NOS Universal Kit on a 1998 Chevy S10 - Best Bang For The Buck

  |   1998 Chevy S10 Nos Universal Kit Install 1998 Chevy S10 When it comes to four-cylinder power mods, finding a combination to make significant power change can be quite a challenge. When you find a modification that will make a difference in power, it normally will set you back a few bills. So what is the best bang for the buck? We did a quick price comparison and found that one of the biggest horsepower gains can be made with the best value per horsepower. We compiled prices found on the Web and print media, plus data from a variety of dynos, to obtain this information: Average intake cost ($200) / horsepower (10) = $20 per horsepower
Average exhaust cost ($400) / horsepower (10) = $40 per horsepower
Average programmer cost ($400) / horsepower (15) = $26 per horsepower
Average blower ($5,000) / horsepower (90) = $55.55 per horsepower
Average NOS $600 / horsepower (80) = $7.50 per horsepower Of course, the truth is, horsepower costs money. An NOS is the only one of these items that requires fueling, which means the power supplied by an NOS is pay as you play. The bottle refilling will obviously change the cost per horsepower over the course of time on the NOS unit. This information is only good for evaluating the costs of horsepower. All these products are not good side-by-side comparisons because of the different benefits each component provides. An NOS is a quick and easy way to add power to your truck. As you probably already know, it works extremely well on applications that are good candidates for NOS. What motors are good candidates for NOS? An NOS is a catalyst that allows your engine to burn more fuel efficiently. The added fuel increases the size of the explosion in the combustion chamber, which makes more power. The increased explosion adds the pressure built up in the cylinder. The fuel available at the pump is only good for a certain compression ratio before detonation occurs, so lower compression is good. Most modern vehicles are made to work safely on modern fuel, so we decided to install an NOS universal kit on a '98 S-10 with a 2.2L four cylinder motor. Here's how the install went.

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  |   1998 Chevy S10 Nos Universal Kit Install nitrous System Chart On the dyno, we made our initial base run without nitrous. Our peak horsepower was 84.1 at 4,300 rpm, and peak torque was 105 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm. We followed up with a nitrous run with a 50hp nitrous setting. On the nitrous run, peak horsepower jumped to 110.8 at 4,400 rpm, and torque output was 145.4 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm. That's a gain of 26.7 hp and 40.4 lb-ft of torque at the wheels on a completely stock four-cylinder S-10. If you account for a normal drivetrain power loss of 15-20 percent, this means we made more the 50 hp at the flywheel and easily surpassed 50 lb-ft - and we all know that torque is what moves a truck. Looking at the dyno chart, the power gain was consistent across the entire rpm range. We don't know of any other modifications available for the money that can add that type of power to an S-10.