Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Turbocharger repair and replacement: What you need to know (VIDEO)

Description Not so long ago, forced induction was mostly limited to high-performance sports cars and diesel trucks. Changes in fuel efficiency standards, forced induction technologies, vehicle design, and consumer preferences led to the widespread adoption of...

Better ops with SOPs

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a documented tool designed to provide formal, consistent, and efficient results. Put another way, an SOP can bring order to a process that might otherwise be unpredictable at best and chaotic at worst. And given how dynamic the...

Cars that make you think of something specific

Some vehicles have the power to evoke strong memories or associations. Whether it's a classic film, a historical event, or a beloved television show, these vehicles often serve as iconic symbols. You’ll likely only have to read the headers in this piece for you to...

Photo gallery: Auto repair (and a few motorcyclists) in Indianapolis, Indiana

Shop Press Staff Photographer Mike Apice recently visited Franklin, Indiana and the surrounding area. Once the focus of a Life magazine article depicting the idyllic "Smalltown, USA," Franklin is as photogenic now as it was then. Here's a look around from his...

Using voltage to locate electrical faults

Locating the cause of an electrical fault can be a challenge even for the most experienced professional. I’m not referring to open circuits or even short circuits. These are relatively easy to find. In either case, the component, or load, won’t work. But the most...

How do you handle billing shop supplies?

When I first began writing service at an indie auto repair shop, one line item on the bill was “shop supplies.” We tacked on some percentage of the bill, capping at $19.88. Shows you how long ago that was! Customers would ask about it, and many were angry about the...

Fixing cracked plastic parts with a hot staple tool (VIDEO)

Description When plastic parts break, sometimes replacements can be prohibitively expensive or hard to find. Learn how to use a hot staple tool to salvage broken plastics for auto repairs and other projects.Related Videos

How stop drilling can help to save cracked parts (VIDEO)

Description Learn how stop drilling can help to prevent cracks from propagating with a little know-how and a drill.

Shifting Gears

What does horsepower really mean? (VIDEO)

by Andy Greaser | Dec 17, 2024

0 Comments

Horsepower is a strange measurement, isn’t it? Think about it. When was the last time you used a horse for any kind of work or travel?

Like candlepower, the original horsepower attempted to express the output of a newer technology in comparison to its predecessor. Today, horsepower is one of the most common metrics we use to quantify vehicle performance, yet most of us in the auto repair industry have no experience with real horses at all. And even if we did, how would we meaningfully measure the work potential of a horse? How might that measurement of power translate to mechanical devices?

Thankfully, a clever guy named James Watt did the math for us over 240 years ago while developing steam engines that would kickstart the Industrial Revolution. This old Chevrolet video from 1937 does a fine job of explaining Watt’s journey to the earliest version of the horsepower measurement we know today. (The informational part of this video starts about two minutes in.)

Later advancements in power measurement made Watt’s horsepower obsolete with new variations like metric horsepower and imperial (mechanical) horsepower, but it is fitting that the International System of Units (SI) uses the watt as its standard for the same type of power measurement today.

The articles and other content contained on this site may contain links to third party websites. By clicking them, you consent to Dorman’s Website Use Agreement.