2005 Pontiac GTO Nitrous Kit - Gen IV Juice

Our weapon of choice to infuse...        read full caption Our weapon of choice to infuse the LS2 GTO with huge power is NX's 20110-10 Mass Air Housing Kit with a 10-pound bottle ($899). It includes the billet 60601 aluminum MAF housing with integral lifetime warranty solenoids, a wiring harness, a TPAS module, a variety of jets that can supply 35-200 horses, and other necessary installation hardware. We also ordered up a GENX-2 accessory kit ($440 jobber) that included the previously mentioned fuel safety switch, a fully automatic bottle heater, a nitrous pressure gauge, a blow-down tube and pipe-away fitting, and a purge valve. The FJO Dual Window Switch came complete with instructions and a software CD--more on it later. NX also sent us its 15896 switch assembly and 15531 2 1/16 nitrous gauge. Due to a pressing story deadline and a race with an LS1, the final switch and gauge installation will be done at a later date.

So far we're having a blast with our '05 Goat's LS2 mill. Even though it doesn't tolerate heat like its LS1/LS6 siblings, 340-plus rear-wheel horsepower from 364 ci--bone-stock--is no joke.

There are a lot of LS2 bolt-ons waiting in the wings, but for this special nitrous-oxide issue, we wanted to juice up our stock Gen IV. Since tuning the E40-powered LS2 isn't quite an exact science yet, we weren't looking for a huge power increase. We wanted a straightforward system that bolted up, could add 100 rwhp with no other changes, and didn't require cracking into the LS2's brains to produce that power.

Lucky for us, Wichita Falls, Texas-based Nitrous Express had a solution: its newly released LS2 MAF wet system. Ricky Stancik of NX explains, "This kit centers around an aluminum ring with integrated solenoids that attaches to the stock MAF, injecting the fuel and nitrous through the intake tract and into the engine." It is barely visible and about as non-invasive as a nitrous system can get.

We wanted safety with all of that new power too, and one of the components in NX's GENX-2 kit is an adjustable fuel pressure safety switch (PN 15718) that will protect the motor if a lean condition arises. Another important addition to our six-speed GTO is the FJO Racing Products two-stage progressive switch, sold through NX. Using its window switch functions, we'll set the nitrous window between 3000 and 6400 rpm, hit the jug, then bang gears with no fear.

The plan is to perform the install at Chris Werner's shop, dyno test at nearby TT Performance with 100-horse jets, and then go head-to-head with Werner's juiced Firebird at E-town. Let's get wrenchin'.

This system uses a MAF-based...        read full caption This system uses a MAF-based delivery, with the fuel and nitrous solenoids mounted in the ring that bolts to your mass airflow meter.	We began the installation...        read full caption We began the installation by removing the negative battery cable and the five plastic retainers holding the plastic radiator cover. Next, the three airbox screws are removed to loosen the stock top airbox assembly.	A screwdriver is used to loosen...        read full caption A screwdriver is used to loosen the MAF clamps. With the '05 GTO, we're working with the new-style MAF connectors. These pop off by sticking a small flat-head screwdriver into the top of the clip to release the connection.
The stock MAF is removed and...        read full caption The stock MAF is removed and set aside.	It's time to mount the bottle....        read full caption It's time to mount the bottle. We remove the spare tire cover and pull back on the fuel tank carpeting in order to find a good spot in the trunk's passenger side for the bottle. With the relocated fuel tank and its crash bracing, it's pretty tight back here.	Next, the Goat is lifted and...        read full caption Next, the Goat is lifted and the passenger-side muffler and muffler heat shield are removed. We're eyeing the passenger-side corner of the trunk for a bottle mount and need bolt mounting locations. We position the nitrous bottle far enough right in the trunk so that there's still room to get at the spare tire. In this position there's still enough room to connect the nitrous line, but it's tight. The mounting brackets are marked, and the drilling begins. Bolts and washers are dropped into the clamps and through the holes and their nuts are tightened down.
Time to cut stuff. NX's LS2...        read full caption Time to cut stuff. NX's LS2 kit requires that the factory MAF housing be cut in half to accommodate the solenoid housing. It's preferable to blame someone else if you screw up, so I put a hacksaw in Werner's capable hands and started shooting photos.	The idea of slicing up a brand-new...        read full caption The idea of slicing up a brand-new (read: expensive) mass air meter is ingenious and nauseating all at once, so Chris relied on divine support (and NX's instructions) to get it right. Dashboard Jesus sez: "Don't screw this up."	Chris is able to keep the...        read full caption Chris is able to keep the hacksaw blade pretty straight so that only the unnecessary plastic is removed...
...Next, he smoothes around...        read full caption ...Next, he smoothes around the edges of the cut MAF and wipes away any plastic residue.	Now the solenoid housing simply...        read full caption Now the solenoid housing simply slips onto the end of the MAF and is tightened down with NX's included bolts; a small amount of oxygen-sensor-safe silicone is used to seal the pieces. The NX MAF is reattached to the factory intake tube so we can test-fit it in the engine bay. The front of the LS2 isn't blessed with much free space, and upon inspection, the fuel solenoid is a little too close to the serpentine belt. The MAF is rotated counterclockwise to clear it, then clamped into place.	After removing the Schrader...        read full caption After removing the Schrader valve from the fuel rail, the fuel pressure safety switch is installed in a blue-anodized gauge fitting.
From that fitting, the fuel...        read full caption From that fitting, the fuel feed line is then connected to the NX fuel solenoid, with the appropriate 100hp fuel jet (27) in between.	We needed provisions for an...        read full caption We needed provisions for an underhood nitrous pressure gauge, a nitrous purge solenoid, and a hookup for the nitrous feed line. For this to happen we had to come up with an array of adapters of various sizes. The main problem was that the line coming from the nitrous bottle had a 4 AN fitting on the bottle end and a 3 AN fitting on the solenoid end, and it would seem that nobody makes a 3 AN adapter fittings to install an inline purge solenoid and gauge. You can see in this photo that the nitrous feed line coming from the trunk hooks into the fitting array at the far right, a braided line running to the purge solenoid exits the bottom, a gauge is installed in the top of the fitting, and the braided line exiting to the left runs to the nitrous solenoid on the MAF. We spoke with Ricky about this problem, and NX created a part number (15605) for this specific system to have a purge.	We fabbed up a bracket for...        read full caption We fabbed up a bracket for the purge solenoid and zip-tied the bracket to the strut tower brace, aimed the purge outlet line under the hood lip, and oriented it to spray nitrous up in front of the windshield.