I've been getting a little weary lately of people comparing "fast" Lightnings and making comments towards nitrous trucks as if they are "cheating" or as if it take "less work" to make a nitrous truck go fast. Let me explain a few things...

Nitrous works by taking liquid nitrous oxide, and injecting it into the intake stream where it gets atomized into a gas form before it reaches the cylinders. When the nitrous charge enters the combustion chambers, the combustion process "splits" the gas atoms which releases about double the oxygen. Extra fuel is also added to th mix, whether it is atomized with the nitrous (wet system) or atomized through the fuel injectors (dry system). The extra fuel an oxygen give you your power increase.

To sum it up, nitrous makes power by adding extra fuel and air into the combustion process.

The "fast" non nitrous trucks, make power by increasing boost. Most of the 11 second trucks are running huge lower pulleys combined with smaller upper pulleys. Increasing boost adds extra oxygen to the combustion chambers. The chip is then compensated for the extra air by adding extra fuel to the mix through the injectors. The increase of fuel and oxygen increases power.

To sum it up, non nitrous trucks make power by adding extra fuel and air into the combustion process (sound familiar?).

Some people consider it "cheaper" to run nitrous. However it takes about $1000 worth of parts to have a proper working nitrous systsem with all the supporting hardware. It is also more difficult to tune a nitrous truck since you are working with both mechanical and PCM controlled fuel adding.

So you see, nitrous is not "cheating", it's not "easier" to make a nitrous truck fast, and it doesn't take more "talent" to make a non nitrous truck fast.

Both nitrous and non nitrous trucks make power the SAME WAY. Just one does it with a liquid, and one does it with different mechanical parts.

This post was not to offend people with fast non nitrous trucks. They work just as hard to make thier trucks fast and I give all the credit in the world to them. This post was to educate people about nitrous trucks and to dispell the belief that nitrous trucks make power the "easy way".

What it comes down to, is if you've got a fast truck, then it took a lot of work to get it there. Anyone with a fast truck should be proud no matter what they choose to power it.

 

I don't think nitrous is cheating at all. Everyone has the same products to chose from, wheter it be nitrous or more boost. If someone is faster because they are using nitrous and you want to be them, then go buy a nitrous kit. Power is Power no matter how it gets to the ground and to the finish line.

 

Sal,

How much boost over stock are you running WITHOUT nitrous? 2lb lower and 1-2lb upper? No upper? No lower? 150 shot right? Why not try a 200shot and shhot for 10's? Just wondering.

 

One thing for everyone to consider is this:

Nitrous enhanced trucks are typically daily driven without it. Nitrous is most likely used at the track only(or should be).

Mechanically modified trucks run modified all the time.

I'm thinking long-term wear and tear here.

Both are great. Just go fast...

 

Here is the real story:

What makes trucks faster?

MONEY, the more you have, the faster you can go.


ALSO:

SUCK, SQUEEZE, BLOW

That is how an engine works. Simple as that.

 

Hey a 3 cycle engine.....H13.. you forgot the BANG


Sal, the way I see it, there are a lot of peaple turning to N2O to make there trucks fast. They should be damn glad that someone (you) is pushing there truck to the limit and providing answers for them.
Also, dont forget the ice boxes. These heavely over driven blowers wont run without an ice box. Or at least they wont run deep into the 11's without one.
Dale

 

Bad as L,

Deep 11s are possible w/o an ice box. JDM---11.61 w/o an ice box!!!

I don't even think Sal has one.

 

Has anyone done modifications to their intake, beside filter charger? I can't help but think there would be better breathing with the filter sitting right on top of that blower.

 

If thats true, then Jims a little more stupid then I thought. An Ice box to cool the blower off would give him a chit load more power with a truck that runs 11.60's without juice. I can't believe that jim doesn't have an extra cooler on his truck, there's just no way!

Sal really doesn't need it that much since the nitrous is cooling off the blower and that charge off air comming into the blower.

 

Maybe a Rear Entry M112 blower , but besides that I don't think there is any other way then to just use a different setup completely. the roots style blower's acts as an upper intake so porting and polished them wouldn't really produce any real great numbers(if you could). You wouldn't believe the air these things flow when you have them off the truck and you just spin them by hand to feel the suction. I was shocked!!!! Maybe an single blade throttle body would be what your looking for? thats kinda in the process of the intake stream flowing into the blower.

You could always get a M166 blower too!

 

damn....

 

Tell us how you really feel RT

 

I've always leaned towards the NOS is cheating side and generally not been impressed by NOS vehicles. However I've started to gain some respect for NOS as time goes by. I think NOS on a vehicle that is already fast with out it is cool and a logical power adder.

What I don't like is when someone has say a stock 5.0L Mustang that runs 14.8 and then hooks up a 200 shot of NOS runs mid 12's and then brags about how fast their car is. This doesn't impress me, the whole car is NOS and nothing else. However taking a low 12sec Lightning and hooking up a small shot of NOS to take it into the 11's I have more respect for. At least this way you no if the bottle runs out the truck still hauls ***.

 

I don't know about you guys but a 5.0 that can handle a 200 shot of juice is pretty impressive to me. I don't know to many STOCK vehicles that can handle that kind of juice without trashing something or another in the drivetrain. Just a thought

 

Quote:

If thats true, then Jims a little more stupid then I thought. An Ice box to cool the blower off would give him a chit load more power with a truck that runs 11.60's without juice. I can't believe that jim doesn't have an extra cooler on his truck, there's just no way!

Believe it man!!!! There is no cooler on his '01!!!

His truck is just for the record that you can run 11.60s with no nitrous and "NO" cooler!!!