DIY : Do It Yourself Techniques

DIY Nitrous Kit

2009-08-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

Build Your Very Own Nitrous Kit

For almost any car, you will the following items... They are available cheaply in your own locality from various suppliers with the possible exception of the solenoids valves themselves. Or available on the internet or on my forum. You may need to modify some simple air solenoids as shown on the solenoids page. Its easy enough and much cheaper than buying often inferior purpose built nitrous solenoids. As long as you understand the parameters! Nitrous Solenoids

1. A bottle or "tank" to store Nitrous Oxide
Specification: Any Vessel that can safely store Liquid Nitrous Oxide, meaning a Bottle/Tank with a 3600 approx test pressure or higher used with a Bottle valve that has a pressure relief valve rated LOWER than this test pressure at about 1500 to 2000 psi. It does not HAVE to be a conventional bottle. (For example if you wish to "cheat" you could fill part of a motorcycle frame, Rear swinging arm, or under a cars bonnet maybe the "strut brace" could be used for secret storage) See link above. C02 bottle valves already have a safety blow off valve. NEVER USE ANY OTHER TYPE OF BOTTLE! Dry powder bottles for example will explode and kill you. Know what you are doing and read this about 6 times!

Ideals: Aluminium alloy, polished, or anodised, or painted in two pack epoxy spray paints and mounted using machined billet bracket, and/or Velcro straps for attractive and professional appearance. CO2 Fire extinguisher bottles are ideal. Or a Pub CO2 bottle.

2. A valve for this bottle
Specification: A full flow, (internal bore 2.5 to 4mm) Bottle valve, usually as used for a C0₂bottle. It must use a Siphon tube internally that fits into the underside of the valve to draw liquid Nitrous Oxide from the bottom of the bottle / tank. This Valve MUST have (for safety reasons) an Over Pressure rupture disk, as fitted to all C0₂ bottle valves that you can buy. Try home brew suppliers, welding supplies, pubs, fire extinguisher reconditioners etc for supply of these.

Ideals: Small attractive, chromed or Aluminium alloy Valves preferred for a professional appearance. Brass ones are common work fine but don't look pretty!

3. A special fitting that fits this bottle valve and converts to a normal 1/8th BSP thread(British standard pipe thread)
Specification: A specialised fitting that follows the 2.5 to 4mm internal bore of the siphon tube/valve and fits the unique Carbon Di-Oxide (CO₂) Valve thread that all these bottle valves use. This reduces the thread size from the valves big CO2 thread down to 1/8th BSP so we can then attach the Nitrous Line to the bottle Try home brew suppliers, welding supplies, pubs, fire extinguisher reconditioners etc for supply of these.

Ideals: Most of the ones we find or can get easily are brass which goes dull! But, this can be Chromed, for the sake of appearances as required..

Intermission and warning!

This is a semi complete "nitrous system" comprising of a CO2 Fire extinguisher bottle (polished up) , a couple of plumbers "threaded reducers" in the top bottle thread, and an 1/8th inch "ball" 1/4 turn valve plumbers valve.

It works but don't try this! This bottle shown isn't safe since its valve does not include a blow off or rupture disk! In the event of over pressure due to overfilling or heat the bottle will explode violently! A bottle explosion can easily kill. Always use a proper valve with blow off or over pressure rupture disk for safety! Use a proper CO2 valve! I didn't because it looks neat and I am stupid, and only half filled the bottle very carefully BY WEIGHT and used it straight away. But its still dangerous! I show this only to show how easy it is to get things wrong and NOT know its a danger.

Its connected in turn to a length of stainless steel braided "brake" hose, modified air solenoid to work at 1000 psi plus. And a flexible nylon 4mm tube and fittings to feed the Nitrous Oxide gas to the engine, with home made "injector" all shown above.

Not shown is the fuel solenoid/pipes/injector... All look similar though.

