Hacking the ZEX bottle warmer

[Ricochet]

Just a tip I remembered from having nitrous a few months ago.

For those who don't know it shuts off at a certain temperature then heats up a bit again when it cools down, always going back and forth never really heating the bottle.

On the pad there's an orange rubber block housing the wires and a relay of some sort. I took a sharp knife to the base and cut as if taking the whole thing off the pad, then paleantologisted my way to the wiring. I saw two little metal rectangle parts (thermometers) in series on a wire and cut them both off, then soldered the wires together completing the circuit. After that when I used the warmer and the bottle was half empty I could get the pressure from like 500psi to 1000psi in about 20 minutes.

You do of course have to be careful not to leave it turned on after turning the car off now because the bottle could explode.

[Neutrino]

so you say you don't like exploding bottles
























just j/k

[ridewhencan]

I read your bottle warmer fix last night and decided to cut up my zex, since I'm also frustrated with how long it takes to get pressure. (Don't worry, I have an in-cabin pressure gauge and the bottle warmer is switched power with a big red light for when it's on.)

Anyway, if found two thermostats which look like this http://www.pepiusa.com/modc.html. You say you soldered the wires together, but which wires? From one thermo to the other or just the two wires that run to each thermo? There's not a lot of room to move in there. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[SiGNAL748]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

You do of course have to be careful not to leave it turned on after turning the car off now because the bottle could explode.

[ridewhencan]

Yeah, did you see the picture of the nissan where the warmer was hardwired straight to power, it was left on and the pressure relief valve failed? What an idiot. Of course, the pressure relief should give first.

[duplox]

Is that the one with the garage door thats completely destroyed? I wouldnt mess with that. If your pressure relief valve fails for whatever reason and you dont notice the pressure guage, you are dead. No question. Not something I'd mess with. NOS is illegal on the streets anyways, no? So when you go to the track, just remember to turn your heater on early. Unless you're shooting on the street, in which case.. sure cut the wire, better you die than someone you hit when you're racing.

[ridewhencan]

Nitrous in cars is not illegal in CT. Also, I don't street race. I just merge quickly and like to pass with gusto.

[Ricochet]

Wow holy old post!

ridewhencan, all you are doing is taking the thermostats out completely and soldering the wires together that held them on. Here is a simple schematic:

Thermostat: [###]
Wire: -----

Here is how is came:
------[###]---[###]------

Cut out the thermostats:
------ ------

Connect the wires to complete the circuit:
---------------------------

[duplox]

Originally Posted by ridewhencan

Nitrous in cars is not illegal in CT. Also, I don't street race. I just merge quickly and like to pass with gusto.

Thats even worse than racing! So you're already at high speed on the highway, and you want to pass some lady in the slow lane so you hit your NOS? So let me get this straight - you're eliminating half of the safety features(temp sensor and the pressure release valve).. so you dont have to wait as long for your NOS tank to warm up? That is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. I can't believe you would actually consider doing this. And when your tank does explode killing all the people in the car, and your parents try to sue NOS or whomever made the blanket, they'll lose because you modified their product. Great idea. So now you only have one item that needs to fail for you to die, not to mention anyone else in your car or bystanders/other traffic. I wish I had the link to the picture of a guy's tank that exploded(while no one was in the car, thank god) because the pressure release valve failed. The car was completely demolished. This isn't something you want to fuck around with, I don't think anyone should put NOS on a street car to begin with. And if you're idiotic enough to cut out a safety mechanism on the blanket, you shouldn't have your driver's liscence.

[1gspot]

a better fix would be to replace the original thermostats with ones that give u a bigger temp window, but will still protect you. But i admit they over do the safety on the stock thermostats

[ridewhencan]

Originally Posted by duplox

That is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. I can't believe you would actually consider doing this.

Take it easy, Jr., it's clear you are not understanding my set up or nitrous very well. But yes, you make a point about voiding warranties. However, unlike the idiot who blew up his car (yes, I saw the pictures) I did not hardwire my bottle heater directly to the battery. It is switched, which means when I turn the car off there's no power to the heater. Also, I have a nitrous pressure gauge on my console and the switch itself is a giant red light mofo. I can SEE the pressure when I flip the switch. I'm not about to "forget" that I turned the bottle heater on. Drag racers warm bottles with propane torches, for God's sake. Also, why would I eliminate the pressure relief valve?

The better suggestion is the higher rated thermostat, though it'd be hard to install in this application. It'd work better with a NOS heater.

If I couldn't moniter what was happening, I wouldn't consider the mod.

[ridewhencan]

Well, from The Top 10 Nitrous Mistakes, comes:
1. Never heat a nitrous bottle with anything but an approved bottle heater with the proper safety features. If a nitrous bottle is overheated or heated too quickly, a catastrophic explosion can occur."

It's the "heated too quickly" that I didn't know about. Since I am about safety (two kids seats in the back, yo.) though I'm tempted, I'll pass. (Yes, that was a pun - look out grandma in the slow lane, here ah come.)

[B1SiR6A]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

paleantologisted

....Classic....

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by ridewhencan

It'd work better with a NOS heater.

Nope, NX heaters are the best because they heat to a user-selected psi setting. The ZEX warmer heats to a factory-set temperature, which is hardly enough to even warm the outside of the bottle. ZEX warmers suck unless you do my trick, but you shouldn't leave it on for too long because it does get very toasty.

[ridewhencan]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Nope

What I was saying was that the thermostat switch would work best with NOS since they are not buried in all that rubber and are easily reached. NX system is the best but cost 2x as much. After I decided not to do the trick I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I pulled one of the wires all the way out from the relay and then just cut that little bitch to pieces. (Zex heater sucks.) I may just go down to the priceclub and get a 12v seat warmer, wrap it around the bottle and see what happens.

And kids, don't forget to turn your shitz off when you get home.