Compression ratio vs Porting

C130 Chief said
NO!

If having more airflow hurts power it's because more fuel wasn't added with it. Too much airflow is like too much oral sex... A great problem to have that none of us are likely to experience.

Remember, an engine is an air pump. Fuel + air go in, torque comes out. Nothing more, nothing less.

I think I have to disagree - but only in the way that's presented Chief. An engine is an air pump, but that pump is based (for this discussion) on atmospheric pressure. A running engine at some rpm and throttle point will begin to help feed itself because of the physics of those pressure differentials and waves. That point is highly individualistic so there's no "always" or way to apply that broadly. But - I think it has to be added to your statement because by going too large in terms of port volume, or to large in terms of camshaft, you can influence that point in a way that negatively afects the power curve of a particular engine. In short - loss of torque and more peakiness in the power curves because the physics isn't helping until a higher rpm. Flow isn't totally dependant on port volume, but it is related. Especially low and mid lift flow which is really what we're talking about. If flow numbers were really something that could be compared or "raced", for a street car we should be "racing" the numbers for .100 - .300 lift.