4. A braided Stainless steel Nitrous Pipe to feed the Solenoid in the engine bay
Specification: Recommended for all bikes and race vehicles - Normal Braided line. The same stuff countless racers, and motorcyclists use to swap onto their vehicles to replace the Rubber brake pipes! Its actually a P.T.F.E. (a sort of plastic) sleeve inside a woven stainless steel sheath. It has a 3.7mm internal bore. It can be expensive, if bought "branded (Goodridge, or Aeroquip for Example) or cheap if unbranded and bought off a roll by the meter. Its all the same for our purposes. You will also need some fittings that are easy to screw onto the ends that go from "braided" to 1/8th BSP. These fittings have a minimum 2.30 mm internal bore.

Alternatively, and for cheapness, with some advantages for small power boosts only, and on some road cars, 4mm Nylon, but you will need the stuff with 1.7mm internal bore preferably. And suitable fittings with nuts and olives. (not the more common 2.5mm bore stuff - its not really up to the pressure! and may burst and waste your Nitrous on a really hot day...
Ideals: Stainless Braided pipe! With stainless steel fittings on anything with 40 to 70 BHP extra added or above, and on all bikes. It looks more professional too.

The argument for and against 4mm Nylon for feeding Nitrous from the bottle is quite involved but... Its here should you be interested. Facts only. No "opinions"!

5. A Nitrous Solenoid!
Specification: Needs to operate reliably, against up to 1500psi pressure of liquid Nitrous Oxide gas at only 10 volts DC as this is sometimes all that's available due to current drain on small light batteries on race vehicles without charging systems. It must also flow enough Nitrous for the intended power increase. The solenoids I modify are actually intended for compressed air, and after modification will flow +140bhp worth of Nitrous Oxide. It must not "freeze" open, or leak, and must operate reliably over thousands of operations. Needs to be corrosion and vibration "safe" and not leak gas slowly over time.
Ideals: Should be low current drain, light small physically, easy to mount, have 1/8th BSP threads on inlet and outlet. Stainless steel, or anodised aluminium bodies look the nicest and do not corrode. Magnet wiring and connections should be waterproof. Nitrous Solenoids

6. A Fuel Solenoid!
Specification: Needs to operate reliably, against up to 100 psi pressure of liquid fuel @ only 10 volts DC as this is sometimes all that's available due to current drain on small light batteries on race vehicles without charging systems. It must also flow enough Fuel for the intended power increase. The solenoids I use here are actually intended for compressed air. There are many suitable ones, but the seat sealing material must be tested to make sure it does not harden, soften, deteriorate, dissolve in everything from pump fuels, to methanol, and various octane boosters. It must not "freeze" open, or leak, and must operate reliably over thousands of operations. Needs to be corrosion and vibration "safe" Fuel Solenoids

Ideals: Should be low current drain, light small physically, easy to mount, have 1/8th BSP threads on inlet and outlet. Stainless steel, or anodised aluminium bodies look the nicest and do not corrode. Magnet wiring and connections should be waterproof.

7. A Tee piece or other means of supplying fuel to the Fuel Solenoid - depends on vehicle
Specification: Any type of tee piece can be used. Some means of tapping into the fuel pressure side of the Carb(s), or Fuel rail. It must be along with its fittings and hose clamps capable of the flow and pressure required for safety reasons.

Ideals: Stainless braided on fuel injected cars/bikes is safest, used with threaded tee or adapters. This is not always easily done, so a normal hose clamp/rubber pipe and barbed tee must be used. Do this VERY CAREFULLY because if it leaks a serious fire could result.

8. A Jet Holder for the Nitrous jet. (1/8th BSP to 4mm O/D Nylon with nut and olive)
Specification: Simple metal fitting. Male 1/8th BSP to 4mm nylon pipe - Compression style. Best not to use "push lock" fittings here. The 1/8th BSP side needs to be drilled and tapped M5 and recessed to accept a control jet.

