How long will a bottle last befor refill?

[JMatt]

I know - dumbest question ever. But I've never used my throttle stop before and I'm thinking of going .90 racing in 2010. I'll use the bottle for both a starting line enhancer and for throttle-stopping to hit the .90s.

One event? Not even one event? Half the summer? Sorry, but I have no idea how much CO2 is consumed using a throttle stop.

Thanks.

[Bob Verwold]

I start the year off with a full bottle and it last's all year for Div races and some testing. I do have an auto shutoff valve that keeps air from leaking off if you do have a small leak. I use air for the stop and shifting. I also carry an extra bottle you just never know. Hope this helps...

[Lou SG2340]

I can get several races out of mine running a t stop & shifter. The biggest problem is leaks. I close the bottle after every pass. Have a note on the dash to remind me to open it. Having a spare bottle is a good
idea

[Bob Verwold]

Originally Posted by Lou SG2340

I can get several races out of mine running a t stop & shifter. The biggest problem is leaks. I close the bottle after every pass. Have a note on the dash to remind me to open it. Having a spare bottle is a good
idea

Been there and done that....After several times of forgetting to turn off or on I got the shutoff valve that's wired into the ign . When the ign is off the air is off / ign on air is on and no more forgetting.......... But I'm an old man and have a habit of forgetting.............

[Floyd Staggs]

Originally Posted by Lou SG2340

I can get several races out of mine running a t stop & shifter. The biggest problem is leaks. I close the bottle after every pass. Have a note on the dash to remind me to open it. Having a spare bottle is a good
idea

You too? It's embarrasing when you go on the limiter when it doesn't shift.

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Bob Verwold

Been there and done that....After several times of forgetting to turn off or on I got the shutoff valve that's wired into the ign . When the ign is off the air is off / ign on air is on and no more forgetting.......... But I'm an old man and have a habit of forgetting.............

Me three, the switch (Dedenbear #ABSOV) is absolutely the best investment you'll make. Over the winter, I'm also adding a CO2 sensor for the Racepak dash to light a warning light if the bottle's under 500lb... One too many round losses with no air.

I have a 10lb bottle in the trailer and use it to refill the 2lb bottle on the car. CO2 is amazingly cheap, a 10lb bottle exchange at your local welding supply is about $25 (they won't have, fill, or touch your 2lb bottle). And 10lbs is at least a year's worth.

As to the original question, with the nasty leaks you'll end up with, you'll fill it once a weekend. Maybe once a round. If you manage to make it leak-free, some people go all season on a single 2lb bottle.

[JMatt]

Thanks for the responses all. That was exactly the advice I needed. I think I'll fill the bottle I have, and invest $60 in a spare bottle. It seems like the least amount of backup a person should have.

[S/G 386N]

The small 10 oz bottles, I usually go through about 3 or 4 a year, doing super gas and a lot of bracket racing, using it on the SLE, shifter, and throttle stop. Went to a 5 lb bottle. I think it was costing me $12 to fill a 10 oz bottle, and $18 in the 5 lb bottle. Went to the 5 lb about halfway through last season, and it lasted me all the way through the end of this year, with still quite a bit left in it that I will probably be able to get a few months worth of racing out of it next year as well.

[Carl Juliano]

We use a small bottle for the stop only (electric shift) and we get close to a full season, we carry a spare and always shut the bottle off after a run.

[Chris Williams]

One thing to keep in mind about filling a smaller bottle (10oz) from a bigger one (e.g. 5 or 10 lbs) is that the larger bottle will lose pressure over time. This means the smaller bottle won't get to the full desired pressure. Most people think you should have at least 500lbs of pressure in the bottle, and run the valves at 100+. A 1/2 - 3/4ths used bottle may not have that kind of pressure, even though it may well have a bunch of CO2 left.

At something like $25-35 a tank for an exchange at a welding supply store, I swap the bigger bottle every season, regardless of how much is left in it. Cheap insurance to having more than enough pressure.