My first question! Nitrous & Compression Ratio

Alright! I must first say much love to the first question asker, you are awesome (and you know who you are!)

Now, the question is "Will running nitrous at 5 pound wet boost, change my compression ratio of my engine?"

To start out on the right foot, I must admit that Nitrous boosting is not something I'm extremely familiar with, so please do correct me if you think I could have provided a better answer. I sought some help from a few mechanics who know this topic better than I do, and the short answers is NO, using nitrous (wet or dry) will not change your compression ratio.

While it seems logical that nitrous would change your compression because it changes the speed at which your cylinders hit the "boom" (combustion) cycle, it does not effect compression at all. What it does, is to make better use of the compression you have, instead of changing it.

Nitrous does effect your timing though, and it has been suggested that you should retard your timing a few degrees depending on how much pressure your exerting during a boost.

Welcome to my new blog, where I have decided to offer my skills as a mechanic and educator. With this blog I intend to give you in depth consultations for free, to help you get through any transportation troubles you may be having.

You can leave a comment on this blog, or come get social on the facebook fan page  The Free Mechanic, and leave your questions for me to answer. I can help with DIY repair advice, diagnostics and estimated-reasonable price quotes. I have plenty of friends who can help me answer other questions about your vehicle accessories as well, so don't shy from any question simply because it isn't listed here!


Just remember to leave your vehicle make, model and year, and what city you live in. This will help me get specific stats for your vehicle, including contributing environmental factors. I can't promise my help will be perfect, but it will be free and will at least bring you one step closer to finding your fix.