Ideals: Brass, Brass plated with nickel, Brass chromed, or Stainless steel. Plastic is ok and works but a bit weak... Plastic does have lower thermal mass which is good!

9. A Jet Holder for the Fuel Jet. (1/8th BSP to 4mm O/D Nylon with nut and olive)
Specification: Simple metal fitting. Exactly the same as the one above. - Male 1/8th BSP to 4mm nylon pipe - Compression style. Best not to use "push lock" fittings here. The 1/8th BSP side needs to be drilled and tapped M5 and recessed to accept a control jet.

Ideals: Brass, Brass plated with nickel, Brass chromed, or Stainless steel.

10. Some 4mm O/D Nylon pipe to connect the solenoids to the point of injection
Specification: 4mm outside diameter. 2.5 internal bore. Available cheaply in big rolls... In many colours. The normal stuff has approx 2.4 to 2.5mm inside diameter. It is NOT rated for 1000psi pressures, so is not really suitable for the connection between bottle and solenoids, but it WILL actually stand it OK Mostly... It is however IDEAL for connecting the solenoids outlet to the engine, injectors, or distribution blocks. These are at much lower pressure because the control jet is in the solenoids outlet, and the pipes are "open" at the engine end. And more importantly they have low thermal mass.

Ideals: Pretty colours! Low thermal mass and cheap!

11. Nitrous/Fuel Injector - or occasionally more than 1 depending on engine configuration
Specification: It must introduce the Nitrous into the engine, and preferably the fuel as well. It can be two single connections close together, or a single device that allows both fuel and Nitrous to enter at the same point. In ALL cases the Nitrous MUST "collect" the fuel and atomise it finely inside the port, or air intake system.

Ideals: Must look pretty, be small, and preferably use nuts and olives in preference to "push lock" type fittings for reliability.

12. Assorted brackets and mounting hardware, cable ties, grommets, wiring etc
Specification: Difficult. Every vehicle and setup will be different. Fabricate as required...

Ideals: Solid, tidy, neat, well thought out.

13. An arming switch
Specification: Any switch that looks cool, sits in your cars dashboard, or somewhere within easy reach on a bike, that allows you to switch "on" or arm the system ready for use. It must be reliable, and be able to cope with 5 amps+ and preferably have some kind of light or other indicator so you don't forget its on! It should be wired through the ignition, so it only works while the engine is running. It should preferably only work when you have oil pressure (engine turning) and it would be advantageous if it was wired via the oil pressure switch.

Ideals: Use a "standard" interior switch in your car that uses the unused switch positions on your dashboard. This way it looks standard, not obvious?

14. Throttle operated Micro-Switch or other alternative
Specification: Use a GOOD QUALITY 5 amp micro switch, and seal against water with silicon sealant or similar. Mount inside the car so the throttle pedal operates it at full throttle, or on the carb / throttle body instead. This means you only get nitrous at full throttle!

Ideals: Reliable!

Installation of Angel Eyes

2009-08-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

they are the circular ringsaround the headlight which glow. they ods (aprox 15 inches each) of 8mm diameter. i have used 12mm its a bit too large, 8mm will be perfect. Rs500. got them from a plastic sheet shop near "Sabri nihari". only he has it in that area, havent checked in any other plastic market cause i dont know any other.

-metal cutting blade (aari) , from your local hardware store. Rs12.

- pair of gloves

- any circular object of the size of your headlights.

- drilling machine

- 8 LED bulbs with resistors, (get the 5mm ones they are brighter than the 8mm ones), i suggest you buy a dozen. Rs20.

