Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

torque vs. H.P., whats better ?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-30-2008, 12:49 PM
  #61  
C5SCCA
Pro
 
C5SCCA's Avatar
 
Member Since: Oct 2007
Location: Tulsa Oklahoma
Posts: 607
Likes: 0
Received 29 Likes on 26 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by FAAASTJEDI2000
5252 whats?
thats like saying an apple is 37 and a pear is 65 and at some point they both are55...55 what? they are two different units in physics.
hp has the time part of the equation.
RPM. Did you really have to ask what I meant? You obviously knew.
Old 10-30-2008, 02:10 PM
  #62  
XtremeVette
NCM Bash 2008-2018
Support Corvetteforum!
 
XtremeVette's Avatar
 
Member Since: Jul 1999
Location: Granby, MA Talladega Super Speedway Vettes 4 Vets Ambassador
Posts: 9,008
Received 75 Likes on 60 Posts
Middle TN Events Coordinator
Cruise-In 1, 3, 9. 10 & 11 Veteran

Default

Originally Posted by AU N EGL
That is called SOTP feeling. Seat Of The Pants.

Unless you change your heads and have a cam designed for low end torque, AND have the car tuned properly, you man not get this.

I have driven many Z06s with 4.10s, Boy do you shift a lot, but not really go that fast.
Then again Tom, what may seem slow to you may be fast to me? hmmmm Don't you have a pretty beefy MTI cam?

I dunno if I would be happy with 4:10's or not....guess I will have to find somebody at the next corvette function and see if I can't go for a ride or better yet, drive their car for a block or two just to see what its like.
Old 10-30-2008, 02:53 PM
  #63  
lionelhutz
Race Director
 
lionelhutz's Avatar
 
Member Since: Apr 2007
Location: South Western Ontario
Posts: 11,061
Received 845 Likes on 721 Posts

Default

In theory if you go from a 3:42 to a 3.80 gear and also modify the engine to move the torque curve up in rpm's about 11% you have made a good improvement. This would maintain the same speed in each gear and yet get more torque to the ground in each gear.

But then, that would likely hurt lower rpm torque and hurt when you try accelerating when the rpm's are low.

Peter
Old 10-30-2008, 03:12 PM
  #64  
XtremeVette
NCM Bash 2008-2018
Support Corvetteforum!
 
XtremeVette's Avatar
 
Member Since: Jul 1999
Location: Granby, MA Talladega Super Speedway Vettes 4 Vets Ambassador
Posts: 9,008
Received 75 Likes on 60 Posts
Middle TN Events Coordinator
Cruise-In 1, 3, 9. 10 & 11 Veteran

Default

Originally Posted by lionelhutz
In theory if you go from a 3:42 to a 3.80 gear and also modify the engine to move the torque curve up in rpm's about 11% you have made a good improvement. This would maintain the same speed in each gear and yet get more torque to the ground in each gear.

But then, that would likely hurt lower rpm torque and hurt when you try accelerating when the rpm's are low.

Peter
hmmmm good logic here but definitely getting away from what I would prefer. I would rather see the torque curve come on earlier and rise with RPMS, back in the old day this was accomplished with longer runners on the intake. (C4 generation) The only downside was that this brought the usable RPM range down to less then 5000. The balance was to get a superram which modified the runners a bit but didn't make them so small that all your torque was pushed so far up the RPM band that you would have to be doing 4000 before you felt any pull.

I guess there is no substitute for bigger displacement?
Old 10-30-2008, 03:35 PM
  #65  
1%r
Team Owner
Support Corvetteforum!
 
1%r's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2003
Posts: 96,496
Received 82 Likes on 58 Posts
St. Jude Donor '03 through '17


Default

Here's the short, sweet and simple real answer.

Torque gets you going

Horsepower keeps your there.
Old 10-30-2008, 03:42 PM
  #66  
50th@50
Drifting
Thread Starter
 
50th@50's Avatar
 
Member Since: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,554
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by 50th@50
OK you quys are speaking in somewhat advanced/thick terminology.

When we were kids:

Balsa wood airplane with the rubber band propeller = torque

Balsa wood airplane with *** .049 = H.P.

Thrust = the action of actual propulsion, for either plane.

Like this or ?
I think this might be an analogy, yes or no ?
Old 10-30-2008, 05:19 PM
  #67  
MattB
Drifting
Support Corvetteforum!
 
