on that same note,, is it really possible to set up a supercharger with a
clutch?? (remember MAD MAX ??) that would be kinda cool... it would even the
drivability differences mentioned below....
Cubic Madness
97 CC, V8, Auto (Increased Line Pressure), 3.55 Trac Lok,Linex
Jon Steiger wrote:
> Lets see if we can settle this one once and for all. :-)
>
> In that "Magnum Performance Tips" article I mentioned earlier,
> they said something that sort of struck me, especially in light
> of some of the recent supercharger posts.
>
> They said:
>
> "Drive all week long on your 'stock' engine, then scoot to the
> track, turn on the gas, and Viola... instant-racer. Serious
> bolt-on modifications will be taxing an engine 100 percent of
> the time. Not Nitrous!"
>
> This is an interesting point... Could nitrous actually be more
> healthy for an engine than a supercharger? Would running around
> all the time with a supercharger put more wear on your engine
> as compared to nitrous?
>
> Now, all along, I've wanted a supercharger, and not nitrous. My
> main reasons for this were the fact that I'd have to have a source
> for the nitrous, and would always have to keep refilling the bottle.
> (And I have no idea what that might cost.) I figured that there
> must be a point, at X bottle refills when I put out enough money
> whereby I could have gotten a supercharger. The initial cost is
> much cheaper, but how long do you go before you hit that spot where
> the supercharger becomes more economical? The other reason was
> the general "bad vibe" that nitrous seems to have. There's this
> sort of unwritten thinking that goes something like, "put nitrous
> on your vehicle and it will blow up." I suspect it isn't quite
> that bad, but I just need more education.
>
> I think it might be helpful to come out in the open with the
> pros and cons of nitrous and superchargers, so that maybe we can
> figure out which one is best. (Or at least get all the facts out
> there so that everyone can figure out the best choice for their
> particular needs.)
>
> The obvious one that comes to mind is cost. Nitrous is several
> orders of magnatude cheaper, depending on what system you go with.
> Also, I have no firsthand knowledge of this, but I suppose nitrous
> is easier to remove from the truck for warrantee service. :-)
> I'll bet nitrous will give you better gas mileage too, since
> it isn't on all the time. Another one: truck will be better in
> the winter without all the torque from the supercharger.
>
> Some plusses for the supercharger: You can bolt it on and forget
> it. No refilling of bottles, no additional costs after the
> initial installation. If you need some power quickly, there's
> no overhead; you just mash the gas. With nitrous, you have to
> open the bottle, maybe warm it up, flip the switch on the dash,
> etc. Lets see... Ummm, a supercharger sounds cool. :-) There
> have to be more than this!
>
> For the first time, I am actually considering nitrous as a viable
> option to a supercharger. I'll be interested to see what info this
> might turn up. :-)
>
> And, if I were to get nitrous, New York Intl. Raceway Park would
> have 2 nearly identical Club Cab Dakotas; one with an auto and the
> other with a stick. That might throw a little fuel on that particular
> subject. :-)
>
> Speaking of which, Bill, where do you get your nitrous? I asked
> a couple of people, and they didn't know where I could get it around
> here, they said "maybe Buffalo". I think I've seen it mail order, but
> there is a "hazardous materials charge" on it or something. Anyone
> else with nitrous have a good mail order source?
>
> While I'm on the subject of nitrous sources, while I was doing
> some software development for Cummins Engine last year, I walked by the
> loading dock one day and noticed that they had these huge canisters of
> Nitrous Oxide. Everyone knows that its cheaper to buy in bulk, right? :-)
> How hard would it be to get a huge canister like that and fill
> a smaller bottle from it? Or would it not be worth it?
>
> Well, I guess that's enough rambling about that. Looking forward
> to what y'all have to say! :-)
>
> -Jon-
>
> .--- stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu -- http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ ---.
> | DoD# 1038, EAA# 518210, NMA# 117376, USUA# A46209, KotWitDoDFAQ, RP-SEL |
> | '96 Dodge Dakota v8 SLT Club Cab, '96 Kolb FireFly 447 (#FF019) |
> `-------------------------------------------------------------------------'
> I do not speak for the SUNY College at Fredonia; all opinions are my own.
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