- 3 meter wire

- electric tape

- almunium foil

- transparent tape

so lets begin.

first you have to heat your oven upto 300F for 5mins.

now place the rods in the oven, heat them one at a time for 5 mins each. the time depends on the amount of heat your oven can provide. you should take it out when you see that it has has started to distort a bit.

use gloves because it will be hot, very HOT. wear double gloves if you are doing it alone, i had my brother to help me out.

now simply bend the rod over the circular object the size of your headlight . keep it steady by holding it for a few mins because it will try to straighten out when uyou leave it.

once it cools off, trim the edges using the metal cutting blade, accoring to your size.

now use the drill machine to drill holes in the rods depending on the size of your LEDs.check the size by inserting the LED.

now use the blade again to place small cuts 1.5mm apart aprox, one one side of the circular rod. leave some space from both ends to install the LEDs. this is the part where you show the neatness. the cleaner the better.

u can chek it up by connecting the led with a small battery, like i did.

you can see, if you dont place the cuts the light wont be that bright. the light basically only leaves the rod from the cuts, the same concept as fiberoptic cables. its called TIR(total Internal Reflection).

this is where the basic structure is made. now you have to cover the back side(the side with the cuts) with the aluminum foil. use the clear tape to stick it. cover the place around the LED completely so it does not let the light out. now cover the aluminum foil arond the LED with black electric tape. put in the LEDs and wire them in series. place a resistor with each positive terminal of the LED.

now stick the Angel Eyes in your headlight. i used the plastic glue gun, cause if you want to remove them later it will come of with no sign of damage to the light.( do not use elfy or that sort of substances).

wire them up and you are good to go !

the image below is edited to show both the lights, i havent installed them in the second headlight yet.

Installation of Boost Gauge

2009-08-20T04:32:00.000-07:00

nt a vry uphill task.........

jst need to know ur ride well..!!

below r da thngs needed...........

now finding the vaccum hose frm manifold...........dis may b a trial n error method

diff fr evry ride........u may try putting ur finger in front n u wil feel da suction

disconnect the pipe and insert the T as shown

now cut a small piece frm the extra hose that is bought fr da gauge n connect it to the point where the original hose was connected.

now complete the vaccum connection wid da help of T as shown

da remaining end of da T is fr the gauge now....

arrow indicates the gauge pipe running into da compartment frm eng bay

find a suitabl entrance to tha dashboard

wiring the connection wid switch instead f parking.....

now da arrows below show da hose and wires getting to da gauge...

connecting the hose n the wires appropriatly

and HERE v go.......

da needle at zero indicates no operation......

and as the engine is run......it starts showing da vaccum in da intake manifold( and BOOST of course on further acceleration)

Thnaks...n regrets fr any mistake

DIY Chasis grounding

2009-08-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Subject : Engine - Chassis Grounding

I took a piece of thick copper wire used for connecting subwoofers and three thimbles and created an engine and chassis grounding on my own to see the effect on performance as I have read in many places that it improves the performance...... blah blah blah

connected one end on battary negative terminal and the other two on engine head cover and chassis respectively with bolts. You can see the bright red cable in the pix attached.

l post the results if any, but doubt it will have any measurable results. Lets see.

Posting the pix.

Thanks.

Changing air filter

2009-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

i am about to open air filter chamber

the cover is open now

the old air filter

new air filter

i have mention the date and mileage on air filter

placeing the new air filter

now closing the air filter chamber

it is done now

DIY spark plugs

2009-08-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

SUBJECT: Side Gapping Spark Plugs

PROBLEM: Improve spark with standard plugs instead of paying triple for Split-Fire� type plugs
COST: Time only
TIME: 30 minutes
WHAT'S NEEDED: Your favorite spark plugs (Motorcraft or Autolite preferred), feeler gauge,

DETAILS: One of the problems of buying the "premium" type spark plugs, is not only the initial cash outlay, but the hesitation to replace them at sooner than "normal" intervals. Hesitation to replace expensive plugs when attempting to diagnose an unknown problem is common and many times can waste a lot of time in the diagnostics procedure, especially when it turns out the plugs were the culprit.

