How Much Horsepower Do You Really Need
These days, most cars have several engine options. The base engine typically emphasizes fuel economy, while larger, more expensive engines emphasize power. Youll hear a whole range of opinions about horsepower, but ultimately its important to buy the right vehicle for you. Learn how much horsepower you need and how much youll enjoy the most.
Gross Or Net Horsepower:
Gross or Net horsepower is measured where the crankshaft of any engine is located. It does not take any sort of transmission losses. It produces rankings in closer alignment with the power that is being created by the engine because it is in reality organized and sold. However, it is the actual measurement of output created by the engines at the flywheel. It will be measured only when the engine is not fitted in the vehicle.
Calculating The Horsepower Of A Vehicle
The formula used for calculating horsepower is:Horsepower=Torque x Speed ÷ 5252
Use the above formula for checking the average horsepower of a vehicle. Another method you can use to determine your vehicle’s power is to check the size of the engine, along with the total number of cylinders it has. You can use either of these methods to determine the average horsepower of any vehicle.
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Your Car’s Power Output Can Be Measured In A Variety Of Ways With Horsepower Being The Most Common But Does One Horsepower Really Equal The Power Of One Horse
The power output of your cars engine can be measured in a variety of different ways, but the most common is in horsepower.
At a quick glance, you might think that horsepower means exactly that: the power of a horse. But does one horsepower really equal the power of one horse?
Measuring Horsepower On An Engine On Engine Stand
Materials needed to perform the job
- Breaker bar 1/2 drive
- SAE/metric socket set 1/2 drive
- Telescoping gauge
If you have an engine on an engine stand and would like to determine how much horsepower the engine is capable of producing, you would need to perform the following steps:
Step 1: Remove the intake and cylinder heads to the engine. Be sure to have a drip pan in case there is any unexpected coolant or oil drainage under the engine.
Step 2: Get an inside micrometer or telescoping gauge. Measure the bore of the cylinder around the top, just under the ring ridge.
- Note: Ring ridge is where the piston stops and forms a ridge above the piston as the piston rings wear into the bore.
Step 3: After measuring the bore, get a micrometer set and find the micrometer that will fit the dimensions of the tool used. Measure the tool or read the inside micrometer to see what the bore size is. Read the micrometer and write down the measurement. An example would be checking the bore on a 5.7 liter Chevrolet block would be reading around 3.506 on the micrometer.
Step 4: Get a depth micrometer or caliper and check the distance from the locations where the piston stopped at on the top and bottom of the bore. You will need to measure the piston at bottom dead center and again at top dead center . Read the depth gauge and write down the measurements. Subtract the two measurements to get a distance in between.
The best formula to use is:
- Example:
3.506 X 3 X 8 X 3.14 = 264.21
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Calculating The Horsepower Of An Electric Motor
Ask Away With Jeff Smith: How Much Horsepower Does My Car Need For 12
With a mild cam, decent heads, and a good carburetor and headers, 375 to 400 hp should be achievable. That may not sound like much today, but it is still 1.3 hp/cubic inch, which is pretty good.
I would like your opinion on my 61 Comet 2-door wagon. Its a car that will be used for local cruise nights and Friday night street-legal drags. My question is how much horsepower would I need to get into the mid 12-second range?
I see all sorts of online estimators but quite frankly, they seem very optimistic. I think the car weighs around 3,000 lbs.;The engine is a 331ci small-block Ford with a set of Edelbrock heads and a mild hydraulic roller camshaft with 224/232 degrees at 0.050 with 0.555/0.565-inch valve lift. The intake system is an Edelbrock Performer RPM with a Holley 670 cfm Street Avenger carburetor. The transmission is a C4 with a mild converter. The rear end is a 9-inch with 3.25:1 gears. The rear tires are drag radials at 225/50 R15 that are 24 inches tall. The engine was in the car when I bought it and I expect it will realistically make 375 hp. Thanks for your help.
G.W.
This sounds like a great car especially as a wagon. I think a great place to start would be to estimate the horsepower and then we can attempt to construct a reasonable torque curve. My friend Steve Brule at Westech Performance Group has devised a simple horsepower formula for mild street engines with 10:1 compression, decent aftermarket heads, and a good hydraulic roller cam.
