Nitrous, The CHEAP power adder. Think Again!

Ok, after reading numerous threads about adding nitrous I thought i'd toss this little piece together. This is not a tell all by ANY means but it's a good place to start. (Keep in mind, this is primarily targeted towards fuel injected cars.)

Wet or Dry?
Well, contrary to popular belief, NEITHER is the "best" solution. Each system has it's pro's and con's. Decide what your goals are and decide what kit will best suit your needs but keep in mind the limitations of both systems.

Wet Pros:
Easier for the novice to tune via the jets in the kit as opposed to tuning your car's PCM or paying for a professional tune.
Capable of larger "shots" without major modification.

Wet Cons:
Higher cost.
Two solenoids to control.
In the case of a failure or obstruction within the fuel side kit, you risk motor damage by running lean.
Backfires! Most intakes were not designed to flow fuel. Fuel puddling can cause backfires in the intake and MAJOR damage.
Failure of the nitrous solenoid in the open position can cause engine damage.

OR

Dry Pros:
Easy installation, no need for extra fuel as the car's computer will add it for you.
Can be upgraded to a wet kit by adding a simple fuel solenoid and the proper fueling hardware.

Dry Cons:
Major fuel system upgrades may be required, depending on the "shot" size you intend to run.
Running lean can cause major engine damage. If the kit is not properly installed or monitored, damage may occur.
Failure of the nitrous solenoid in the open position can cause engine damage.


Now, lets get down to the dirt of it. Sure, you can get a basic dry nitrous system "ready to run" (I'll elaborate more on this in a second.) for around $275 from a certain unnamed online vendor. Lets look into this bargain dry nitrous kit a little.
What's included:
10 Lb. Nitrous Bottle
Bottle Brackets
N2O Solenoid
Nitrous Jets (Various HP Ranges)
Dry N2O Nozzle
Nozzle Retaining Nut
Bottle Nut
Braided Hose (Solenoid to Nozzle)
Braided Hose (Main Feed Line)
AN to NPT Fittings
WOT (Micro) Activation Switch & Bracket
Arming Switch
40 Amp Relay & Harness
Nitrous Pressure Gauge
Solenoid Bracket

There seems to be alot of hardware there isn't there! While this is enough to install and use the kit itself, lets consider possible drawbacks to nitrous and see if we can make this kit safer! Keep in mind, this stuff is NOT required. I'm just trying to show that your basic nitrous kit is a far cry from a "cheap" power adder IF you want do it properly.
I'll use ONE site for all pricing to keep everything consistant. Don't let me know that XXX can be had for cheaper here, this is just an example to show that a basic kit is by far "all you need" to run nitrous.

Lets add a 2nd nitrous solenoid in line with the first so if one fails open, the other one will close. This can add another $60 to the cost.

In order to ensure the nitrous doesn't spray past your rev limiter or you don't engage the nitrous at too low of an RPM, a window switch is HIGHLY recommended. The window switch will turn on and off the nitrous at certain RPM's you set to ensure safer operation. This can add another $100 to the cost.

Adding extra power onto stock components can weaken or cause them to fail. In order to soften this "shock", a progressive controller can be used to ramp the power up slowly. This may allow you to run a larger shot than you normally would since the initial hit is not as harsh. This can add another $125 or more to the cost.

Keeping bottle pressure up is crucial to optimizing the nitrous system. It will affect the dry kits less as the computer will compensate by reading the nitrous entering the motor but on a wet system, tuning the fuel jets needs a consistant bottle pressure. A bottle heater can add another $115 to the cost.

Ensuring fuel delivery is essential no matter if the kit is wet or dry. Using a fuel pressure safety switch will not allow the system to arm if the fuel pressure is too low or it will disarm it if pressure drops below your setpoint. A fuel pressure safety switch adds another $50 to our cost.

Keeping contaminants out of the system is always a good idea. A nitrous filter placed directly after the bottle will keep junk from getting into your solenoids or nozzle. This will set you back another $60.

Running a dry shot on a computer controlled car might appear as the easy solution but in fact, it may not be. Depending on the extra power added, you may need to add fuel system upgrades. In order to simplify this, we are going to use a typical LS1 V8 car as an example. Usually over 150hp upgrades are needed. Under 150hp the stock system MIGHT be fine. Always check with logging software or a professional tuner to be safe. You will need to upgrade the injectors and fuel pump to supply the extra needed fuel. An upgraded fuel pump system may run $250 while eight injectors will run $280 for the set.

The nitrous itself has to be purchased. Typically a 10lb bottle will last 7-10 passes using the 125hp jets. With nitrous around $3.50 per lb., this means another $35 every 7-10 passes.

Conclusion:
While there are many other additions that can be made to this list, this will give the novice user plenty of food for though when it comes to that $275 cheap upgrade in power. With extra parts totaling well over $750, that $275 kit just got rather expensive.