SOLUTION: First, obtain a high quality over the counter version that carries an economical price. Motorcraft and Autolite come to mind for their performance and safety features of inherently melting before the piston does. Then carefully shorten the electrode arm by taking a die grinder with a small cut-off wheel and remove a small portion from the end. *Do not* nick any part of the center electrode or porcelain! As seen in the photos below, nearly the entire center electrode can be seen from the bottom of the plug as compared to the standard version being completely shrouded from view. This modification will expose more of the generated spark to the combustion chamber, thereby more completely igniting the air/fuel charge instead of the spark being forced to propagate in a sideways direction and not directly into the majority of the combustion mix. This procedure of exposing the electrode is called "Side Gapping", and has been a well kept secret for many years in the racing circles. While some may debate the amount of Horsepower, Torque & Fuel economy increases, there is no disputing that side gapped plugs significantly improve spark propagation as well as reduce plug fouling and loading up, with no sacrifice to your wallet.

The sharper edges also encourages the spark to ignite quicker and stronger, much like striking an arc with a welder on an edge rather than a flat surface. However, there is one minor drawback, and that would be the center electrode will wear one side sooner due to the spark now being directed to one specific area on the plug edge, rather than a random path all around the electrode point. Even though the plugs may wear slightly quicker, since your home-modified plugs can cost up to four times less than that of "premium" versions, they can be more readily changed, leaving you with fresh new plugs during your engine's operation more of the time than with the costly premium versions.

As the photos show, the side gapped plug exposes more of the spark path to the open combustion chamber than the Standard version, as well as even the Splitfire� or Bosch+4� types. And this can be done to any of your favorite brands of plugs you already like, to make them better!

To gap the new plug, slide the feeler gauge in at a 45 degree angle to read the tightest clearance between the center electrode and the arm. Slightly tighter than OEM recommended gaps can be taken advantage of, measuring the actual space between the closest surfaces of the two electrodes. Reduce gaps by approximately .010". Closer clearances will yield the same if not more of the spark front, and at the same time resist the flame from being "blown out" when using Nitrous Oxide injection or supercharging. The closer "sharp edged" surfaces will more easily propagate the initial spark while the main mass of surface area being farther away, will increase the spark travel (volume). Re-gap periodically, as the accelerated wear on the electrode edges will increase the gap sooner.

NOTE: Side Gapping spark plugs has been the serious racer's secret since the early 60's. Only recently have major manufactures started producing this style of plug for mass production, but with unreproducible sophisticated designs, since if their expensive plugs looked like these, they would lose all their business to home mechanics copying that simple to do at home design. Experiment with different configurations and� Have fun!

PHOTO: ��...The left photo illustrates the shrouded standard type plug (red arrow) "squeezing" the spark sideways rather than downwards directly into the homogenized combustion mix in the cylinder such as the newly modified Side Gapped version does (yellow arrow). The Yellow graduation shows how much of the arm that was cut off. The right photo compares three types of plugs. Note the center electrode exposure the combustion chamber sees.

Cut the electrode arm off even with the edge of the center electrode. *do not* touch the center electrode or porcelain!

Carefully file the edges of the electrode arm to remove any remaining burrs, but keep the edges clean and sharp.

With a feeler gauge, set the gap at the narrowest point between the center electrode and the electrode arm. Reduce the gap by .010" than norm specifications.

The increased electrode exposure guides the angle of the flame front down towards the center of the combustion chamber promoting a faster, more complete and even burn thus increase power, performance and fuel mileage as well as reducing plug fouling.

HOW SIDE GAPPING WORKS: The closer gap (1-Yellow) allows for easier ignition while the angled surfaces (2-orange) allow the ignited spark to grow in size to exceed that of normally shaped plugs. As the spark column flows along the electrode surface it grows outwards in size towards the combustion chamber and down towards the piston (3) creating a larger spark presence but with an easier starting spark for situations where more spark is needed, such as high compression cylinders, high rpm's and increased fuel conditions as well as preventing "spark blow-out" in nitrous and super/turbo charging applications.

Thanks