how much psi is braided steel line rated for?

[buddyf87]

a little history. a year ago or so i bought a used nitrous kit off corral for $225. turns out the bottle leaked badly. so after dumping 15lbs of nitrous into the atmosphere i bought another used bottle off ebay for $100. not quite sure why i thought someone would sell a working bottle off their nitrous kit, but i did. it leaked out too. so about 2 weeks ago i bought a NEW bottle and gauge and got it filled (3rd time). everything worked fine for a week or so. so friday after work i decided to open up the bottle and see what kinda pressure it was making after sitting in my trunk in the sun all day in 90+ heat. it quickly pegged the gauge (1500psi). i get a few hundred yards down the road and all of a sudden i hear a loud band and hear gas dumping out under the car, like a LOT of gas. i immediatly pull over and as im going to the trunk to close the bottle i can feel the cold gas pouring out by my feet. i shut off the bottle before it all leaks out. i did a quick visual of the line under the car and didnt see anything but i know thats where it broke. so now im out another $50 for a new line and $50 to get it filled AGAIN.

so, for my questions:
i figured the braided steel line would be rated for at least as much as the bottle (it says 3000psi), apparently i was wrong. is the line old or was i just stupid?

also, do you other guys with n2o leave your bottle in the car all the time (in the heat) or just put it in when you plan to use it?

thanks.

 

[bill302]

the nitrous line shoul be rated at 3000 psi....have you looked to see why the line burst could have rubbed the driveshaft or burned the teflon tube being too close to exhaust also the hole cut thru the trunk floor may have rubbed a hole in tube i put a rubber grommet into the hole on mine to prevent this any ways the line should not have burst the safety cap on the bottle should have gave first.... i leave my bottle in the car and leave the windows cracked and always try to park in the shade...have not had any problems so far i also have a thick bottle blanket on mine to help protect it from heat when not in use and to insulate bottle to keep heat from escaping while its in use....see pics below..

 

[blksn955.o]

Did you check the the gasket on the fitting to the bottle/line. Sometimes they go bad. Its not very common that the actual bottle valve fails. Check out a welding shop if you need a new valve though...unless you have to have a hi-flow valve.

The line should hold a good bit of psi. but it will not hold it very long. leaving a bottle open the line will leak out the bottle psi/contents.

Do you have a blow down tube? It could have been the safty valve letting go if you pegged a 1500 guage really fast. We popped one one time with a VERY full bottle and a bottle warmer one night (more than 10lbs in a 10lb bottle).

 

[Shamus O'toole]

+1 Bill302!!! And damn $50 bucks for a nitrous fill?!?! $26 down here.

 

[bill302]

+1 Bill302!!! And damn $50 bucks for a nitrous fill?!?! $26 down here.

thanks Shamus O'toole...and nitrous is about $3.00 a lb. here....

 

[buddyf87]

i havent pulled the line out yet to inspect it closely, but it is running through the trunk floor and also close to the exhaust at one point. and i know its not the safety valve because it was dumping under the car and i dont have a blowdown tube. i guess well see where the problem lies when i yank it out tomorrow.