Insight NOS Fiction??

[IamIan]

Found this on line....

So my first thought is fictional / not properly labeled ... what does any one else think??

http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/NOS08004.htm

[Rick]

No reason you couldn't, but the question is should you? Probably not.

It was rumored there was an Insight in a junk yard somewhere around here with only about 1000 miles on it with a blown engine. The intake was removed once a suspicious hole in the intake was discovered and a white spray of nitrous was discovered covering all the intake surfaces.

I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes a good story. If I could find one like this what a nice new EV conversion it would make.

There was a person at Honda-acura.net forums I used to visit when they had a dedicated Insight forum. A member there "Nuke" has/had a citrus yellow one he riced out and had nitrous on it. I really don't think the engine would last long with nitrous, maybe with a very small shot.

[Outsight]

Its been done before on the "Nuke". Give it a shot.

[IamIan]

I am not thinking about doing it to my Insight.... NOS is just tooo damaging and hard on the engine.... from what I have read most cars that use NOS even for short bursts end up needing a new / rebuilt engine every 10,000 miles or less.... but I did find it eye catching... I mean a 50HP boost to the insight would be enormous.... it would just kill the engine .....


It did get me thinking though..... one of the big reasons that hybrids like the Insight get the high MPG numbers that they do is becuase they can down size the ICE for leaner running.... and use the Electric motor for power boosts when it is needed..... I wonder if anyone has used this idea with NOS to make an ICE designed to run with NOS .... it would mean that the 1L ICE in the Insight could be reduced to ~2/3 or~1/2 L and with NOS still get the same power output during times when it is needed like acceleration.... then latter when less power is needed the NOS is backed off.... should be a similar idea to the lean burn / rich burn modes in the Insight now just with a much bigger difference between the lean ( no NOS ) and the rich ( with NOS ) operation of a 1/2 to 2/3 L ICE.... a Electric Hybrid system would still be useful for adding boost power from regenerative braking.... and rich / lean burn mode for the Gasoline too would also be useful.

[Rick]

Maybe, but have you filled a Nitrous bottle lately? It's not cheap. I think you'd be better off undersizing an engine and putting a turbo or supercharger on it. This is what they've done with the latest Smart cars using something like a 666cc turbo charged engine.

Besides, Nitrous isn't smog legal either.

[Aaron Cake]

I was seriously thinking about it for a while. Even went so far as to buy a "Sneaky Pete" nitrous kit and got together all the parts to convert it to a wet system for the Insight. Never got around to the project and eventually just sold the parts.

If you are going to spray an Insight, you will absolutely NEED a wet system and you MUST use only a small shot. Our engines are not designed for peak power output and therefore are not exactly the strongest thing on the road. I'd be nervous with anything higher then a 30-35 shot. This goes for any form of power adder really, whether it be nitrous, turbocharging or supercharging...

Nitrous is no more damaging to an engine then any power adder IF IT IS DONE CORRECTLY. Generally when people blow stuff up they were doing something stupid like running the car lean (easy to do if you don't know any better).

[Jackmpg]

IamIan,
I've been inside the Insight ICE a few times, it is a mechanics dream. What went into the Insight is anything but traditional. It is awesome. Ball bearing rollers for the cam, machine fit oil pan, every part designed with a primary single bent for efficiency.

The connecting rods too. They are so light and delicate, perfect for what they've been asked to do. They don't look like they'd take much nitrous. Why not something a little more passive, Willie's proven it can be done. And his turbo system has over 100K on it now. I drove it back in Febuary, drives fine and has all the power you could want...

If you decide on the NOS, I would just recommend caution...

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Jackmpg

The connecting rods too. They are so light and delicate, perfect for what they've been asked to do. They don't look like they'd take much nitrous.

That's what the local dealership mechanic told me. They had to replace an engine in one a while back supposedly.

[Subterfuge3927]

HCCI is supposed to do just that! Lets hope Honda can get that engine to production standards within the next few years.