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How Can Horsepower Have Different Definitions
Unlike the measurement of, say, time, the exact definition of horsepower can vary depending on regional variations and the specific machine whose power is being measured.
Mechanical horsepower, also known as imperial horsepower, is the measurement invented by James Watts and is approximately equivalent to 745.7 watts of power. Pferdestarke, also known as PS or metric horsepower, is a similar measurement developed in Germany thats equivalent to 735.5 watts.
Horsepower for electric motors is equivalent to 746 watts, while boiler horsepower, which is used to measure the output of steam boilers is more different still, with one boiler horsepower roughly equivalent to 9,810 watts.
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A Timeline Of Modern Horsepower In Vehicles
The Ford Model T used an engine that produced just 20 horsepower. Through the years, horsepower has evolved.
The following is a timeline of horsepower numbers and how they have changed and evolved through the years:
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The 1960s:This decade was the birth of the muscle car. It was a high-performance, mid-sized car with low gas mileage and staggering horsepower.1966: The Dodge Charger was introduced with 325 hp, and the Pontiac GTO offered 360.
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The 1970s:It was the decade when the muscle car died. The “War on Horsepower” was attributed to several factors, including quadrupling gas prices, the Clean Air Act of 1970, as well as the 1973 oil crisis. Also, auto insurance companies were increasing premiums on higher-performance vehicles.
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The 1980s:During this decade, horsepower increased steadily because of the improvement in the US economy, falling oil prices, and the relaxation of federal fuel economy standards.
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The 1990s to present:From 1980 to 2004, the average horsepower of a vehicle sold in the US increased by 80%. By 2010, the average car accelerated from 0-60 mph in 8.95 seconds. That represented a significant increase, as in 2006, the average sprint to 60 mph was 10.9 seconds, and 13.1 seconds in 1980.
Today, horsepower numbers are leveling off, but it isn’t decreasing. As a result, the legendary horsepower wars between the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang have changed to balance efficiency and power.
To illustrate this epic battle, consider the following:
Gross Or Net Horsepower
Gross horsepower is a measure of the work output of an engine on just a dynamometer, when the engine is not connected to the usual accessories apparent in a running car. Net horsepower measures engine output when connected to belt-driven accessories such as water pumps, power steering pumps, and alternators. There are also parasitic losses in power caused by transmission drag and clutch or converter slippage that net horsepower takes into account. As a result of powering these moving parts, net horsepower can be considerably lower than gross horsepower.
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So If You Are Towing A Trailer You Would Be Wise To Look For A High Torque Figure If You Want Fuel Economy Around Town A Smaller Engine Size Might Be Best And If You Just Want To Go As Fast As Possible Look For A Large Bhp Figure
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Get Car Bhp Check For Free Right Away
Car performance is one of the most crucial aspects for buyers these days. Either you love to floor the pedal for an adrenaline pump or want extra power to conquer different terrains, the urge for more power never ends. And when it comes to overall performance, we always look into the cars Horsepower or Brake Horsepower , which is the amount of power an engine can generate. To find the horsepower rating of a vehicle, you can check the owner manual or take our car bhp check.
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Experiment With Jet Size
Weve learned time and time again in dyno testing that jet swaps can go either way when it comes to power. Too much or too little can mean power losses, which is why its suggested you pick up a Holley jet kit and do a little experimenting. Go up one jet size at a time and see what you get, beginning first with primaries, then secondaries. Always better to err on the side of richer than leaner. If you lose power as you go richer, start going backward one jet size at a time. Go with a spark plug reading while youre at it right after a wide-open throttle shutdown to determine course of action.
If youre running a carburetor with a fuel line screen at the fuel bowl, remove it while youre in there. An in-line fuel filter is plenty enough and wont hinder fuel supply.
Does One Horsepower Equal One Horse
Not quite. Its a common misconception that one horsepower is equal to the peak power production of a horse, which is capable of a maximum of around 14.9 horsepower. By comparison, a human being is capable of approximately five horsepower at peak power production.
Instead, Watt designated horsepower to be equivalent to the amount of power that a horse can sustain for an extended period of time. However, there are many different variations of horsepower.
