Can you explain where stage1/2/3 power comes from exactly ?

[TalkToTheFiST]

Noob warning. So correct me if im wrong, but as i have understood it so far there's only two ways to increase "power" as it's transferred to the wheels. One is to reduce resistance (ie friction) by reducing back pressure and improving breathing. Basically allowing gasses to move as freely as possible. Once this is optimal, increasing pipe size and such does nothing.

The 2nd way to increase power is by simply, burning more fuel. This is what forced induction does, or boring out cylinders, ensuring more goes air in so more fuel can be burned. Larger IC by way of denser air allow more fuel to be burned. And so on. So either reducing friction that robs existing power, or burning more fuel.

So, when looking at these stages of tunes and the different tunes, is the only real difference an increase in boost so as to ultimately burn more fuel? I've been looking for any other ways that programming can improve power but without a physical change to the air pathway, im not seeing it. Granted a stage 2 tune needs the upgraded IC but some stage 2 tunes are "more aggressive" than others but what does that mean?

If hardware on both stage 2 tunes are the same, isn't the only thing they can change boost pressure to offer more air, in order to burn more fuel? I've heard terms like ignition timing and i don't know much about that yet but how much can that affect it, isn't it ultimately about burning more fuel?

 

[XR650R]

isn't it ultimately about burning more fuel?

Pretty much, yeah.

 

[Ford ST]

It's complicated. They increase turbo boost, change ignition timing, and so on. Of course you burn more fuel at times, you can't make power without burning fuel.
I'm sure there are plenty of YouTube videos that could explain this much better.
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[Hypergram]

The ECU in your car monitors and adjusts hundreds of variables, the different stages adjust those variables to a certain degree. All you need is the hardware to go with it.

 

[Quisp]

Rpm × torque. Increase either.

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[Dpro]

There are stages partly due to mods. When you start changing ability for more airflow into the engine on a turbocharged car you allow the ability to advance timing. Advancing timing changes minutely the time when the combustion happens in the cylinder during the stroke of the engine. The idea being the more room in the cylinder the more ability to pack a denser charge in thereby extracting more power at ignition point.

Now with turbos you can pack an even denser charge at a faster rate. Normal engines suck turbo engines blow. Hence the term forced induction. We are literally crammng the charge into our cylinders. Now back to the stages like was mentioned above , there are many factors going on here . Stage one is pretty much a advance in timing with perhaps a minor tweak to injection and airflow.

Stage two gets into adding stuff into that allows more tweaking of the parameters. A larger intercooler helps keep your charge temps lower thereby allowing for a denser charge mixture. Putting in a bigger crossover pipe and intake tube and intake allows more airflow and charge flow into the engine. Again you have now changed a paramenter your airflow and air fuel ratio this also can have an effect in allowing tunes for more power. You can also increase the rpm in each gear with a tune and extract more power as the longer time you have on the gas i.e packing the charge the more power you can extract.

Hence why a stage 2 or 3 tune usually has an increased redline.
You have to remember Ford designed the engine probably ran it up to higher hp numbers then dialed it back to provide A: reliability and B: to cover their own asses so the engine would last like a regular engine. C: Keep rev limits to a safe level as again rev to high and you destroy your engine unless its built for it.

Essentially they left some HP and a fair amount of Torque on the table thereby allowing us to tune this power back into the engine. Now the engine is a pretty stout little motor and Ford actually built that way with forged rods stock. So in fact we can raise our rev limits as well as long as we are reasonable and do go beyond the limitation s of the bore and stroke and valve design. This is why different engines have different redlines and rev limits.
They also limited us with the small turbo, thereby having our power start to drop at 5500 rpm, this is why people put Hybrid or BT on as it allows the power to be developed all the way to redline.

They did this essentially because small turbo means instant spool and power down low early on. For street cars this is quite desirable as it usually means TQ immediately and that is the kick in the butt your car feels fast feeling.

.Carroll Shelby was famously quoted as saying TQ wins races HP sells cars. Its pretty much true as HP is needed only when you are rolling to keep you rolling its TQ that gets you there.

Again Ford left some room on the table in this department as well.
So basically the stages are all about allowing a little more parameter tweaks and enhancing the ability of the engine to develop the power.