SYSTEM SPECS:
Custom System #2
Richard Brown, Brown's Diesel
Truck: '03 Dodge Ram 2500
System: Custom multi-stage
Non-Nitrous: 641 hp
Nitrous Assisted: 1,289 hp
Nitrous Gain: 648 hp
Perhaps the king of nitrous-assisted horsepower, Richard Brown has taken things to the next level with his multi-stage system. His 1,289-horsepower dyno run at an Idaho dyno event actually sent people running for the door when his truck was making its pull. Brown uses multiple small stages controlled by Hobbes switches (which activate off of boost pressure) in order to make his astounding numbers. He says that it is a more expensive way to go, but he feels it is better and more reliable. Brown also mentioned that he considers wiring to be of the utmost importance. With each solenoid drawing 10 amps or more, relays are a must in the wiring system, or else you'll be frying switches left and right.
Nitrous can also cause some serious cylinder pressure spikes. Chris Werner (who has the same basic setup as Riles) bent a pushrod on the dyno after making almost 1,200 horsepower.
SYSTEM SPECS:
Custom System #3
Brian Carter, CNsmoke Performance
Truck: '03 Dodge 3500
System: Custom Three stage, with purge
Non-Nitrous: est. 800 hp
Nitrous Assisted: est. 1,200 hp
Nitrous Gain: est. 400 hp
We don't know if you're sick of Brian Carter popping up in Diesel Power yet, but we just had to show you this. For those of you who are confused by time delay and progressive systems, Carter just might have a solution. When we talked to him at Hot Rod's Drag Week, we knew he was running nitrous, but didn't find out more about his uhhh...unique system 'til a few days in.
As nitrous gets used up, pressure drops, which can result in a loss of power. Werner uses two bottles-one under the seat and one in the bed-while Riles just makes sure he has at least three full 15-pound bottles he can swap in every time he hits the track. | 
The intake is a good place to start when staging nitrous; many trucks run at least two stages in the intake manifold, right before the cylinder head. | 
With a compound turbo setup, the air will be much hotter than with a single. To combat this, many people who are running twins will mount a stage of nitrous between the staged turbochargers to cool the air that is entering the secondary turbo charger. Most people we talked to who are spraying big also run an external wastegate on their turbo setup to keep from overspeeding, and to protect against backfires as well as drive pressure spikes. |