Right now this horsepower calculator is intended for single cam engines with carburetor-style intake manifolds (this includes your aftermarket TBI setups... FiTech, MSD Atomic, Holley Terminator, etc.). For late-model multiport fuel injection type engines (Chevy LS, Mopar Gen 3 Hemi, etc.) with factory intakes, choose the stage 2 intake manifold type. If your late-model MPFI motor has an aftermarket intake like from F.A.S.T., then choose stage 3. Remember, computer-controlled multiport fuel injection does not automatically mean more peak horsepower than a well tuned carburetor setup. Show
Horsepower is a measure of the ability to move a certain amount of weight a certain distance, within a certain amount of time. Back in the 18th century James Watt was developing steam engines and wanted to come up with a unit of measurement that would indicate the amount of workhorses the steam engine would replace. Watt would call this new unit of measurement "horsepower". One horsepower is equivalent to the amount of force needed to lift 550 lbs of weight within a period of 1 second. One horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts, watts being a unit of power that James Watt also came up with, and the same unit you see everyday associated with things like light bulbs and electrical devices. "Gross" Horsepower vs. "Net" HorsepowerAs for American carmakers, previous to the 1972 model year, the horsepower figures you typically saw in car manufacturer literature and car magazines were "gross" horsepower figures. These gross horsepower figures came from engine dyno results in which the tested engine had no real-world accessories attached such as power steering pumps, smog pumps, and or A/C compressors. Also these power figures were typically attained with a very unrestrictive open exhaust system, along with the lack of restrictive OE air cleaner assemblies. Between the lack of power-robbing accessories and restrictive exhaust systems, the advertised horsepower numbers were quite inflated when compared to today's power figures. To make horsepower numbers more accurate to what you would actually see from your engine when installed in your car, for the 1972 model year, American car manufacturers started using "net" horsepower figures. Net horsepower was attained from engine dynos with the accessories, OE air cleaner, and factory exhaust system present on the test subject engine. The 310 horsepower rating of a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD 455 may seem quite dismal if you're comparing it to something like the 370 horsepower rating of the 1970 Pontiac Trans Am RAIV 400, but the actual difference in the power output of these two engines is much smaller than the 60 horsepower discrepancy indicates.
This calculator provides the new clearance volume and the new compression ratio of the engine based on changes made. Changes can include a reduction in the gasket thickness or decking of heads or block.
The higher the compression ratio, the better the engine performs. However, you can't increase the compression ratio to infinity. At some point, the combustion chamber won't have enough space to accommodate the combustion, and detonation will occur. The resistance of an engine depends on many factors, but one of the most important is the fuel octane. The higher the octane, the more compression the fuel is able to resist, and the higher the potential compression ratio. As we mentioned before, the dynamic compression ratio is the one that actually happens inside the engine. That's why, when we talk about the best compression ratio, we should focus on the DCR and not on the static CR. Most conventional engines will have the DCR in the range from 8:1 to 8.5:1, which corresponds to 10:1 to 12:1 static CR. If you're using race fuel, however, it can get much higher, up to 10:1 DSR and 15:1 static CR.
High Performance starts with math, precise measurements and calculations. We are pleased to share these helpful tools with our valued customers and guests. Please feel free to use these tools, bookmark this page for future use, and post links to this page for others to use. If there is other information you would like to see here please contact us and we will do our best to add the resources you need.
Free Engine Piston Compression Ratio Calculator and Engine Size CalculatorUse this compression calculator tool to figure the compression you will get with the specifications you provide. You can change the head ccs, deck height, overbore size, etc. to see the affects on compression. This tool is a very accurate tool and can be tremendously helpful. If you have the actual displacement in ccs of the exact head gasket you are using, you can get an even more accurate compression calculation by using those figures. To enter head gasket displacement volume, in the "Gasket Thickness" field enter ".0001". Then combine the gasket displacement ccs with the "Head" ccs. For instance, if you have a 64cc chamber and a head gasket displacement of 9.2 ccs, then in the "Head" ccs field enter "73.2". This tool can also be used to find the final engine size based on any bore size, crankshaft stroke and number of cylinders. You can use this for example to see how big your stroker engine will actually be as far as displacement, based on different bore sizes or crank strokes. This tool is very accurate for displacement calculations. When using the tool for engine size calculations only you can put most any reasonable numbers in the fields that are used to calculate compression ratio, but you must put something in all fields for the tool to work. The 3 critical dimensions for displacement calculations are bore, stroke and number of cylinders. Compression Ratio Calculator and Engine Size CalculatorFree Horsepower CalculatorEngine Rear Wheel Horsepower Calculator Based on total vehicle weight and 1/4 mile MPH To use this horsepower calculator enter the mph trap speed at the 1/4 mile mark from one of your dragstrip ET slips. Then enter the total weight of your vehicle, as raced, including the drivers weight. The best way to get the weight is to weigh your vehicle at the track with the driver seated in racing position. Then click the calculate button and rear wheel horsepower will be displayed. To run another calculation just click the clear button and start over. Helpful Racing Math Resources Engine Design and Blueprinting Books and MoreA big part of building high performance engines, racing engines and vehicles involves math, numerous formulas, calculations and precise measuring of components to provide the absolute best performance possible. Precision Measurement ToolsBuilding any engine requires a selection of precision measurement tools. When building a high performance engine, racing engine or blueprinting an engine, the quality of your measuring tools becomes even more important. Remember, these tools perform some of the most critical functions of your engine building process. Quality tools are an investment that will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Here is a selection of tools we hope you find helpful. GV (Head Gasket Volume) = Bore(in) X Bore(in) X 12.87 X (Head Gasket Thickness in Inches) DV (Below Deck Volume) = Bore(in) X Bore(in) X 12.87 X (Inches Below the Deck) HV (Head Volume) = CC's VV (Dish, Valve Pocket, Dome Volume) = CC's (Minus for dish or valve pockets, Plus for dome) PV (Volume displaced by Piston) = Bore X Bore X Stroke X 12.87 Compression Ratio = (GV+DV+HV-VV+PV) / (GV+DV+HV-VV) Cubic Inches = Bore x Bore X Stroke X Number of Cylinders X .7854 Convert Cubic Inches to CCs = Cubic Inches X 16.386 Convert Cubic Inches to Liters = Cubic Inches X .016386 Engine in Liters = (Bore(mm) X Bore(mm) X Stroke(mm) X Number of Cylinders X 12.87) / (16386 X 1000) Engine in CCs = (Bore(mm) X Bore(mm) X Stroke(mm) X Number of Cylinders X 12.87) / 16386 Convert CCs to Cubic Inches = CCs / 16.386 Convert Liters to Cubic Inches = Liters / .016386K1 Technologies Rods |