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How Is Horsepower Measured By Using Calculator:
The calculator is 100% free and specifically designed with a user-friendly interface through which you can easily perform calculations.
Swipe on!
Inputs:
- First of all, enter the weight of the vehicle in kgs or in lbs.
- Then, put the elapsed time in sec/min/hrs that is taken by vehicle to cover the quarter mile.
- Hit the calculate button.
- Engine power in mechanical horsepower.
- Engine power in metric horsepower.
- Engine power in kilowatts.
- Engine power in foot-pounds per second.
- Engine power in electrical horsepower.
- Engine power in boiler horsepower.
Is It Enough To Check My Bhp To Know Its Overall Performance
No, it is not. Apart from performing reg check BHP, you also need to know the cars torque, its body type, its aerodynamics, weight, etc., to determine its overall performance. Our free car BHP check does not only give you details on BHP, but you also get to know its Make, Model, Fuel Type, number of Gears, Engine size, power Kw, power rpm, top speed, and torque. You can read more about the car, engine, and its performance on the internet to understand how good it drives in the city, on the highway and if it is capable of conquering the off-road trails. All this information will make it trouble-free for you to decide if the vehicle you are considering suits your lifestyle and needs.
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What Is Horsepower In A Car
There is an old saying that horsepower is how fast you will hit a wall, and the torque of a car is how far you will take the wall with you. But, of course, that’s not entirely accurate if you get down into the engineering behind the terms.
A car’s engine power is measured in horsepower. The amount of horsepower a vehicle has depends on the size of the car’s motor, its cylinders, and displacement. Thus, horsepower is a unit to measure the forcefulness of a vehicle’s engine and basically the rate at which the engine works.
A single unit of horsepower is equivalent to 33,000 pound-feet per minute. That means that horsepower reflects the power necessary to lift 33,000 over a foot in one minute. However, the actual term “horsepower” is considered an arbitrary unit of measure, and the International System of Units does not recognize it. Instead, it was invented by James Watt while he observed ponies pulling coal out of a mine.
The metric horsepower has an electric equivalent:1 HP = 764 watts.
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Install A Performance Camshaft
The camshaft is responsible for the timing and duration of the valve openings. By changing this function and the timing, you can boost acceleration and horsepower from the car engine.
A high-performance cam allows you to achieve the changes you want. However, this isnt a cheap upgrade and it is going to make your engine louder, which isnt always a negative factor.;
Larger Throttle Body And Injectors
A larger high-performance throttle body will deliver more horsepower. Depending on what type of engine you have, you can gain as much as 10-20 more horsepower and comparable torque. There is a catch, however. Go too large and you can lose power. Not every engine is well suited to a larger throttle body, which means you have to do your homework ahead of time. Cruise the internet and learn what others with the same engine are doing and take your lead from them. Also remember that a larger throttle requires higher-flow fuel injectors. Throttle body and injector size are proportional. You should also take your car to a reputable dyno tuner to make adjustments to fuel and spark curves, which fine-tunes your throttle body/injector upgrade.
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Does A Car Engine Lose Horsepower Over Time
Unknown to many, horsepower in a car engine lose over time in its lifespan. This is because the internal parts of an engine and those auxiliary components are constantly working to produce power. When they work, they are wearing against each other and material will be lost at a microscopic level over time. It leads to compression lose as well as horsepower. A car may lose 5 to 10hp after several years although it has 300hp when it was new. However, some car engines are built with better quality thus they have better tolerances and able to last longer. A good example is the engine under the hood of Honda Civic that still works like a new car after 100,000 km.
So What Is Horsepower
Where does the term come from? And what is a horsepower anyway? James Watt had invented the steam engine but was having trouble convincing skeptics to ditch their horses and buggies and buy his product. He had the brilliant idea to create a formula to prove the efficiency of his invention over the horse. So, Watt, had a horse walk in circles to turn a grindstone in a mill. He multiplied the distance the horse walked in one minute by the weight he thought it could pull, 180 pounds. His estimate was shockingly close. Watt then divided by time to find the force and distance per minute. That number equals one new unit of measure, which Watt called horsepower.
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