Dynamometer tests are used to measure a car's torque and rpm response. But how do they get that information? And how reliable is what they get?

Starting engine dynamometer pulls at low rpm is hard on the dyno and hard on the engine. Today, engine dynamometer testing is an integral part of many HOT ROD engine buildups and product tests.

We put both engines on the dyno to see which made more horsepower and torque. It didn’t go as planned. Over the past year, we assembled two very mild small-blocks aimed at the typical hot-rodder ...