Drivetrain Loss
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,789
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From: Jacksonville FL
Drivetrain Loss
Thought I'd share what I thought was a good article in terms of explaining drivetrain loss. I apologize if this has been posted before. Anyway, I have always used the percentage rule but after understanding a little bit more, I think it is basically false and futile to try to uplift RWHP to BHP. It is tempting to try to compare your car to a 505HP C6Z or a 556HP CTSV, etc., but I guess we need to just compare dyno numbers to dyno numbers. Heck, even those have plenty of variable making comparison not always black and white.
http://www.modified.com/tech/modp-10...s/viewall.html
http://www.modified.com/tech/modp-10...s/viewall.html
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Interesting article. Thanks for the link.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 80
From: Hollister CA
A couple of points worth mentioning.
While there is no rule of thumb applicable across all vehicles, there is one (rough) that can be applied to each particular drive train combination. For example, an LS3 SAE of 430 probably has a specific percentage of loss for an Automatic and another for M6, give or take a few % points from car to car.
Where I think we go wrong is when we try to apply that percentage to mods. If, we, for example add ~25% HP, say 100HP, the drivetrain loss doesn't suddenly increase by 25%. As the article touches on, it is a nonlinear curve. That is to say. most of the added power makes it to the rear wheels, as drivetrain losses have already been factored in.
While there is no rule of thumb applicable across all vehicles, there is one (rough) that can be applied to each particular drive train combination. For example, an LS3 SAE of 430 probably has a specific percentage of loss for an Automatic and another for M6, give or take a few % points from car to car.
Where I think we go wrong is when we try to apply that percentage to mods. If, we, for example add ~25% HP, say 100HP, the drivetrain loss doesn't suddenly increase by 25%. As the article touches on, it is a nonlinear curve. That is to say. most of the added power makes it to the rear wheels, as drivetrain losses have already been factored in.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,789
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville FL
Again, I basically just threw in the towel as far as trying to upwardly convert my rwhp to bhp. The only thing that would be good for is to make the number larger to wow someone more or to try to put it in terms of power numbers for cars that are presently being marketed.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 80
From: Hollister CA
So this would say, in a sense, that our actual "percentage" of loss would decrease as power is added. So if a stock LS3 was 436 with 18% loss then possibly after mods, if properly measured, the 18% may become 14%.
Again, I basically just threw in the towel as far as trying to upwardly convert my rwhp to bhp. The only thing that would be good for is to make the number larger to wow someone more or to try to put it in terms of power numbers for cars that are presently being marketed.
Again, I basically just threw in the towel as far as trying to upwardly convert my rwhp to bhp. The only thing that would be good for is to make the number larger to wow someone more or to try to put it in terms of power numbers for cars that are presently being marketed.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,119
Likes: 156
From: Huntington tx
Can't you just make up the numbers to whatever you want? Let's say....with the high performance hood seal you can pick up 50hp. Then you can add another 15hp for the K&N filter....almost doubling the rwhp?
Last edited by sfc rick; Dec 19, 2013 at 08:46 AM.
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