MattB's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2005
Location: Littleton Colorado
Posts: 1,590
Received 1 Like on 1 Post

Default

OK you quys are speaking in somewhat advanced/thick terminology.

When we were kids:

Balsa wood airplane with the rubber band propeller = torque

Balsa wood airplane with *** .049 = H.P.

Thrust = the action of actual propulsion, for either plane.

Like this or ?
Not sure, but I don't think so. They may have similar torque but the motor has WAY more RPMs. So, the motor will have way more HP no matter what. IMO apples and oranges.

Seems like a simple question, but unless you look at all the things going on it will be confusing.

Torque is the only real measurement of power. It is how much power your engine is making at any particular instant. Dyno's can only measure Torque.

HP is a way of stating how much 'work' is done, i.e. the amount of power generated over a time period. Sort of an accumulation of torque. Not that straight forward, but in a very simplistic view it is pretty much what is happening. The calculation is HP = (torque * RPMs)/5252. This means that even though the engine power is not at its peak, the total accumulation of that power will be higher when the RPMs are high. And the accumulation of that power is what accelerates you and keeps you at speed, both of which are time dependant.

Just looking at the max numbers is not the best way to determine how the engine performs. You need to look at a dyno graph to tell how the engine really behaves. However, it does give some clues to how it will behave. Higher torque rating means that the torque drops off as the engine speed increases, so you loose power as the rpms go up. Higher HP means that the engine maintains power in the higher rpms.

An engine that makes more torque than HP. It would more than likely be a great ‘street warrior’, it can go fast off the line and is a lot of fun in relatively short distances, like a few blocks.

An engine that makes more HP may not have as much torque down low, but it usually will. What it does mean is that it maintains its power as the RPMs climb. Better for road racing and drag racing where the distances are longer and the speeds are much greater. But it starts getting really fuzzy after that about what is better where…
Old 04-03-2012, 02:41 AM
  #68  
Mr turbo rotary
Team Owner
 
Mr turbo rotary's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Va. Beach Va.
Posts: 46,789
Received 37 Likes on 19 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by C5SCCA
By definition they are numerically the same at 5252. It is mathematically impossible for them to cross at any other value.
I've seen dyno's where they cross at 5700 or so??? Bogus dynos?
Old 04-03-2012, 06:56 AM
  #69  
AU N EGL
Team Owner
 
AU N EGL's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes on 25 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by Mr turbo rotary
I've seen dyno's where they cross at 5700 or so??? Bogus dynos?
Thread back from the dead??

tq curve crosses HP curve at 5700 = Bonus Dyno Operator. the dyno operator is fudging to give the car owner BIGGER numbers then they really have.

5252 is the constant, where tq=hp

Let's put this all together. We need to get to horsepower, which is 550 foot-pounds per second, using torque (pound-feet) and engine speed (RPM). If we divide the 550 foot-pounds by the 0.10472 radians per second (engine speed), we get 550/0.10472, which equals 5,252.

So if you multiply torque (in pound-feet) by engine speed (in RPM) and divide the product by 5,252, RPM is converted to "radians per second" and you can get from torque to horsepower -- from "pound-feet" to "foot-pounds per second."
Old 04-11-2012, 02:58 AM
  #70  
Mr turbo rotary
Team Owner
 
Mr turbo rotary's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Va. Beach Va.
Posts: 46,789
Received 37 Likes on 19 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by AU N EGL
Thread back from the dead??

tq curve crosses HP curve at 5700 = Bonus Dyno Operator. the dyno operator is fudging to give the car owner BIGGER numbers then they really have.

5252 is the constant, where tq=hp

Let's put this all together. We need to get to horsepower, which is 550 foot-pounds per second, using torque (pound-feet) and engine speed (RPM). If we divide the 550 foot-pounds by the 0.10472 radians per second (engine speed), we get 550/0.10472, which equals 5,252.

So if you multiply torque (in pound-feet) by engine speed (in RPM) and divide the product by 5,252, RPM is converted to "radians per second" and you can get from torque to horsepower -- from "pound-feet" to "foot-pounds per second."
Thanks for the explanation!
Old 04-11-2012, 05:04 AM
  #71  
liveaboard74
Drifting
 
liveaboard74's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2010
Location: Elizabeth City, Outer Banks NC
Posts: 1,342
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by WKMCD
There is no simple answer. It depends how YOU want to use the car. For drag racing, peak RWHP is king since you're always in the upper RPM. For overall driving, autocross and road racing, you would want a power curve that enables you to merge and come out of corners without having to rev the engine sky high or wait to make poer.

