scorp508

On a stock L98 you don't want to go over a 100 shot due to the cast style pistons. To do it right with all the safety equipment (fuel pressure cutoff, RPM window, ignition that can retard timing) you'll most likely spend over $1000, and thats before the bottle is filled. I know, I've got a full NX kit on my car (Well I did, I have since removed it).

My list above will likely give him around 100 more rwhp all the time without reocurring bottle costs. I'm not against Nitrous at all, it is awesome, I am just stating why other options sometimes outweigh it.

anesthes

The links on your website are broken. Do you have any more large pix of your car? I dig the color.

-- Joe

scorp508

I'm in the middle of taking that page down to move to a new webhost. lemme upload something...

*edit*

Here ya go, I uploaded a couple of 1600x1200 shots for ya. In direct sunlight the yellow is duller compared to say the later Competition Yellow. On overcast days it looks extremely yellow.

http://home.comcast.net/~scorp508/bigcar1.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~scorp508/bigcar2.JPG

anesthes

Thats sexy!

Mine is fugly gray. Trying to decide what color to paint it...

http://members.cisdi.com/~anesthes/p...wimg/back1.JPG
http://members.cisdi.com/~anesthes/p...wimg/side2.JPG

-- Joe

neat

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Lot's of people take them to 150 routinely with no failures. Skateparkdave has been using a 125 shot for over 2 years and my 91 has seen 140 numerous times with no ill effects. If the proper safety parameters are in place, I don't see why 400 RWHP would destroy a cast piston.

I haven't seen many 113 headed cars making 350 RWHP, but it's possible I guess. The flip side the the power all the time is that you are putting that wear and tear on the engine and drive train all the time. With nitrous, he can go out and throttle his stock L98 all night long, and only put the stock amount of wear on the engine, trasmission, rear end, basically the entire car. Then, when the time is right, open the bottle and really lay the smack down. He can do all that, and only spend a day in the garage instead of the weeks the car will be down doing the heads and cam swap.

If he doens't want to use nitrous no problem. I just want to be sure his isn't dismissing nitrous because of all the rumors and incorrect information you see in the movies, read on the net, and hear on the street. Nitrous is a fairly cheap, reliable, and extemely viable way to make power. Dismissing it because you've heard some rumor somewhere that it is dangerous, blows up engines, is extra hard on parts, or some other street myth about nitrous is kinda dumb in my opinion.

anesthes

It's not the 5,000 times it works ok, it's the 1 time it detonates for whatever reason. If you have it dialed in just right it's great. Personally, i'd rather built a bottom end to take 700hp, even when i'm only planning on mid 500s.. It sucks when things break.

-- Joe

scorp508

Fair enough, I'm glad its worked for those cases. It isn't the RWHP that kills the cast pistons, it is the cylinder pressures spikes caused by the nitrous injection that kills them. FWIW the '85 has forged units so it isn't an issue.

And I've never seen a stock L98 make 250 RWHP, so 350 wouldn't be the number to use.

Yes, I don't disagree with this.

For a while at least, hopefully he doens't run into a lot of races or do high MPH pulls like I like to do.


Weeks? Find a new mechanic! Heads and cam can be done in a day if you've got all the parts lined up and know what to do. It isn't rocket science thankfully. Both setups will require dyno tuning (more likely more for the head/cam route).

I don't disagree with you. Like I said, I like Nitrous and had a full NX EFI 50-150 wet kit installed on my car along with all the other stuff.

comp

,,,,

Steel Breeze

Does the car smoke when decelerating? you said it smoked upon start up. If your cruizing along at a good pace, and take your foot off the pedal, and maybe gear down, if you see alot of smoke. Usually you are looking at valve guides. A lead down test can tell you alot. Apply the air, and listen at the opening of the throttle body, if you hear air escaping "intake valves". Put your ear to the exaust if you hear air escaping "exhaust valve". put your ear to the oil filler hole cap off, if you hear air escaping "piston rings, or possibley valve guides" I hope this helps. Nothing is for sure, but it gives you a good idea... Perhaps a compression test might be in order...

neat

I really don't want to muddle up the guys thread with our discussion of nitrous. I just wanted to be sure he was dismissing nitrous for the right reasons.

If you can explain why 400 RWHP NA is easier on an engine that 400 RWHP with N20, PM me. If the cylinder pressure is greater with the nitrous than NA, then the engine would make more power. There is a cylinder pressure spike on initial engagement with nitrous, but it should only spike to pressure required to make the HP associated with the shot. If the spike was outrageous, you would see an appropriate increase in RWHP on initial engagement. I agree that nitrous can break a cast piston, but I don't think it's possible on an L98 assuming no detonation and less than 400 RWHP.

Mine made 251/341 with just headers and a catback. 1991 L98 with a ZF6. I guess 330 RWHP would of been a better number for you, but we're really splitting hairs. Not many 113 headed cars make 330 either.

That is a drawback to the bottle. High speed runs, long term engagement, and the empty bottle. Everything has pro's and cons, nitrous is no exception. FWIW, he should be able to make 10, zero to 100 MPH passes with a 100 HP shot and a 10 lb. bottle. If gets more races than that a night, I need to see where he lives! I think the initial investment and ease of install might off set these drawbacks though. My point is that it's not for either one of us to decide for him. All I wanted to know was why he had chosen not to use nitrous. Now, we're going back and forth on whether or not it's the right thing for him to do. I just want him to have the information, and then he can make up his own mind.

If he does the heads and cam himself, in the garage, and it's his first time; it's going to take him a minimum of 10 evenings and two 10 hour days. Can we at least agree that nitrous is easier to install than heads and cam? It's also easier to remove. If he ever wants to return the car to stock, it's a project with heads and cam. With nitrous, again it's only a couple hours.

It sure sounds like you don't agree with me, lol.

I like nitrous, I think it's a great power adder. I try pretty hard not to let my personal opinions enter into me giving advice though. Like I keep saying, I just want him to have the information, then make up his own mind. Instead it's turned into 2 guys trying to figure out what someone else should do. Why not just offer advice and let him make up his own mind?

If you're close to NC, we can meet at a track and settle the heads/cam VS nitrous debate. Your H/C car against my nitrous car.

EDIT: It looks like your in MA. I might be able to make up to the DC area sometime this summer, I'd be glad to meet you at a local track. Let me know if you are game.

scorp508

Initial cylinder pressure spike, its as simple as that. You can even go further and discuss the massive load it immeidately puts on the bearings. Any N/A car brings on the power much smoother.

That isn't stock, is it. Everyone knows how huge of an upgrade headers are on an L98. A bone stock manual transmission L98 should put down around 205-215 rear wheel horsepower and 310-320'ish pound feet.

305-315 is what I was thinking.


I haven't said if it was for him or not. I simple gave reasons for why some people do not choose it. He's more than welcome to do whatever he wants.

Thats why I said if you know what you're doing.



I have nothing against N2O, I just like N/A first and then the addition of N2O after. Its a personal taste.

I did, until you asked why not to choose N2O over N/A.

This would bring what to the table? Its never going to solve if one or the other is better. Hell lets get a supercharged, a turbocharged, and a carb'd vette to show up too to make sure we cover all bases.

35 miles south of Boston. I get down to NJ sometimes to race at Englishtown if you ever go there. I'm always game for anything. Win, lose, draw.... none of it matters to me, I just like having fun. Should I dig my NX kit out and put it back on the car?