It's really unfortunate that Max Lagod is no longer with us.
I think everyone here knows that the structural core of our engines can handle ungodly horsepower. The 7.3 powerstroke does all the time, and structurally these engines are very similar.
Obviously the big limitations are getting the air into the cylinder and getting enough fuel in there. I may be wrong here, but isn't there a big difference between the DI and IDI engines in respect to the combustable volume of air/fuel in the combustion chamber? I mean, the IDI engine has a portion of the combustion take place within the prechamber before exiting to the main chamber. It seems that because all the combustion gas flow has to pass through that tiny hole in the prechamber, it stands to reason that the gas gets slowed down significantly in transit, or that it loses a portion of heat (energy) in the process.
When you compare IDI to DI engines, the DI engines have a domed piston to evenly distribute the combustion force over the face of the piston. In comparison the IDI engine has the combustion gas contact the piston on one side, where the ricardo chambers try and distribute the force over a wider area on the piston.
It all comes down to fuel atomization. That's why the newer DI rigs run such high injection pressures, that way the fuel atomizes fully the very instant it's injected. The prechamber makes it unnecissary for high injection pressures because it creates very turbulent air to atomize the fuel durring injection. I've wondered about how modifying the prechamber to open the throat up, along with higher injection pressures and injectors with a better atomization and flow pattern might be the secret mix for making a fire-breathing IDI. I wonder if that may be what Max did on that 1200 HP beast... Plus, removing material on the prechamber would have the added benefit of lowering the compression ratio.
Or am I completely nuts here???