ZEX nitrous statistics span compact 55-horsepower applications, 300-horsepower plate systems, diesel kits, and wet-system technology. The Zex Nitrous catalog and Edelbrock product pages also publish details on bottle pressure, activation, fitment, pricing, and included equipment.
Contents
- Catalog snapshot
- Horsepower ratings
- System types and operation
- Product pricing and availability
- Perimeter plate specifications
- Bottle, activation, and installation features
Catalog snapshot
The Zex Nitrous catalog homepage highlights 3 top systems. It says the range covers both carbureted and electronic fuel-injection, or EFI, engines. That makes the catalog broader than a single intake or fuel-delivery format.
The catalog also groups supporting hardware into several categories. Listed accessories include solenoids, purge kits, bottle heaters, brackets, hoses, and hardware. Spark plugs are listed among ZEX performance components. These figures describe the catalog’s stated product categories rather than a count of every available part.
The catalog’s stated optimum nitrous bottle pressure is 900–1,000 psi. That is a pressure range, not a horsepower rating, and it should be kept separate from the output figures published for individual kits.
Horsepower ratings
The catalog’s 82021 EFI wet nitrous system is rated at 55–75 horsepower. The 82011 dry nitrous system adds up to 75 horsepower. At the larger end of the catalog snapshot, the 82040 perimeter plate nitrous system supports up to 300 horsepower.
The Edelbrock ZEX GEN 3 High Output Nitrous System is tuned for 100–250 horsepower. Its product page identifies it as a wet system and gives SKU 82087. The Edelbrock perimeter plate square flange page lists the 82040 kit as tunable from 100–300 horsepower. The diesel Pro Street kit is designed to add 50–300 additional horsepower and carries SKU 82028.
| System or kit | Published output range | System or application detail |
|---|---|---|
| 82021 EFI | 55–75 hp | Wet system |
| 82011 | Up to 75 hp | Dry system |
| GEN 3, SKU 82087 | 100–250 hp | Wet; Chevy 5.7L application |
| 82040 perimeter plate | 100–300 hp | Square flange / 4150 pattern |
| Diesel Pro Street, SKU 82028 | 50–300 additional hp | Diesel application |
The ranges are not interchangeable measures. “Up to 75 horsepower” is a maximum description, while 55–75 horsepower and 100–250 horsepower describe published tuning bands. The diesel page uses the phrase “additional horsepower,” so that wording is retained here.
System types and operation
The Zex Nitrous catalog describes a wet system as one that supplies both nitrous and enrichment fuel. It describes a dry system as one that injects only nitrous. On that basis, the 82021 and GEN 3 systems are identified as wet systems, while the 82011 is identified as dry.
The catalog FAQ says nitrous is not flammable on its own. It also says that the system injects nitrous oxide, which breaks down into nitrogen and oxygen during combustion. These are descriptions of how the catalog explains the system; they are not additional performance measurements.
For activation, the FAQ calls a Wide Open Throttle switch the safest method. The 82040 perimeter plate kit includes a WOT switch. The diesel Pro Street system uses both a boost pressure switch and an electronic throttle-position sensor, or TPS, switch for activation.
The GEN 3 page describes a TPS switch that learns the TPS voltage curve. The product-page description presents that learning function as part of the system’s control approach, alongside its wet-system design.
Product pricing and availability
The Edelbrock ZEX GEN 3 High Output Nitrous System is listed at $820.95. The same page lists the kit in purple, identifies the application as Chevy 5.7L, includes a 10 lb bottle, and says the product is temporarily out of stock.
The 82040 perimeter plate nitrous system is listed at $800.95. Its product page identifies SKU 82040 and says it is available for Dominator and square flange four-barrel applications. The blackout perimeter plate system is listed at $1,078.95 under SKU 821851B.
