GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

The other night I was running diagnostics during a nitrous run and the O2s pretty much dropped to 0. I suspected a dead fuel solenoid and found that it was dead today. The car has been running perfectly fine on the bottle so I have no idea when this happend or how long I've been spraying like this (I've put almost 2 bottles throught the car since the last time I checked my O2s). It's 2 month old TNT noid and I suspect that the seal might be swollen shut (I heard Sunoco 93 & 94 is 10% ethanol), their was still alittle fuel in the nozzles and heavy gas smells in the lines so I don't think it's been dead for to long. Where should I start with the motor? I don't own a leak down tester yet so what can I do until I get one? I pulled the line off the valve cover and it doesn't spurt oil, no smoke from the oil fill either. I have my fingers crossed that the motor is alright.

Chingon

iTrader: (1)

I can't answer your question but I have one for you. The ethanol in gasoline can damage the fuel solenoid? I live in California and I always see signs at the gas station that read something like, "Gasoline at this station may contain (insert alcohol here)" I don't remember if it said ethanol, methanol, or whatever.
I know Arco for instance has MTBE in it's gasoline. What stations have alcohol-less gas?

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Ethanol will cause the plunger seal to swell up making the solenoid stick shut. It will click like it's working properly but never open. Usaully cheap gas stations will cut their gas with ethanol to easily raise the octane levels. Chevron, Texaco, and Mobil are suposed to be good, I always swore by Sunoco but if it does turn out to be a swollen plunger I'll never go back again. Luckily my car seems to be fine. I took it out on the highway and beat the ever living **** out of it, performace is the same, no smoke, no oil consumtion. Still going to do a leak down test just to make sure.

BTW: MTBE does partially consist of methanol but I don't think it will kill the noids. Even if it does you should be ok, California is trying to phase out MTBE. I don't think any gas stations will advertise that they cut there fuel with ethonal so beware.

Josh

iTrader: (9)

I'm glad to hear everything appears to be OK with the engine. Having a solenoid malfunction is my biggest fear, so I can imagine you were quite concerned. This is the first time I remember reading of a TNT solenoid failing.

Best of luck! Hopefully everything will continue to work properly.

Josh

jamnut

iTrader: (4)

I never wanted a gauge pod in my car, but it's stories like this that make me think twice about mounting an AF meter & Fuel Pressure Gauge in a pod. I know that AF meter's aren't accurate at all, but I'm sure that spraying a 150 shot & having a fuel noid stick shut would show pretty well even with the cheapest AF meter.

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Well I have heard of TNT noid failures before, in fact when my nitrous noid was new it was sticking shut too. After cycling it about 15 times with the nitrous pressure against it, it was fine. People say that A/F ratio gauges are junk but, if your O2's take a dive it will let you know. I wish I hadn't of sold mine. The funny thing about this is the car acted and sounded totally normal even though it was getting no fuel. I'm very surprised it didn't detonate, I'm running 28* of timming.

Chingon

iTrader: (1)

Well I use 76(Unocal). Would that "Techron" in the Chevron gas have any affect on the fuel noid?

DynotuneN2O

iTrader: (13)

We have seen this happen on the Dyno many times! I am sure you did not want to hear that. Not just because of defective solenoids (NOS/NX) but also bad wiring.

What happens is not all that bad.... The A/F becomes lean, about 15-16 to 1.
Yes very lean but because all the fuel is burnt up in the chamber, the nitrous just blows through. No extra HP, a little lean but typically not a problem!
Now if you were using a Dynotune A/F switch you would have shut down the n2o. Even a cheap Autometer A/F gauge would have shown this lean mixture!

Dan

Cheatin' Chad

iTrader: (3)

I test my fuel solenoid everytime I go to the strip.It's kind of a pain because I have to jumper the window switch and FPSS but I figure it's simple insurance.

Cheatin' Chad

iTrader: (3)

BTW: Does anyone carry solenoids compatible with alcohol? Or can NX solenoids be rebuilt with seals that are unaffected by ethanol?

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Their are alky noids but I don't think that they work with regular gasoline. As far as Techron is concerned, I know nothing about it. It could be a oxiginator like MTBE or it could just be their detergent solution.

Dynotune, it actually reasures me to know that this has happened to you guys on the dyno and the cars were ok even though going super lean. Lukily I was monitering the O2's at the time, I also own an LM-1 wideband and they are suposed to come out with an incar display soon. You guys sell those switches that hook up to the O2s and can shut the nitrous off at a predetemined number right?

DynotuneN2O

iTrader: (13)

Yes, the DynoTune A/F switch will shut down the nitrous if the o2 sensor sees a very lean condition as you have seen. .700V on the o2 sensor.....
It has caught alot of folks with bad solenoids.....The wideband is the way to go. We actually make a round display for the lm-1 unit as well. you need to calibrate your output to match our chart and you can get real A/F readings...
We are still trying it out but it should work fine. We will actually have a round display for all the wideband gauges!
The AEM
The PLX
The LM-1
Dan

5 Liter Eater

iTrader: (5)

I like the idea of the Dyno Tune A/F switch but I don't like that it will also shut off the noids if it senses a rich condition as well. More over, what it thinks is a rich condition doesn't seem that rich to me. The site says it will shut down if A/F goes below 12.5:1. That's right where I want to be. This may be due to the fact that this is too far from stoich for the stock O2 to read accurately or maybe I'm reading the site wrong but I would like to be able to adjust the rich and/or lean cutoff points.

5 Liter Eater

iTrader: (5)

After looking at it again it looks like 12.5:1 is .97 volts and .99 is where the switch shuts off.

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Is it possible to not get it to shut off for an overly rich condition? I would like to be well below 12.5:1 while spraying. On a side note I found metal specs stuck the the oil dipstick, it looks like glitter. Hopefully there is no larger shaving in the oil pan.



EDIT: Just talked to TNT, they make two rebuild kits. One has seals that hold up better when used with ethonol & nitro methane. Though you guys might be intrested in that.

AZ Power & Sound

iTrader: (2)

in Cali and AZ you dont have a choice... they all have MTBE during the summer months... it kills us here because it lowers the octane rating due to the fuel burning quicker with the MTBE additive

70Stang

iTrader: (2)

Guys I emailed DynoTune last night and I just got a response back about the A/F switch...


IT WILL NO LONGER SHUT OFF FOR A RICH CONDITION...ONLY LEAN !!!!


So yeah, if you were thinking about getting one, do it now, cuase it will let you go as rich as you want, but not lean!! Which is GREAT!

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for letting us know that!! I think I'll go order one.

DynotuneN2O

iTrader: (13)

It will still warn you that your running rich, just not shut down the system.

Dan

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

Dynotune, I ordered one last night and was looking at the directions online. Since my Window switch is hooked to "85" on the relay should I unhook the window switch ground ans hook it to the a/f ratio switch?

Thanks,
Andrew