Customer Reviews

How to Build Horsepower: Volume 1

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book covers every major engine component and is a great primer on combustion theory, while being very easy to read and understand. Diagrams, drawings and photos tell you what to do and why - or why not to do it. Mr. Vizard presents everything within the context of what is practical and worthwhile for "streetability," vs. what else might make sense for all-out racing performance. What a great book for anyone who wants to add HP, even those with no idea where to begin!

I don't think DV knows how to write a dud book. In his typical style, this book is a great source for all things induction related. This book is great for someone who has little knowledge on the subject, as it clearly explains all the fundamentals. It is also just as valuable for the more experienced engine builder/racer as it contains loads of info on carb mods, manifold design and mods, mixtures, atomization, etc. It also dispells many myths that do nothing except slow you down. Rather than writing books based on popular and expert opinions, DV's books are based on hard scientific fact. He does the work, and he has the results. Knowledge is horsepower! With DV's books, I've never gone wrong. On a horsepower per dollar basis, his books are the best investment you'll ever make.

Vizard's Book is an excellent reference and text book for anyone who wishes to learn how to maximize the performance of any engine. It is an unnasuming text that does not assume a certain level of Knowledge, yet allows one to stretch and grow with it as one gains knowledge and understanding.

Starting with simplest and cheapest mods and then expanding to more exotic upgrades.

David Vizard also ellaborates on downsides of various upgrades in the from of decreased reliability and or economy.

One downfall to the book is lack of coverage of fuel injection.

Reference in book is to Vol 2, for further info on such systems, yet attempts to locate vol 2 has been unfruitfull

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to do any tuning work on their car whatsoever. This is a rare book because the author is actually in possession of a flow bench and chassis dyno which allow him to test all of the ideas presented. He debunks a number of myths about how to actually get more power out of your engine. He also gives some coverage to just about every kind of modification you can make to your engine and gives you an educated opinion about whether or not it is worth your time. The general focus of the book is on American V8's, but I found that all of the informatoin was general enough to apply nicely to my Italian V6s and German inline 4 cylinder cars. The format of the book leaves a little bit to be desired (As do the photos) but the material is so good that it becomes irrelevent. If you are not interested in actually tuning your car but just want to know how it is done, you should still read this book: it's a good one.

An outstanding effort by David Vizard. This book contains a lot of info about flow bench work, and air flow in ports. The workings of carburetors, carb sizing, manifold types and where and why they differ. I go back to his books every time I consider making an engine modification.

I recommend this book without reservation. It is about what its title states, "How to Build Horsepower." Vizard tells you what you need to do to build horsepower. He does NOT tell you how to magically build power without spending any money. Power costs money but Mr Vizard tells you where to spend it.

It goes into great depth on the Holley carbs and to a lesser degree Webers and Dellortos. It also goes into good depth on the Quadrajet and some depth on the SUs. The Predator is discussed (there doesn't seem to be that much to it) but Carters are given nothing more than author's understanding that they are accurately calibratable. That said, the sections that address carburetors (as well as every other section) dispel many myths and illuminate the main principles through a combination of theory, experience, and dyno tests.

Again, this book is OUTSTANDING.

I rate this book at five stars only because there wasn't a selection for seven.

Cook

If you are going to rebuild any engine and want to add horsepower as you go then this book is the ideal book to read first.The book covers all areas of any engine and where and why you can gain horsepower.The author does get technical which is a bonus to some people.

This book is written in reasonably simple English thats easy to understand by most people.Even though the book covers V8 engines you should be able to use this book for any engine not just V8's.

If you are looking for volume 2,you will find its also available from this website.Click on the authors name and scroll through the list of his books.Its still available.

I enjoyed reading and learning from this book.Its good quality and for the price its very good value.The publisher seems to be gradually reprinting all their books to a better,higher quality book.This is a good book to add to your collection.

Please write a book about something other than American engines, there is life outside of the US - especially back here in the UK where you came from!

One day you might discover something modern like a turbo or a 4 valve head to conquer and write about.

That aside I am a massive fan of your work and have been for many years.

Yours despairingly,

MC

For an advanced student, this book is great. It showed manifold design and improvement concepts, had lots of good info on Holley carburetors, and did a great job of showing how the intake manifold affected the carburetor's operation. It also talked about wave tuning, which is hard info to find. For a novice student, this book might be hard to follow, but that's the whole point of learning, right?

This book may be a little dated, being written in the 1990's, but the information in it is timeless. Information that's always true for getting the most power out of an engine. I used this to improve my track times by 3 tenths of a second.