First off, great board! Alot of great info on here.

Ok, here's a few questions I have about running NOS...

I understand that the chance is slim that the bottle will explode but I'm curious if there's anything I can do to minimize the possibility of that.

Is there any type of maintence you need to do with the NOS bottle? For instance, don't let it get too hot/cold etc. Should I remove it from my car on really hot/cold days or will it be ok.

Second question is what's the purpose of bottle heaters? I'm guessing that the nitrous oxide will freeze in colder temps, right?

I plan on making a little enclosure in my trunk to put the nos in to make it look a bit more custom. Is that a good idea or will that end up heating up the bottle too much causing it to be unstable?

Sorry about the stupid questions but I'd like to have a good understanding of the system before I go and buy it. Thanks guys!

stan and michelle are the nitrous gods, but i think i can answer your questions...

-I understand that the chance is slim that the bottle will explode but I'm curious if there's anything I can do to minimize the possibility of that.

yes and no... they make a blowdown tube which is simply a metal hose that is drilled down through the floor of the car. if an extreme pressure is applied to the bottle, or extreme heat, the blowdown tube will empty the nitrous outside of the car, depressurizing the bottle.

Is there any type of maintence you need to do with the NOS bottle? For instance, don't let it get too hot/cold etc. Should I remove it from my car on really hot/cold days or will it be ok.

80-85 degrees is the ideal temp you would want to keep your bottle at. i think you're fine on hot/cold days, because assuming you wouldn't always be driving with a full tank, the hotter the nitrous gets, the more it expands. the colder it gets, the less dense it becomes.

Second question is what's the purpose of bottle heaters? I'm guessing that the nitrous oxide will freeze in colder temps, right?

they keep your bottle at the "ideal" temp which causes the nitrous to stay at high pressure and spray nicely when the solenoid is triggered. nightime and cold days can really bring down the pressure within the bottle.

I plan on making a little enclosure in my trunk to put the nos in to make it look a bit more custom. Is that a good idea or will that end up heating up the bottle too much causing it to be unstable?

depending on where the NOS bottle is located, it should be okay... just remember that on extreme weekends or racedays, you will be removing your bottle quite frequently. make the enclosure out of something that is simple to remove the bottle from.

Sorry about the stupid questions but I'd like to have a good understanding of the system before I go and buy it. Thanks guys!



1996 Talon EsiNOS - Eclipse rear end

LAST EDITED ON 07-Jun-01 AT 08:25 PM (PST)

Thanks for the answers. Much obliged!

Has anyone ever heard of any other safety problems with NOS besides that guy who hard-wired his bottle?

One question I have though. When you said that on a hard night or at the track, I'd be removing the bottle quite a bit.. Do you mean I'd have to check it every so often as a precautionary measure or just to check the level in it and make sure I have enough for another run? Thanks.

One more thing (sorry to be a pain in the ass). About how much does the gas expand... For instance, if I kept it half full all of the time, do you think I'd be pretty safe from the gas over-expanding and cracking/blowing up the bottle?

I think he meant you would have to take it out to get it refilled. and about keeping it half-full, there is really no need for that. it would have to get REALLY hot in ur car to get the nitrous above the 1100psi cut-off line for using it. on real hot days, take the bottle out if it makes you feel better. with a blow down tube, you wont have any worries or it having too much pressure, cause IF it did( which is highly unlikely) it would just blow off the excess pressure through the line and outside... u can accomplish this yourself by purging if u have a purge kit.



NitrousEclipse97@aol.com
1997 Eclipse RS
JE Pistons
Crower Rods
75-shot Nitrous Express(wet)
AEM CAI
Greddy EVO Exhaust
NGK Plugs&Wires(one range colder)
Front/Rear Upper Strut bars
Eibach Pro-Kit springs
Tokico Struts
17" Konig Imagines
Yokohama A520's

1994 Eclipse GS-T
Greddy Boost Controller(15psi)
Greddy BOV
Autometer Boost and A/F gauges

Even if you dont have the blowdown tube the bottle shouldn't "explode". ALl bottles have a pressure safety valve which pops at I believe 2000+psi. Without the blowdown tube you'll have a hatch/truck full of freeze but no explosion (and no organized racing without it).

Nitrous bottles have a date stamped on to them and must be checked and recertified every 5 yrs and restamped. Most places I go aren't enforcing this what so ever but a few places do and if your bottles date hasn't been recertified within 5 yrs no refill. So there are actual measures to make sure the metallurgy of your bottle is adequate.

That guy was a fool or terribly unlucky. He used a pressure type heater and turned the bottle off (obvious pressure wasn't changing very much). Mistake 2 he left the damn thing on while out of the car (a mistake anyone could make). I haven't read/looked at that story in a long time but his pressure safety valve should have poped long before the bottle exploded (I get the feeling he didn't have that in place or correctly either). Simple solution for him : thermostatic heater (NOS)


Stan2gnt
Stan2va@aol.com
95 Talon 420A-Turbo
Former and future nitrous user

Ok, great! You guys answered all my question. I'll be ordering my NOS today. Thanks again. I appreciate it.