>Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 00:36:27 -0800
>From: Alan Dahl <adahl@eskimo.com>
>Subject: Re: Safety Belt
>
>On Sunday, February 24, 2002, at 12:25 AM, Mark J.
>Andy wrote:
>> I'm not sure I understand why this is a safety
issue >at all... Why is
>> using nitrous on an autox course dangerous?
>Doubling the horsepower?
>> What about prepared cars or turbo cars or any
number >of other cars that
>> have _way_ more horsepower than stock?
<snip>
IMHO the danger in dealing with nitrous is the fact
that the aluminum bottle can become shrapnel if the
nitrous gas becomes too warm. In order to get the
most out of each bottle, nitrous systems have an
electric warmer on the bottle. This is a safety
contradiction, isn't it?
Links to the pictures of the results of a fireless
nitrous explosion were passed around a year or so ago
detailing the remains of a Maxima (I think), including
the trunklid poking through the garage door. Wish I'd
saved the pics.
I don't want the bottles at any autox event, period.
The other concerns expressed about engine failures and
loss of control due to the extra power are secondary
but valid concerns; remember, the system is designed
for full throttle operation, and nitrous is a
catalyst, not an explosive fuel. What happens if the
throttle is closed for deceleration and the nitrous is
still on - either the cylinder temp will skyrocket
"running lean", or will it simply not decelerate?
And remember, the driver has probably never turned a
corner under the extreme nitrous power - do you want
him learning how to handle it at YOUR event?
=====
Lonnie Heston -- Wichita Region
Civic CRX SI '86 EStock ... er Gstock "Backstreet Frog"
Wichita Region SCCA - http://wichitascca.org/
"No one has a "complete" set of tools." -Bruce Bettinger
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
http://sports.yahoo.com
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