Mass Air Flow

[Biker1059]

The Mass Air Flow Sensor on my 99-5.3 liter has a screen in it. Can this be removed for better performance and gas milage?  Will I have to use a higher octane gas?

[MarkD]

I removed this screen from my 1997 LT1 MAF and ported the MAF.

 

I received no noticeable power increase and detonation in hot months requiring 93 octane fuel.

 

I wouldn't do it again.

[Guest]

I removed the screen from the mass air on my 4800 (same MAF as a 5300) and ported it... I was careful not to damage the sensor wires but turns out it didn work. Check engine light came on and MAF had to be replaced. On the new one I only removed the screen. I have A few Buddies with LS1 Camaros who have removed the screen and ported theirs and had results and some have had the same happen to them as I had. if you want any performance from your MAF buy a granatelli.

[CMNTMXR81]

I've got the screens removed on all my vehicles.  Can't say there is any gain to be had other than sharper throttle response as the air moves across the resistors quicker.  The purpose of it is to straighten the airflow across those resistors especially on those with the stock air intake system that has various air bellows/silencers that circulate the incoming air in different patterns.

 

However, without a program like AutoTap or a TechII scanner, you are going into this blind.  At WOT, you may run into some knock retard by removing the screen.  This will actually cause some loss of power as the PCM is scaling back timing.

[Dihappy]

Removed:

 

MAF Screen,

EGR Valve pipe,

have taken my little grinder and allowed for about 99% WOT of the butterfly,

& Hot Water Bypass

[Avalancher]

Hey DiHappy,

What does this mean?

<have taken my little grinder and allowed for about 99% WOT of the butterfly, & Hot Water Bypass>

 

MB-)

[CMNTMXR81]

If you have a program such as Autotap, there is a variable that tells you how much your throttle is open percentage wise.  By him grinding down the throttle stop, it allows the throttle blade to be opened wider, hence the reading would be higher.

 

Hot coolant bypass another cheap/free mod to do.  There is coolant that is funneled through the throttle body in order to prevent (supposedly) icing in colder environments.  Conversely in warm weather, having hot coolant passing through your throttle body would still heat the incoming air which is bad for power making.  So by disconnecting the coolant line that goes into the throttle body and disconnecting the coolant line that exits the throttle body, connecting the two together, therefore bypassing the throttle body will help keep that incoming air from being warmed up.

[Iceman]

i removed the screen from my sensor and it might have helped a little bit. it made me feel better about my truck i guess. it definiteley didn't hurt anything. i would reccommend it.

 

2000 GMC Z71, 5.3L, Flowmaster, K&N FIPK, HPP III, Poweraid TBS, 3" body lift, 16x8 AR nitros, 285 BFG's  

[CMNTMXR81]

You probably noticed sharper throttle response as more air is moving across the resistors quicker than when the screen was in the way.