Originally Posted by
velociabstract
Well, I don't completely agree. It depends on where and what your measuring. (distance/speed to complete the task) My torque has hardly changed and with the headers actually dropped with my modifications but guess what, I'm going down the 1/4 mile faster. Torque is the amount of work that the engine can do. HP is the speed in which it can be accomplished, at least that's how I understand it. So as long as you have enough torque to overcome the force of wind, weight, friction, etc. then the additional horsepower is going to make you quicker finishing the work. I think 300 ft.lbs. of torque at 6500 is plenty for our cars until reaching 170 or so. Am I wrong or understanding the same thing in a different manner? Diminishing returns I agree with but a lot depends on how diminished and where the goal is set.
Les
That's really a tough question, lots of variables at play. You could argue that given the drop in twisting force at the axle, your tires weren't being overcome. Could also be the time of year or even other mods, such as raised shift points.
While I think overall, our views agree, it all boils down to what you put on the pavement. Area under the curve is great, so long as theres traction.
But back to your statement: Do you have a pre and post header dyno sheet? Same dyno, and similar ambient conditions? How about the headers, were they installed in conjunction with other mods? Etc.. Etc..