Jack I. Brooks wrote:
> This has been a significant thread on the SAAB list recently, and I don't
> see why it wouldn't generate nice HP gains in a TR engine. With the
current systems it look pretty easy to install, and it seems a lot safer
today than 15 years ago, when I first heard about it.
____________
The running costs are still extremely high. Great for the drag
strip, but even for road racing it gets expensive. A bottle is
good for as little as 30 seconds of boost in some systems.
Trevor Boicey
===================
Scions - I looked into nitrous extensively during the restoration of my Mk
I Spitfire and after studying as much info. as I could get, concluded that
it was not a "reasonable" approach to more power in a LBC.
First, you really do need to substantially beef up the bottom end, even for
short bursts of the "gas" as it is called by racers. Second, the most
commonly cited problem with nitrous is, for lack of a better term, the rate
of rpm acceleration - i.e., how fast the motor winds up when you trigger
the button on the tank. Even assuming you install a rev limiter, you'll
constantly be bumping up against it according to my sources, and over time
this just isn't a very good thing for a motor that was never intended to be
treated this way. Third, from an all around stress standpoint, my research
indicates that nitrous substantially increases cylinder temps. - a LOT - in
a very short period of time and the likelihood of a melted piston was
pretty high. Even with an uprated cooling system you run a good risk of at
least burning pistons, valves, etc.
I might add, however, that installing it would be fairly simple. There are
"fogger" kits, which would allow you to place the injector tips into the
intake manifold by drilling a couple of small holes. The bottle for an LBC
would actually last a month or more by my calculations, assuming you don't
hold the button for more than a few seconds at a time - any more than that
anyways would probably result in melt down.
Anyways, that's my $.02 worth. In the end I went with the tried and true
hot rodder techniques of better breathing (ported, polished & relieved
head, headers, free flow exhaust, K&N filters, etc.), full balance, .030
overbore, lighter flywheel, etc., etc. Pretty basic, but she runs real
sweet and the modifications did not break my piggy bank. Hopes this helps
with your decision. Regards,
Ross D. Vincenti
Asst. General Counsel/Asst. Sec'ty.
Transamerica Home Loan - Legal Dept.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 742-4756 phone
(213) 741-7231 or 741-6945 fax
ross.vincenti@transamerica.com
64 Spitfire 4
64 Porsche 356C Coupe
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