In a gas car typically they use a "wet" system that will add more fuel as it's adding the nitrous. In a diesel you can really only use it if you're already over-fueled. If when you're WOT and your turbo lights fully and you have no excess smoke, it's probably not going to gain you anything. We would use a "dry" system, meaning only adding nitrous, no extra fuel when it's triggered. The idea is if you've got a bunch of black smoke still at full throttle (ie, overfueled) then the nitrous is used to clean it up. We can also use it as a cheater to spool a monster turbo that you normally couldn't do with fuel only.

I wouldn't really recommend it for the street either, though Dmitri Millard set up a low pressure nitrous system on his duramax during diesel power challenge and netted over 30mpg on a 100 mile cruise using it.

 

I guess I didn't completely shift gears when comparing nitrous applications. What some consider an iconic symbol of diesel power (soot) is wasted fuel. Therefore, add nitrous! That being said, I would have to agree that while propane has shown improvements, your are essentially adding fuel to an already rich mixture.

Without having read into it, a low psi nitrous system can be obtained by simply not using a bottle warmer (a torch is an IDIOT'S bottle warmer). Cold bottle = low psi = less hp from the nitrous. I sprayed one pass at 950~1000psi, the next at 650psi, yeah, it was a much lighter hit with less hp.

As long as we are on power adders, why aren't these trucks supercharged? Detroit Diesel used both (yeah yeah, they were 2 strokes), but what about a supercharger AND a turbo. Then again, where would you mount it?

 

It's been done already Karl. Blower style and more commonly in our trucks, prochargers coupled with a turbo. Instant throttle response, no lag, and clean running. It'll clean up 225's with nothing but white tire smoke.





Empire Diesel Performance does most of them. They also did that ridiculous duramax, known as blowermax that has a 9.8 Lysholm charger on it and two Garett 4202 ball bearing 75mm chargers feed air to it.

 

A small bottle of medical grade nitrous (think the size oxygen tank you see grandma with in Wal Mart) 10 years ago was $450.00, and that was for a hospital that purchased fair quantities. I'm sure its a good bit higher now, just a small difference in price

Nitrous in not $3.00 a gallon, propane is.

 

Nitrous is $6/lb and propane is a little less than regular gasoline. Given the bang per buck factor, nitrous is a better deal.

 

Twin's are safer. You screw up with nitrous or propane, or have a malfunction using either of them, and its mucho mula for repairs. Seen it and its not pretty........especially if you dont have the funds for the repairs. Twins + more fuel = more predictable and safer results IMO.

 

Propane and nitrous weigh just about the same in liquid form. I believe nitrous is slightly lighter.

Propane = 4.23 pounds per gallon

Lets say Nitrous is 3.5 pounds per gallon (I think its closer to 4 but I will give you a little just in case).

3.5 x $6 = 21 equals $21.00 per gallon for Nitrous

$2.89 per gallon for propane.

I can get propane most anywhere, even on Sunday when my hot rod shop is closed.

Does propane have the same performance? Produce the same horsepower? I would highly doubt it, nitrous should produce superior results.

I have no dog in this fight, I don't use either, my truck is stock except for tunes and goodies to make it more reliable, better fuel economy, and tow my 5th wheel. If I were to put something like this in my truck it would most likely be propane just because I can get it. Where I live on the coast in Oregon I would have to drive a minimum of 70 miles to get nitrous.

 

[QUOTE=Mdub707;956150]It's been done already Karl. Blower style and more commonly in our trucks, prochargers coupled with a turbo. Instant throttle response, no lag, and clean running. It'll clean up 225's with nothing but white tire smoke.


QUOTE]

Now that's pretty cool! Gale Banks pequed my interest with his 14-71 blown DuraSmoke. Would the parasitic loss of a belt driven blower outweigh the hp? What about a gear driven blower coming off of the aft mounted accesory drive section? You know, where the HPOP is driven. Of course now you're getting into cowl and hood clearance issues.

Maybe a progressive nitrous system (tapers in the nitrous instead of one brutal slam) would be the easiest answer for a confined space.

Did anyone else notice that the plumbing was 3" just like the OEM stuff?

 

The procharger on that 6.0 is driven off the front of the crankshaft by a belt too.

I would still use nitrous over propane even if it was 10x the $. Propane just has no place anymore IMO in a modern diesel. We've come so far in controlling the injection event, I just don't see propane adding any benefit to anything. I'd do water/meth before both of them, and nitrous before propane.

Big Redd, while you're right, you can easily have problems using nitrous, the same could be said for an improperly tuned compound setup too. IE, wastegate tuning. So if each is used correctly there shouldn't be issues. However with Propane, it's dry as hell and I've read about a lot of cracked pistons from it. I've often though nitrous would be better than compounds for the weekend warrior. Drive the truck down the drag strip on the weekends, you've got the nitrous for the added kick, but then when you're back on the street, the power is back to normal. With a compound setup you've AlWAYS got the extra power, so more wear and tear... just play devils advocate there. Obviously compounds would be bad *** though...

 

Yeah I hear ya! During my brainstorm I didnt give creedence to the possiblility of cracked pistons using propane. I have heard of that when propane use was in its infancy for diesel use. Thought by now that would have been addressed. Was not aware it was still an issue. Im in the opinion of "safer" results. But, anything can go wrong at any time with any modification. You just never know......know what I mean? Many tmes Ive seen nitrous malfunctions with devastating results.....usually after a big BOOM!!!
But, thats in gassers. Guess if I had the funds to be a weekend warrior, I would likely be into all that. Im more conservative I guess. Being retired, I dont have the expendable funds as when I was still in the work force.