This is my dyno graph. I make 380 RWT at 2200RPM and 400RWT from 3k up. Tip is is insane and I can roast the tires from just off idle. The average power is usable and a blast to drive.


I agree with WKMCD. I wanted Torque for DD and passing and could care less about winding the car out or taking it to the track. Still had a little belt slip on that graph but Torque was more important to me than HP and I seen someone post about the cam. I ordered the cam from comp for that reason.. Just my views but if your not going to track it or drag race it Torque is more fun to play with on the street. 500 wtq @2250 rpms and 557 at 3600 rpms. Thats a passing gear. Ended up with 493whp and with the 3.90s in the rear she is fun to play with on the street. For drag racing> WHP without a doubt. I'm spinning 7800 with a 498ci in the rail but thats not the street.
My big rig only has 485hp but it has 2150 pounds of torque. Hauls 10 cars like theres nothing on her at 1500 rpms. For the street and a DD > Heres a vote for torque...

Last edited by liveaboard74; 04-11-2012 at 06:08 AM.
Old 04-11-2012, 07:49 AM
  #72  
AU N EGL
Team Owner
 
AU N EGL's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes on 25 Posts

Default

Those Diesel Audi TDI and Peugot ALMS race cars have well over 600 lb ft of torque, and they accelerate out of corners like rocket ships.

Think I read some place they can do a 1/4 mile from 0-200-0 ( and Stop ) in under 10 sec, if the drivers guts are not mushed doto the g-forces on his body.
Old 04-11-2012, 07:56 AM
  #73  
WKMCD
Race Director
 
WKMCD's Avatar
 
Member Since: Dec 2004
Location: Haymarket VA
Posts: 13,765
Received 73 Likes on 48 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by liveaboard74

I agree with WKMCD. I wanted Torque for DD and passing and could care less about winding the car out or taking it to the track. Still had a little belt slip on that graph but Torque was more important to me than HP and I seen someone post about the cam. I ordered the cam from comp for that reason.. Just my views but if your not going to track it or drag race it Torque is more fun to play with on the street. 500 wtq @2250 rpms and 557 at 3600 rpms. Thats a passing gear. Ended up with 493whp and with the 3.90s in the rear she is fun to play with on the street. For drag racing> WHP without a doubt. I'm spinning 7800 with a 498ci in the rail but thats not the street.
My big rig only has 485hp but it has 2150 pounds of torque. Hauls 10 cars like theres nothing on her at 1500 rpms. For the street and a DD > Heres a vote for torque...

WOW - a lot has changed since those graphs. Same thought just much more of everything. Over 400 Ft/Lbs of torque just off idle is stupid fun.
Old 04-11-2012, 12:21 PM
  #74  
209TIME!!!
Melting Slicks
 
209TIME!!!'s Avatar
 
Member Since: Jul 2008
Location: CALIFORNIA
Posts: 2,889
Received 21 Likes on 18 Posts
Default

Damnnnn this thread is old!!!
Old 04-11-2012, 01:45 PM
  #75  
Ikester
Race Director
 
Ikester's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Whippany NJ
Posts: 11,356
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
CI 6-7-8-9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
NCM Sinkhole Donor

Default

Originally Posted by Mr turbo rotary
I've seen dyno's where they cross at 5700 or so??? Bogus dynos?
You've violated a forum rule!
Old 04-12-2012, 12:07 AM
  #76  
Mr turbo rotary
Team Owner
 
Mr turbo rotary's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Va. Beach Va.
Posts: 46,789
Received 37 Likes on 19 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by Ikester
You've violated a forum rule!
??????
Old 05-15-2012, 01:34 PM
  #77  
Mr turbo rotary
Team Owner
 
Mr turbo rotary's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Va. Beach Va.
Posts: 46,789
Received 37 Likes on 19 Posts

Default

Response on another forum about the 5250 rpm cross. (Not mt dyno it was one posted)

Said dyno:



Actually your HP and Torque are the same at 5252rpm, both are about 225. There is nothing wrong with your chart or the dyno, it is just the way the graph is scaled.

If you look at your HP & TQ scales they are different. Some dynos automatically change the scaling to make the graph easier to read with the peak hp and tq in the same area of the chart. On the chart above if both sides were scaled from 50-275 the HP and TQ lines would cross at 5252rpm.



Quick Reply: torque vs. H.P., whats better ?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:18 AM.