Catalog #70080, #70081, #70082, #70083
Brochure No. 63-0312
©2008 Edelbrock Corporation
Rev. 07/08
Page 25
4.0
Baseline Tuning Suggestions
Utilizing nitrous oxide as a power adder is similar to a supercharger or a turbocharger in that it increases the amount of
air an engine can get over a naturally aspirated condition. There are some significant differences:
1. Nitrous oxide is very oxygen rich. This oxygen is of a much higher density, so the opportunity to extract very high
quotients of power is high.
2. Nitrous oxide injection does not have a parasitic load factor associated with its use like a turbocharger or
supercharger.
Meaning, it does not cost horsepower as a crank-driven supercharger or an exhaust-driven
turbocharger.
3. Nitrous is instantaneous and their is no lag time such as what you would encounter with a turbocharger.
The most important thing to remember when looking at baseline tuning issues associated with nitrous oxide is that a lean
condition is bad. Two parameters that will keep you from catastrophically affecting your engine are:
4.1 Nitrous Bottle Pressure
...Always keep your bottle pressure between 900 and 950 psi. Yes, there are racers that
use different pressures, but the testing we did here at Edelbrock to ensure the jetting maps within this manual are
correct, was done in this pressure range. Use any higher pressure than 950 psi and you will be lean. Use any
pressures below 900 psi and you will be rich.
4.2 Fuel Pressure
...Always ensure you have between 6-6.5 psi of fuel pressure every time you enable your nitrous
system. We used 6 to 6.5 psi of fuel pressure to perform our jet map testing on this system. If you do not have at
least 6psi of fuel pressure going to the fuel solenoid, when it is activated, you will encounter a lean condition. If you
were to have more than 6.5 psi of fuel pressure, when it is activated, to the fuel solenoid, you would have a rich
condition.
There are many different ways to jet to a specific power level. However, for the continued safe operation of your nitrous
system, we suggest you do not move too far away from the jet map listed within this manual. Catastrophic engine failure
could result.
Your Performer RPM II nitrous system comes with matched sets of nitrous and fuel jets. These are dyno verified jetting
combinations, based upon 900 to 950 psi nitrous oxide bottle pressure, and 6 to 6.5 psi flowing fuel pressure. Operating
with these pressure levels should yield safe and reliable power increases.
Spark Plug Facts
The most important aspects to be considered when selecting a Spark Plug for your nitrous combination are, but not limited
to: heat range, firing end design, material construction type, reach, thread size, and gap. We advise lowering the heat range
of your spark plugs 1 to 2 steps for every 100 hp added with nitrous. We do not recommend the use of Precious metal
type plugs i.e.: Platinum, Iridium, Gold Palladium, or Yttrium. The tips on these types of plugs can get very hot and cause
detonation. It is best to use a non projected tip plug without a fine wire center electrode designed for a gap between .025"
and .035" with a shorter preferably thicker ground strap. Never try to gap a plug designed for a .060" gap down to. 035".
Edelbrock suggests an NGK spark plug with a heat range of -9 to -11 depending on the nitrous power level
being tuned. When in doubt, always go to the next colder heat range plug.
