Answer, but more questions...
The only real way to add torque/horsepower to the 2.3L Duratecs is with a tuner and custom tunes. I have been researching this topic for a while now and have narrowed my search down to two providers.
bamachips seems to be the one that has done the most research with the 2.3L, and I've read a lot of good things about the results seen with their tunes. The problem is that their customer service has apparently gone down the pooper recently. I've read numerous posts on different boards about difficulties contacting them. One customer reported waiting more than three weeks for his tuner to arrive, and many complain about lack of response to e-mails. They do not list a phone number on their website.
RoguePerformance has wonderful customer service, but I'm not sure how much research they've done with the 2.3L as they seem to be more focused on other engines. Apparently you receive your custom tunes, log some data with the tuner, and then they will tweak them for you for the first week... but I may have misunderstood this, and I have reservations with this technique versus working with a dyno to achieve the tunes.
The real question is this. If custom tunes give you more torque in a real-world usable range (1500-3500rpm), more horsepower and better mpg, then why aren't they tuned this way from the factory?
Any input to any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers