) power in comparison to the baseline runs and the intake charge temps were also considerably lower despite the additional load.
Sustained boost on map 9 is 15.5psi without Nitrous. And with Nitrous on map 9 we achieved more power but at 14psi.
An area of concern was the increase in oil temps running up to 130 degrees celsius on the dyno after a couple of runs; but the oil temps did not climb above the expected 120 degrees target during spirited driving on the street. I may have to consider an additional oil cooler to bring the oil temps within range, as a precaution.
On the street the car is an animal. The Maximiser 3 controler is a very smart gadget. When Nitrous is armed the Nitrous only injects 20% @ 3000rpms and increases progressively to 100% @ 6500rpms. This progressive injection is great for street runs as well as the smooth curve or ramp that my tuner created for how the Nitrous should flow during the rpm window. You do not feel the Nitrous "kick in" as in the "Fast & Furious" movies. There is no hard push into your seat experience, there are no noises or strange boost signs....nothing. You can just feel the car pulls stronger as the rpms build up. The difference is even more pronounced on the street when you run the car on map 9 which is a reasonably aggressive JB3 map without Nitrous and the car feels noticably very slow even though it is not, but because one got used to the extra power from the Nitrous and when you arm the Nitrous on the same map 9 you feel the power is "back on" again. For the next couple of months I will continue to explore the various default maps and continue to datalog as well as experimenting with the bigger jets 45 & 55.
My verdict after many dyno and street runs: The 335 is responding extremely well to a shot of Nitrous and goes about her business with extra vigour. I can run map 9 with the 35 jet every day and will be far from exceeding the capacity and capabilities of the engine and far from overworking the stock turbos whilst gaining more power and all done on less boost.
I am itching to explore something very soon. My experience with the 335 is that in a street run (not a topend run) the contest is won or lost between sustained 3700 rpms and 5600 rpms and not at 6000 and above rpm. My current Nitrous flow for 100% flow is not within this rpm window. With The Maximiser controller one can set the Nitrous flow in whichever way you want it and for whatever occasion. Each occasion will require a different controller setting. I am kind of excited to plug the laptop in tomorrow and see what happens...a world of possibilities have opened up. And when the bigger snails arrive one can just ponder on all the potential.
CONCLUSION
This modification is for the serious enthusiast. This is not a DIY. You take responsibility yourself for modifications done to your car. In its instruction manual, NX warns the user to follow the installation instructions & procedures in the NX manual to the letter and states:
"Do not listen to:
A. Your buddy!
B. Your buddys friend!
C. The local nitrous guru!
D. Any article in any magazine"
The use of nitrous oxide can be a complicated subject and, unfortunately, many people misunderstand or just don't pay attention to all the information on the topic. I agree that adhering to the manufacturers instructions will prevent faulty installations and possible disastrous results. But there is no harm in listening to your buddy and his friends and their experiences of nitrous; listen to your local nitrous guru; read as much as you can on nitrous on the web, magazine articles and books. In the words of the student creed: Knowledge is power. You will find conflicting views and different installation guides on Nitrous, and you will have to navigate your way through the maze. But make sure you understand the installation procedures of the manufacturer for the product you purchased even if someone else is installing the nitrous kit for you. Give 100% input on the installation and subsequent testing and if you don't understand something, do ask even if it makes you feel stupid - including from the manufacturer of the system if necessary.
Anyone who has done their homework on nitrous knows that when done right, it can be a hell of a good time when you become part of the "nitrous oxide mania club" and share in the eulogy of Robert Southey about N2O: "I am sure the air in heaven must be this wonder-working gas of delight!"
Keep safe and have fun!
SOURCES CONSULTED
http://www.nitrousdirect.com/nitrousoxide.html
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/n2o/erratum.htm
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/n2o/n2oc.htm
http://www.poemhunter.com/robert-southey/
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0601gm_nitrous_systems/index.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0601gm_nitrous_system_tips/index.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0211gmhtp_installing_running_nitrous_safely/index.html
http://www.nano-nitrous.com/
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_1003_nano_nitrous_system/70_opel_gt_drag_test.html
INTERESTING READING
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question2591.htm
http://www.nitrousdirect.com/
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-iii/p-block-elements/nitrogen.php
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