When American hackers think of a retailer called Harbor Freight, we usually think of cheap tools, feasible but bad DVM, zippers and tarpaulins. At the robot cantina [Jimbo] looked at the 212cc “Predator” engine they sold and thought, “I bet I can use it to power my Honda Insight.” He succeeded! How much power does the heavily modified engine produce? In the following video, [Jimbo] takes us through the process of measuring its output using self-made dyno.
The dyno built by Jimbo is Prony dyno, which is one of the oldest and simplest designs. The torque arm extends from the disc brake caliper and is connected to the dynamometer. The engine runs at maximum speed and then applies the brake to the crankshaft until the engine almost stalls. The tachometer records the speed and the dynamometer measures the force on the torque arm. Torque times speed, and the result is divided by the constant of 5252. Look: horsepower. The dyno test is completed when the computer draws the results of the whole range.
This is only part of the story. When you realize that dyno brackets, dynamometer settings and almost everything you can build at home are built at home, the real hacker comes. You can also see some driving test results between the 212cc engine and the larger 420cc engine, and even how small changes in the engine affect the horsepower and torque curve, and how this affects Honda, which he calls “street legal carriage”
Speaking of unusual power plants, why not have fun installing some hobby sized jet turbines in the back seat of your Tesla?