The blackout perimeter plate page identifies that system as wet, with a dual square bore plate and a 10 lb black bottle. The diesel Pro Street system is listed at $586.95 under SKU 82028.
| Product page listing | Price | SKU | Noted status or configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEN 3 High Output | $820.95 | 82087 | Temporarily out of stock; purple; 10 lb bottle |
| Perimeter plate square flange | $800.95 | 82040 | Dominator and square flange four-barrel applications |
| Blackout perimeter plate | $1,078.95 | 821851B | Wet; dual square bore; 10 lb black bottle |
| Diesel Pro Street | $586.95 | 82028 | 50–300 additional hp; larger -4 AN feed line |
These are the prices and availability statements shown on the named Edelbrock product pages. They are product-page listings, not a historical price series, and the GEN 3 availability statement is specifically described as temporary.
Perimeter plate specifications
The standard 82040 perimeter plate kit uses 12 injection points around the intake plenum. The page says the kit includes jetting and a WOT switch. It also identifies Cryo-Sync technology as part of the design.
The 82040 page says nitrous temperature drops to -127 degrees below zero in circulation. The blackout perimeter plate page repeats the -127-degree-below-zero temperature statement and says that system uses multiple injection points. The blackout page does not state the same numerical injection-point count as the standard 82040 page, so the two descriptions should not be combined into one number.
The standard perimeter plate kit fits square flange / 4150 intake bolt patterns. Its page separately says it is available for Dominator and square flange four-barrel applications. Those fitment descriptions identify intake and application formats, not a universal fit for every engine.
The blackout system’s dual square bore plate is a separate configuration from the standard kit’s stated square flange / 4150 fitment. Its wet-system designation and 10 lb black bottle are also listed separately on the blackout product page.
Bottle, activation, and installation features
The GEN 3 kit includes a 10 lb bottle. The blackout perimeter plate kit also includes a 10 lb black bottle. Bottle size and bottle color are product attributes; neither is a horsepower figure.
The GEN 3 page says ZEX wet systems use fuel-shear technology. It explains that enrichment fuel is placed inside the high-velocity nitrous spray cone. The same page says the systems come pre-assembled and tested, with no brackets to install and no microswitches to adjust. It also says jet changes are easy.
Those installation statements distinguish several setup features that are often collapsed into a single “easy installation” claim. The published details are more specific: pre-assembly and testing, no bracket installation, no microswitch adjustment, and easy jet changes are each listed as separate characteristics of the systems described on the GEN 3 page.
The catalog’s accessory list provides additional context for the surrounding hardware: solenoids, purge kits, bottle heaters, brackets, hoses, and hardware are all named. Because the catalog presents these as accessories, they should not automatically be treated as included with every kit in the pricing table.
The catalog also lists spark plugs as performance components. Its FAQ identifies the WOT switch as the safest activation method, while the diesel product page specifies a different combination of boost pressure and electronic TPS switching for that diesel application.
The diesel kit further includes a larger -4 AN nozzle feed line. That line specification is unique to the diesel product description in the available product facts and should not be generalized to the EFI, GEN 3, standard perimeter plate, or blackout kits.
Reading the figures by application
The published numbers show several distinct application tiers. The 82021 EFI wet system occupies the 55–75 horsepower range, while the 82011 dry system is described with a maximum of 75 horsepower. The GEN 3 listing begins at 100 horsepower and extends to 250 horsepower, and the 82040 perimeter plate listing extends from 100 to 300 horsepower. The diesel page also reaches 300, but its wording is 50–300 additional horsepower rather than a standard kit tuning range.
Fitment details provide another way to separate the products. The catalog speaks broadly about carbureted and EFI engines. The GEN 3 page names a Chevy 5.7L application. The 82040 page names square flange / 4150 intake bolt patterns and also references Dominator and square flange four-barrel applications. The diesel page identifies a diesel-specific design through its larger -4 AN nozzle feed line and dual activation switches.
The product pages also distinguish equipment from technology. Bottles are quantified at 10 lb for the GEN 3 and blackout systems. The standard perimeter plate page quantifies 12 injection points and names Cryo-Sync technology. The GEN 3 page describes fuel-shear technology, a learned TPS voltage curve, and pre-assembled, tested systems. These details describe different parts of the product architecture, so one should not treat them as duplicate claims or add them together as a single performance score.