| nitrous Oxide Systems dodge Ram
One of the easiest ways to make big power is with nitrous oxide. While there are kits on the market today that provide hundreds of horsepower over stock, we've also noticed that many of the "big boys" are building their own custom nitrous systems. If the idea of 400, 500, or even 600 more horsepower at the push of a button tickles your fancy, read on. We're going to tell you all you need to know to make your own crazy nitrous system.
| We can't imagine what kind of top end charge Gary Riles' truck must have; from 90 mph to 120 mph the truck is making over 1,000 horsepower.
SYSTEM SPECS: Custom System #1
Gary Riles, J&H Performance
Truck: '97 Dodge Ram 2500
System: Modified NX Three Stage System with custom programming
Non-Nitrous: 730 hp
Nitrous Assisted: 1,133 hp
Nitrous Gain: 402 hp
Gary Riles started out with a two-stage kit from Nitrous Express, but then added a third stage, making it his own custom system. Riles then found he could use the progressive controller to program all three stages to ramp up to full power. One of the keys to making a big nitrous system work is bringing on the amount of nitrous gradually, which is also easier on the engine. When Riles made his 1,133-horsepower pull at the Las Vegas event last year, we couldn't even tell when the stages hit; we just saw the truck jump on the dyno and the smoke clear up. There was no popping, sputtering, or banging-just a clean dyno run.
| Big nitrous can also cause big explosions. Here, Riles is seen with what was left of his intercooler boot after a violent backfire through the intake.
One interesting thing that Riles pointed out to us was that he uses a different type of control strategy depending on his application. Since a dyno run might only last a few seconds, he uses an RPM-based controller. While on the dragstrip, he uses a time-based controller. This allows him to run one small stage of nitrous in order to get out of the hole, and let the other two stages make him run hard on the second half of the track. With a 124mph trap speed, we can't argue.
| nitrous Oxide Systems nitrous Tank
SYSTEM SPECS: Custom System #2
Richard Brown, Brown's Diesel
Truck: '03 Dodge Ram 2500
System: Custom multi-stage
Non-Nitrous: 641 hp
Nitrous Assisted: 1,289 hp
Nitrous Gain: 648 hp
Perhaps the king of nitrous-assisted horsepower, Richard Brown has taken things to the next level with his multi-stage system. His 1,289-horsepower dyno run at an Idaho dyno event actually sent people running for the door when his truck was making its pull. Brown uses multiple small stages controlled by Hobbes switches (which activate off of boost pressure) in order to make his astounding numbers. He says that it is a more expensive way to go, but he feels it is better and more reliable. Brown also mentioned that he considers wiring to be of the utmost importance. With each solenoid drawing 10 amps or more, relays are a must in the wiring system, or else you'll be frying switches left and right.
| Nitrous can also cause some serious cylinder pressure spikes. Chris Werner (who has the same basic setup as Riles) bent a pushrod on the dyno after making almost 1,200 horsepower.
SYSTEM SPECS: Custom System #3
Brian Carter, CNsmoke Performance
Truck: '03 Dodge 3500
System: Custom Three stage, with purge
Non-Nitrous: est. 800 hp
Nitrous Assisted: est. 1,200 hp
Nitrous Gain: est. 400 hp
We don't know if you're sick of Brian Carter popping up in Diesel Power yet, but we just had to show you this. For those of you who are confused by time delay and progressive systems, Carter just might have a solution. When we talked to him at Hot Rod's Drag Week, we knew he was running nitrous, but didn't find out more about his uhhh...unique system 'til a few days in.
It turns out that Carter was contemplating his nitrous system when he noticed his son playing video games. Soon his son's video game controller was retooled as Carter's nitrous controller. No fancy stuff here, Carter actually relies on a wide open throttle switch for his first stage, and a joystick to control his second and third stage.
THE TRICK IS IN THE "TUNE" Just because you throw together a big nitrous system doesn't mean you can set the world on fire. All three people we talked to have spent considerable time tuning their trucks on the dyno and at the track to find what combination of jet sizes their vehicles like. For Riles, the better part of a day at the track was spent setting the ramp rates on his progressive controller, and the truck still didn't launch like he wanted. Most also were kind of tight-lipped on jetting, though both Riles and Carter ran over a .100 jet in all three stages, while Brown uses smaller jets and more stages to make his power. Either way, if you're willing to venture into the world of big-power nitrous with your own custom system, you'll have to be prepared to do some tuning.
