Tech / General Engine Is your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

What is the percentage of drivetrain loss in a 5 speed?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 09:26 AM
  #1  
Zepher's Avatar
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,964
Likes: 4
From: Norfolk, VA. USA
Car: 86 Trans Am, 88 Formula
Engine: 95LT4, 305TPI
Transmission: T56, T5
What is the percentage of drivetrain loss in a 5 speed?

I just want to figure out my flywheel HP from my future dyno testing.
One of the HP calculators gave me 208 RWHP and 260 FWHP with 20% drivetrain loss,
and 208 RWHP and 231 FWHP with 10% loss.

Thanks,

------------------

WS6 Trans Am.

View My Ride @ thirdgen.org
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 09:31 AM
  #2  
Mark A Shields's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 7,164
Likes: 1
From: Someone owes me 10,000 posts
Car: 99 Formula
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 342
I thought it was around 15% for stick and 18-22% for an auto.

------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 11:10 AM
  #3  
89BlwnRs's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 348
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax County, Va, USA
I read it's about 10% for manuals and about 14% for autos.

Jason
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 05:35 PM
  #4  
Zepher's Avatar
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,964
Likes: 4
From: Norfolk, VA. USA
Car: 86 Trans Am, 88 Formula
Engine: 95LT4, 305TPI
Transmission: T56, T5
Cool, thanks
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 05:55 PM
  #5  
irocbsa's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
Holley has said that their dyno tests have shown 17-18 for a manual and 20-22 for an auto.
Reply
Old Oct 15, 2001 | 05:59 PM
  #6  
RB83L69's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 18,457
Likes: 16
From: Loveland, OH, US
Car: 4
Engine: 6
Transmission: 5
When I was at the chassis dyno place the other day, the guy who owned it (circle-track guy - on average, those seem to have about twice as much on the ball as your typical drag racer) was telling me that he has a friend who owns an engine dyno. On numerous occasions, people have taken their motors there, and had them tested; then dropped them in their chassis and brought them to his place. He says that the smallest difference he has ever seen between the 2 readings was 16%; that was in a sprint car with a Powerglide with a metallic drive (no torque converter) and of course open headers. He says that street cars usually put up numbers more like 22-25% different; and that the auto cars and the stick cars don't differ by a very great ampunt in how much lower they read on his than they do on the other one.

There are way too many variables between how an engine runs on the dyno and how it runs in the chassis for the "loss" number to be meaningful. For example, on an engine dyno, there's usually no smog pump, no cooling fan, no alternator, & no power steering; there's an almost unlimited supply of cool fresh air; there's a far better flowing exhaust than exists in most cars; and so on.

So it's really mostly meaningless to talk about "drivetrain loss" that way, it's not the whole real world story at all. That is, the RW number is what counts, since that's the only way you ever get to use it; any calculation of the crank number from the RW numbers is just a wild guess in most cases.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
wigmobile
Electronics
5
Feb 26, 2025 02:56 PM
RyanJB
Members Firebirds
39
Nov 20, 2018 03:30 PM
2slowfox
Auto Detailing and Appearance
1
Sep 18, 2015 01:49 PM
SG91camaro
Camaros for Sale
2
Sep 5, 2015 10:27 PM
FLAP
Camaros Wanted
0
Sep 2, 2015 09:22 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:01 AM.