A business name only serves one real purpose, and that is identification. If my name is in violation of the law, I will gladly change it. I tried for months to come up with a creative business name, and couldn't. We know Horsepower Engineering is nothing flashy or exciting... but we believe our work will speak for itself, so that is why we are fine with having a somewhat generic business name for now.. Because like I said, a name only serves one real purpose, identification.

Regards,
Chuck

 

engineering:

a. The application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture, and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes, and systems.

b. The profession of or the work performed by an engineer.


im not sure about the legal aspect.........but judging by the first defintion, anyone should be able to use the name.

just out of curiousity..........can a guy who works on cars start a business as a "mechanic".......even if he didnt goto a mechanics college or whatever? im pretty sure most of them never went to school for it, judging by all the crappy work i see haha.

 

I dont see how a simple duration change can have the effect on HP that we are expecting it to be, with the exception of the actual opening and closing event of the valves which if badly chose it wont make power... But really I dont see how 4-5º will make a 50-70rwhp over that cam. I guess its more of a bad choice in a few things, not run in the correct rpm range?... Maybe if its a solid roller cam then you get a really mild cam for such big heads or something... I think at this point we are all speculating and we need to know a bit more of that setup...

It doesn't look like an off the shelf cam...

 

No I agree with you that was my point.

 

Well I put engineers in the same group as doctors and laywers, just because they don't get paid as much doesn't mean they are not as important. That's the funny thing about money, it really doesn't give the true valve of something. Try getting to work without engineers, no roads, no cars, no electricity. Hell blame engineers for us having to go to work everyday.

It's the same thing as a optomitirst, they are not Doctors. One of them around me seems to think that he is, but driving a Porsche and having someone call you a Doctor doesn't mean that you are. I don't know about you but I'm not going to call myself a Doctor and not give credit to guys like Rich. Same thing you might as well not give credit to Fred for doing the work he did in his life. Trivializing engineering is a sad trait of our society.

Maybe it was how I was raised, and I'm the only one who sees taking credit for something you didn't do is wrong but it's a dead horse I am not going to back down from.

Bret

 

It isn't...

Hyd roller cam
230/245 114lsa
lift: .622/.640 w/1.6
Custom XE grind based on 3194/3196 series

that's what's in Jim's motor....

 

IN that case what rpm was being run on that engine?? that is a cam for 6800rpm more or less...

 

Not to rain on your parade, Bret, but if Chuck applied for and was granted a business license with that name and no one at the licensing bureau raised an objection, I doubt it's an actionable issue to use "Engineering" in the name of a business without someone with an Engineering degree on site. Someone better call MythBusters...

Turning the microscope on you, Bret, someone might say the same thing you're accusing Chuck of applies to "Bauer Racing Engines". Do you or your father have professional racing experience using your own engines? Do you have customers who race professionally with your engines? Do they win? Someone could just as easily say you were trying to make a profit from an implied association with professional racing to sell your services when you have no experience or customer history to prove that your engines do, indeed, win actual races.

I don't feel that Chuck is trying to take credit for anything he didn't accomplish. If he is, then I'd have to say "Bauer Racing Engines" was in the same boat. Admit it, you were trying to sound professional and legitimate when you selected that name instead of being just a father and son team that built an engine in their garage and showed up at the Engine Masters competition with it. Am I wrong?

I'm just proving a point, so there's no need to escalate this further. I just don't happen to think there was any reason to bring it up and make such a big deal out of it, and I wanted you to know what it's like having the finger pointed at you. You can be sued for anything these days, including people burning themselves with your obviously hot coffee, so why even bring this up?

 

I agree that the questionable use of the word Engineer in the name didn't necessarily need to be brought up for discussion, it is just a name after all. I do see Bret's point though that it is somewhat misleading. Maybe the BBB assumed like many customers would that they do or will in the future have engineers working there.

Why did I just spend all this money and 5 years of working and going to school at PSU to become an engineer if I could just go around calling myself an engineer because I've designed plenty of different things before? (i guess this hits kind of close to home for me and thats why i decided to post)

The fact that I've worked at a large engineering firm for over a year doesn't make me an engineer either, it takes an accredited institution to bestow that title. Of course if your plan is to only do automotive type stuff then SAM is a great choice too. In fact sometimes I kind of wish I went there instead of coming to PSU.

