So what comes first...

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CrackerJack

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Torque or Horsepower?

You would think one creates the other but its not the case, Me and a few friends were contemplating this the 30 mins before District 9 started on Friday night, the guy in front of us after 20 mins told us to "shut the f-ck up with our nerdy bull sh-t" And who is the one seeing a science fiction movie? Anyways, we got into it pretty good.

We got into acceleration and friction and the like, but did not come to a conclusion... does anyone have input on this?
 
Torque is the actual power and is what you ultimately want to go after, and horsepower is how fast that power is produced. As far as what creates the other, It is a relationship that can't exist without the other so there is no what comes first I suppose. Just my .02 cents.
 
CrackerJack said:
Torque or Horsepower?

You would think one creates the other but its not the case, Me and a few friends were contemplating this the 30 mins before District 9 started on Friday night, the guy in front of us after 20 mins told us to "shut the f-ck up with our nerdy bull sh-t" And who is the one seeing a science fiction movie? Anyways, we got into it pretty good.

We got into acceleration and friction and the like, but did not come to a conclusion... does anyone have input on this?
Click to expand...

I'm still workin on the chicken or the egg and it could be awhile before the Jury's in on that one. As long as my torque/HP is high and proportioned...I'm happy.:D
 
Horsepower is a just a conversion, torque is the only thing that matters

(Torque x Engine speed) / 5,252 = Horsepower

If you look at any real dyno sheet or anything you will notice that HP and TQ cross right around 5252rpm's.
 
But what creates torque? Wouldn't you need horsepower to create the torque?

There are many equations on how to find both, but when you start an engine, does the torque keep it running or the horsepower?
 
Torque and rotational mass perhaps? Torque is an actual measurement of force (like a torque wrench), horsepower is a somewhat fictional number if you will.
 
Torque is a measurement of force, and horsepower is a measurement of power. One does not make the other.

You can have have a great amount of torque and very little horsepower. The result is that you won't go very fast.

You can have a great amount of horsepower and very little torque. The result is that you can go fast, but it will take a long time to get up to speed.

You can have a great amount of torque and a great amount of horsepower. You will both go fast and accelerate quickly. Torque presses you into the seat. Horsepower lets you go 150 MPH.
 
Your engine creates the torque, say for instance you bolted some device that exerted torque to your hubs and then tried driving. Well if that device put out more torque than your cars engine does, your engine would/should stall out or just not do anything, granted your clutch/converter can slip, sh!t can break but do you get the idea?
 
torque is what overcomes interia - so it is the most relevant when it comes to moving an automobile. Torque is most relevant when in the context of weight.

Horsepower is a good measurement of an engine performance from the point of sitting on an engine dyno and comparing to others. As an efficiency of an air pump.
 
Ok Ok I hear you, but how do you create the torque? you need acceleration, which is what comes from "horsepower" correct?

The idea here is that both are required to measure each other. If you don't have HP you don't have torque, and vice versa correct?

In that case, we will say, Torque is used to measure the amount of horsepower your engine has. But can you make torque with torque? It has to come from somewhere, and it all ends up back in a loop.
 
Yeah, but the engine runs on torque correct? so to start the engine you need torque equal or greater than that of the engine to turn it
 
have you tried crank starting a modern V8? An engine creates torque, and a certain amount of torque is needed to keep it from stopping from the friction.

Ex, When you're driving a clutch and let it out without sufficient RPM's the engine loses too much of it's torque and stalls.

Once the engine is started momentum aids in the amount of torque needed to keep it running.

Ex, An engine produces 100 ft lb of torque at 5k RPM. When that engine is running at 1k RPM the engine is only producing 20 ft lb's but the momentum of the cylinders already moving allows it to run at that speed, which is why when a car starts it starts at higher rpm's than it idles.

So to start an engine and create enough momentum to keep it going you would need at least the same amount of torque as the engine at a certain speed (Starter) which from moving the crankshaft moves the pistons which then create the momentum to keep the motor running.

All a motor is is a module that keeps momentum. And in return creates torque.

Following me still? Take a look at this

1.) A motor needs torque to start, (Starter)

2.) The starter then needs some form of starter if you will to start itself (Electricity)

3.) Electricity is electrons moving at high rates of speed causing friction.

But the question is, how does something go from a dead stop to moving? There needs to be a source of energy to start the movement, but what was it that started moving first?
 
"But the question is, how does something go from a dead stop to moving? There needs to be a source of energy to start the movement, but what was it that started moving first?"

Torque makes it move via fuel and air being compressed and ignited in your engine. Your making this way to hard on yourself or something. Its not a hard concept to grasp.
 
Its more complicated than just the motor. The fuel has to be moved to the engine, something has to move the pump etc, you know?
 
IDK I got this whole thing going in my head the last few days and Im trying to figure out a solution I can stick with.... its easy but I cant place it... lol

Its like, I know what Im talking about, but when typing I dont get it all down, I think too fast... Happens when something simple comes up and you think its really complicated...
 
Pete - Yea but see 95% of my posts are informative or something along those lines, the other 5% is me telling you to stop being gay/perverted. Where as 99% of your posts consist of motovational/demotivating posters, gay jokes and just other random crap. Then you got the 1% left over of usually dumb questions. Its okay tho, not everyone can be an asset to help other people understand things. Im sure youd be an asset in porno's as a fluffer tho :D

Jack - Try and figure out what exactly it is that you need to ask because we went from comparing HP and TQ to what moves the fuel and whatnot haha
 
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