Okay, this is making sense now. Well, it seems senseless to make a ruckus over it but I see where it is going.
I'd have to say that assuming the wiring harnesses were compatible and that PATS wasn't an issue due to the year and such, assuming there isn't anything that could be construed as underhanded such as switching an already-flashed PCM, then you have three things that can account for the power increase.
Increase in timing, leaner fuel trims, no learning by the pcm due to swap type of install.
The timing increase is a given and some engines are just begging for an increase in timing....whether factory freak or not, they will respond well to increases in timing due to low air temps and good detonation resistance. For me, I'd think it would really be hard to tell how an engine will respond to another ten degrees or so of timing.
ALL stock duratec graphs that I've seen on normal operating engines have run rich, like 11's:1 or even as low as 10:1
Pop in an SVT PCM that is set for a different injector into an engine that has smaller injectors and you will most likely lean the A/F out. Remember, both engines are 2.5L so they take the same amount of fuel to run at idle and normal speeds. If you put in a smaller injector then you'll get less fuel because the pulse width will be set for the larger injector.
Also, As long as the ambient temps are cool you can get away with an even leaner A/F than normal and make really good power.
So I'd say that 20 HP increase from leaner A/F on very cool ambient temps (IT is winter after all), ramped up timing from the pcm, and an otherwise good working engine....Then Yes, 20HP is very possible.
The problem is, as soon as that pcm were driven around for a couple of days with adaptive learning turned on...it will go right back to suckin wind on that car as it trims out all the fuel.
Oh, if the O2 sensors are bad or old, then this can exacerbate the issue.
I'd also be that the engine will be popping CELs over a week of driving due to out of wack aiflow and load readings.
Finally, I read Demons posts in context and I agree that his information about MAFs, functions, injectors, timing curves is correct. That doesn't mean that you can't do russian roulette and come up a winner sometimes.
You see, I have the SCT software and I've had to independently learn the things he is talking about. And the part about not being able to cut and paste code is taken out of context. YOU CAN cut and past code....all day long if you want. However, it doesn't mean that it is the right way or that it is going to work correctly and if you make it work by just cut and paste, it isn't the end of the story. You have to "TUNE" everything. Anyone who doesn't is not finishing the Job or doing a Hack Job.
So what is the big deal anyway? I mean we are talking about a low power duratec showing what a duratec with an SVT pcm is capable of?? Of course! The SVT is/was significantly more developed for power. A big portion of that was coding the PCM code to better take advantage of the engines design. The timing curve was probably exhaustively explored to keep it maximum without detonation. Hell the actual design of the two engines is identical other than cams and compression, therefore the engines should both respond equally well to the same timing curves. The compression and breathing improve the numbers too, probably the reason that weak SVT's dyno in the 150s and stong ones dyno in the 170s stock.
In other words they didn't gain anything they should not have had already.
