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No2 vs. Co2

3K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  Mossyrocks 
#1 ·
Not exactly what you are thinking. I am wondering and can not find anything through the search button. Here are the questions I have.

1) can you use a Co2 cylinder to store No2?
2) can the same regulator be used for both?
3) Is No2 more expensive than Co2, when comparing refills?
4) If in an emergency situation, can you use air tools with No2 as you can with Co2?

I have a Co2 tank, I am thinking of changing over to nitrogen, just trying to decide if it will be worth it or not? If it would work, it would be nice to have a nitrogen tank to fill up both tires and shocks on the trail. (I do know that the shocks require a special gauge) thus another reason trying to decide if it is worth it or not.
 
#3 ·
thanks Adam, but the first post was talking about nitrous, not nitrogen, so that is a little confusing. But the rest of the thread looks like it is do-able, I would just like some additional confirmation.
 
#5 ·
well hmmmmph! Thanks! one out of 4 is horriable in this case! I guess I am going to go back to the drawing board with this idea!

Thanks for shedding the light for me! As you know this is a learn as you go type of thing for me!
 
#7 · (Edited)
For extra clarification, the CGA fittings on the two tanks are different. The Co2 tank uses a CGA-320 fitting and the N² tank uses a CGA-560. I've got a full N² set-up at home for charging shocks. Tank, regulator, gauges. I carry a completely separate CO² set-up on my truck for OBA. It was expensive to have both set-ups, but thats what it takes. No sharing of equipment for those gas types.
 
#8 ·
I hadn't even considered that yet. Thanks! that is good information.
 
#9 ·
Okay, I'll go to my neighborhood welding supply and price the equipment out for a nitrogen set up…probably won't be able to set it up but it maybe worth a shot.

I was wanting a No2 set up for the same reasoning you gave…to fill up my shocks and such. But it may not be a viable idea.

What kind of welding is No2 used for? a friend of mine told me it was used for a shielding gas, but I don't know what type of welding.
 
#10 ·
Trying to clarify here. NO2 is nitrogen dioxide, N2O is nitrous oxide, N2 is nitrogen in gas form.

NO2 is a poisonous gas that can cause burns/ edema in the lungs, nitrous oxide could cause you to accidently affixiate yourself plus give you a buzz, and nitrogen gas is used to power operating room equipment. Nitrogen gas would the safest of these gases to use for power equipment.

Nitrous oxide sold commercially for not medical purposes has a sulfer molecule in it that stinks! Its also an oxidizer thus it could be a fire hazard.

Anyways, two cents of thought when I got to thinking about the nitrogen gases. :rolleyes:

Wally
 
#11 ·
1) Do shocks leak enough to justify purchasing such equipment?

2) Besides going in shocks, is there anything else that NO2 is capable of that CO2 is not?

3) Is this just a "because I want it" thing, or are the benefits of NO2 that much greater than CO2?

4) Someone quote me so he can answer this for me.
 
#12 ·
WallyP226 said:
Trying to clarify here. NO2 is nitrogen dioxide, N2O is nitrous oxide, N2 is nitrogen in gas form.

NO2 is a poisonous gas that can cause burns/ edema in the lungs, nitrous oxide could cause you to accidently affixiate yourself plus give you a buzz, and nitrogen gas is used to power operating room equipment. Nitrogen gas would the safest of these gases to use for power equipment.

Nitrous oxide sold commercially for not medical purposes has a sulfer molecule in it that stinks! Its also an oxidizer thus it could be a fire hazard.

Anyways, two cents of thought when I got to thinking about the nitrogen gases. :rolleyes:

Wally
Good call, I wasn't even thinking about the chemical name when I made the post. I was referring to N² and not NO². Damn, now I gotta go edit my posts.
 
#13 ·
WallyP226 said:
Trying to clarify here. NO2 is nitrogen dioxide, N2O is nitrous oxide, N2 is nitrogen in gas form.

NO2 is a poisonous gas that can cause burns/ edema in the lungs, nitrous oxide could cause you to accidently affixiate yourself plus give you a buzz, and nitrogen gas is used to power operating room equipment. Nitrogen gas would the safest of these gases to use for power equipment.

Nitrous oxide sold commercially for not medical purposes has a sulfer molecule in it that stinks! Its also an oxidizer thus it could be a fire hazard.

Anyways, two cents of thought when I got to thinking about the nitrogen gases. :rolleyes:

Wally
NO2 and nitrous oxide can cause burns(freeze). All 3 can cause asfixiation if inhaled long enough by poisoning or lack of O2. Nitrous is still probably sold to dragsters in medical form but if you go through a performance shop, it will contain sulfur for indications of leaks, which is the way to go. Because it's expensive but not very likely to get you high unless it's a bad leak then you wouldn't be posting good elapsed times because you'd be out of nitrous, not high. I used to work for a welding and medical gas supply and we sold medical-grade nitrous to a few customers (drag cars). It may be federal regulated now though which would make my post absolutley usless.
 
#14 ·
Nitrogen is much better in tires than CO2 because of the lack of oxygen to degrade the rubber, the larger molecules so it leaks less, and it's more temperature stable, so your pressure doesn't vary as much.

Unfortunately, nitrogen is not going to compress to a liquid in any type of portable tank, so you're not going to fit NEARLY as much in the same size tank as CO2.
 
#15 ·
Great post Wally! thanks for clarifying my screw up so no one decides to purchase the wrong type of gas based off this thread! I really do apprecaite that.

Now you know why I am no good to my teenage daughter when she asks me to help with her chemistry homework.LOL

I strickly was inquiring about Nitrogen, not Nitrogen oxide (I added an extra element from which I found doing my searches)

Show stop basically answered me in his first post (which by the way if you hadn't already corrected that post, I don't think you need to)

I was wanting the advantages of nitrogen for my tires as well as being able to fill my shocks at a moments notice. Living up in the Midwest, Nitrogen shocks tend to freak out in cold or rapidly changing elements.

I might go with a set up much like Show Stops garage set up, but not use the nitrogen as a portable source. Just have it at the house so I can mess with my shocks whenever I want to. I am getting frustrated trying to find a bike shop that is willing to fill up my shocks for me, and driving to the commuter air strip is way out of my way.
 
#18 ·
I was pricing N2 charging stations the other day and they were around 4k.. I am sure there are cheaper setups, but still a ittle over budget for what I need!!
 
#19 ·
yea more expensive than what I need as well.

I got bigger fish to fry now, someone broke into my truck last night and of coarse when my wife set up the insurance policy she only took out liablity so now I have glass to repair on my dime!
 
#20 ·
Im about to get my on-board air (N2) from our local medical/welding supplier and Im getting it the same price as CO2. Its also the same price for a refill. My question, how much furthur will a 15lb tank of co2 go than a 15lb tank of N2?
 
#21 ·
That is a good question! I don't exactly know, I just know the Co2 does compress better in liquid form that the N2.

I would hope you could get at least 60% of the same usage amount you would from Co2, but I couldn't tell you for sure.

Are you going to use a regulator regulator and guage set up or are you getting the special gauge as well? I understand that the regulator and gauge for N2 is different.
 
#22 ·
Im just gonna go with whatever he reccomends. He deals with a lot of wheelers and they are all switching to N2 so Im guessing he knows best.... And if something isn't right, hes the type to switch it for free with me. Also another point nobody has brought up yet, the reason Im going with N2 is because Im mounting it between my shock xmember and factory link xmember underneath the rear. Unlike co2, N2 can be mounted on its side and that way I can tuck it up underneath and out of the way.
 
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