BLAM! Flames leap for heaven. Hoodscoops blaze. Carb butterflies assume taco-shell shape. And races are lost. Is nitrous to blame? No—at least not directly. Most of the time when an engine is damaged by nitrous, it’s because of a fault in the fuel-enrichment system. If the fuel system allows or even causes an air bubble, or if it can’t deliver the volume required, the nitrous will use engine parts as a fuel instead of gasoline. And you’ll hate it when that happens!
To avoid those nightmares, we asked Harold Bettes at SuperFlow Performance to design a fuel system for a typical Super Street car in Fastest Street Car competition. We assumed a car that rolls at least 9.80s with a 500-inch big-block running a single four-barrel and a 300hp nitrous plate. The system Bettes recommended was drastic overkill, which can’t hurt with a fuel system and would also work with two-stage nitrous. The system also prevents problems such as heat soaking the gas and flooding.
While the parts used are all Pro Stock quality, Bettes made it clear that the components are only as good as the very critical installation, and that means a lot more than making it pretty. With that in mind, follow along with Jim Sleeper at Precision Alignment (which also handles race-car prep) as we install the SuperFlow system along with a Harwood fuel cell and plumbing from Bonaco Performance Line.
