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Automotive vocabulary · Engine and Fuel Systems

Torque

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/tɔːrk/nounCore term

In automotive, torque means: Twisting force, measured in newton meters (Nm) or pound-feet. It describes how strongly an engine or motor turns, and how tightly a bolt should be tightened.

In Turkish: tork, döndürme momenti

How it is used

Two everyday meanings: engine torque (for example 250 Nm at 1,500 rpm) and tightening torque in repair manuals. It is also a verb: torque the wheel nuts to 120 Nm. Torque spec means the specified value.

Example sentences

  1. The diesel engine produces 400 Nm of torque from just 1,750 rpm.

  2. Torque the cylinder head bolts in three stages, following the sequence in the manual.

Common collocations

  • peak torque
  • torque spec
  • tightening torque
  • torque curve
  • torque to spec
  • horsepowerA unit of engine power. One mechanical horsepower is about 746 watts, and the metric horsepower (PS) used in Europe is about 735 watts. Many specifications also give power in kilowatts (kW).
  • torque wrenchA wrench that lets you tighten a nut or bolt to an exact specified torque. The common click type gives a click when the set value is reached.
  • engineThe machine that burns fuel, usually petrol or diesel, to produce the power that moves a vehicle. It turns the energy of burning fuel into rotation of the crankshaft.
  • gear ratioThe number of turns the input shaft makes for one turn of the output shaft, for example 3.5:1. Low gears have high ratios for pulling power; high gears have low ratios for cruising.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Engine and Fuel Systems

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