Its just a name though.


-brent

 

Hey guys lets keep on topic...

 

Bret,

You can call anything "engineering" and the law can't do anything about it at all. NOW if you represent yourself as a degreed engineer and do work in that capacity without the credentials you can be sued and you may go to jail too as you should! Engineering means a lot of things to a lot of people as has already been stated but it's exactly what we're doing as opposed to the ridiculous and haphazard approach that most speed/race shops take with old wive's tales and hillbilly technology. This stuff makes sense when you know what you're doing.

Saying all of that I have 135 hours of engineering and two of the others involved with this shop including one other owner IS a degreed proffessional engineer here in Houston in the petrochemical arena and has done rotating and reciprocationg engines for a very long time. Chuck probably doesn't even know this but he does now. His name is Greg Holloway and we also have several others on our "board" including 4 more that are all MEs like Greg. Damn near everyone I know is an engineer here in Houston and most have absolutely no idea what they are doing anyway as far as that goes!

 

I kinda like "hillbilly-engineering". It reminds me of other "****-engineering" terms I've heard. "Sanitation engineer" for trash collector comes to mind. None of them bother me, but I don't buy much from them either.

I think Bret's point was if your company has engineering in it's name, and someone gets hurt using a product you have "engineered", and sues you for faulty design, you might be in trouble proving your design was correctly "engineered." Same could be for a product that failed in use. ('Motor broke!").

Folks like Fred get paid to testify about designs, faulty or otherwise, when that happens. I guess it does frequently. I've seen some outlandish claims from trial attorneys concerning product failures.

It's good that you have some degreed engineers on staff or at least as consultants. Better safe than sorry. You've probably already run into the "client from hell".

Good luck, guys.

 

Thank you OldStroker!

Me and Chuck and HPE are going to try and bring some glory back to the poor old LTx people! They've had sand kicked in their faces long enough!

 

Erik,

That's what I wanted to hear. BTW I think it's a great name.

Jimbo,

Man you and I like going at it huh? lol It's racing engines cause I don't build farm tractor motors some guys build both. I guess I'm the only one qualified to know who what and where my motors and parts end up in right? Not enough stuff in roundy round cars for my taste, but more stuff in drag and "street" race cars. There is more money in some "street" races than there is in most "professional" stuff around here anyways. Hey, if the shop and what I know is not professional and legitimate for you then maybe I should act more like Mark and....... well not going there, don't want a kick a guy in the *****. You get my point.

BTW it was never built in a garage it was built in our not to small machine shop. Hey you ever see the places that some of the best guys in the world started in? I probably have something on most of them.

All right back on topic, WTF is jimbjr motor such a turd?

Bret

 

I think you will find that the law varies from state to state, but it would be wise to research the law before you use the word "engineeing" as part of a business name, on a business card as a title, or in an advertisement for services.

In NJ, it is illegal to do any of those things, unless you are a "Licensed Professional Engineer". In order to be one of those, unless you are even older than me, and "grandfathered", you need to be granted that title through an examination process. It is actually possible (although more difficult, maybe close to impossible at this point) to achieve that licensing without actually being a graduate of an accredited engineeering institution.

In order to use the title in a business name, a "principal" of the company must be a Licensed P.E. I get a quarterly newsletter from the state licensing board, and their are numerous case records of people being cited and fined for using the name improperly.

NJ is also a bit unique in that it only grants the title "Professional Engineer", without further designating a "specialty".... e.g. Mechanical Engineer, Chemical Engineer, etc. It is the PE's responsibility to provide services, and to perform work activities only in those fields in which he has the proper training and work experience.... sort of an "honor system". Although I am a Mechanical and a Management Engineer by training, and a Licensed P.E., it is questionable whether I could legitimately offer my services as an "Automotive Engineer"... since most of my experience is in designing and constructing large-scale process plants - refineries, chemical plants, environmental systems, etc. I don't think they will give me credit for my "hobby".....