I know a lot of people do it but i was wondering if it was really worth it to pull out the screens in the maf.

 

IMHO.... Unless your running a big block engine that is starving for air at 8000 RPM's, them screens ain't gonna restrict enough air to compensate for your time of removing them. You pose more of a threat of destroying your MAF sensor than you do by gaining a tenth of a horsepower value.

On the contrary... Later MAF sensors (93+) have a thick screen which I could see causing some restriction to a 350 cid engine.

I've also been told that them screens help to create turbulance in the incoming air which helps the "hot wire" to accurately determine an exact volume of incoming air.



LET THE FLAMMING BEGIN!

 

I agree, leave the screens in. Unless you have a extra $300 laying around you don't known what to do with.

A 3rd Gen Myth "A desreened MAF adds Horsepower".

 

I agree. NOW some cars I know my does it. when I take the screens out the car dies. but I know some havent had problems.

 

LOL.

Descreening your MAF WILL improve air flow, without question, which will improve performance. Now whether you feel it's worth it or not, that's up to you.

Flow bench tests will prove the increased air flow, if you have any doubts.

Why would removing the screens immediately result in you having to spend $300 on a MAF, as 87DJP2001 says would be the case? Dumb.

You can easily remove the screens without damaging your MAF...tons of people out there have done it. I have a feeling that the previous two posts are from people who have damaged their's or are too scared to do it for fear of not doing it right. Just like with most anything, if you take your time and pay attention to what you're doing, you won't damage anything. I didn't damage mine when I did it a few years ago.

I don't see how 87DJP2001 can say that increasing airflow through a restrictive part of the intake won't increase power potential. He likes to preach...that's for sure.

It's not like your engine is goign to injest a bird or something that would be able to get past your air filter(s) causing harm to your MAF. *shakes head*

Eric

 

TPI engines are computer controled and work with the Maf sensor in reulating Air Flow. No matter what the Air flow is the ECM only reads the amount of 440 CFM. That is one of its major limitations. Any mods you do this airflow will affect the ECM and its imput/output for the engine management systems. Most of these are not good for performance.

The old Myth is from the Old Carb theory that more air is always a good thing, This is not the case with the TPI computer controls.

So go ahead an chop away at the air intake system, if it makes you happy. And watch out for Big Bird and his friends.



85z
You might want to do some reseach , seems like you have a limited knowledge on this subject.

And I lose interest when the replies get off the subject.

 

LT1Powered85Z,

Are you running the MAF from a LT1 or from a TPI system? The screen within a LT1 MAF is completely different from a TPI MAF. The Screen on a TPI MAF is nothing more than a screen from a storm door. Until I personally witness significant horsepower gains from descreening my TPI MAF, mine's staying on. My car runs great considering its high milage and stock/factory form.

On the other hand, I have been seeing a lot of LT1 MAF screens being removed. Them screens are like an eighth inch thick and you can hardly see through them. These screens I can understand being restrictive. But also, refering back to what 87DJP2001 said, TPI MAF sensors are only designed to sense 400 CFM (I thought it was 450 CFM but anywho) and a stock 350 needs more CFM's than that to begin with. So for a LT1, I agree to descreening the MAF, not saying I would if I owned one though.

 

I am not running a MAF LT1 system, but I have been speaking in reference to previous TPI set-ups that I have had in the past.

Maybe when speaking in reference to stock programmed vehicles increasing airflow may not be beneficial to overall performance, to a point. But when modifications take place, most people also modify their programming (if not, they should be as modding an engine needs proper programming to really work.) to take advantage of it, at which time increased airflow is a benefit.

So using this line of thinking that you guys are saying...it isn't necessary to increase the airflow/intake capabilties of a TPI set-up, because they'll never use more than 400cfm? I don't think so. To build power you need to move air, plain and simple.

Eric

 

87DJP since when is less air a good thing? a motor is technically a giant air pump, the quicker you can get air through the motor the more power you will make, why do you think superchargers, nitrous and turbochargers all work so good, they can force more oxygen through a motor quicker, thus creating more power, all a motor is is an air pump that relies on how much are can be forced sucked pulled pushed through the system. Maybe you aren't that familiar with the subject matter?

 

Here we go again. If it doesn't do anything why do all the new muscle cars come without screens? Why do they run larger MAF sensors? A engine is a air pump. The more air in the more out. No it will not give you 5HP. But if it free up 1hp or 2hp and then the airfoil frees up 2hp and the K&N filter frees up 3 hp that is 7 you didn't have before. Anyone who knows anything about racing or building cars will fight for every extra horse they can get. I have been racing for 33 years . I read the same people saying the same things. You should try and look at the big picture. I have had my IROC since new. For 16 years it has not had a screen in the MAF sensor and I have not had a problem. If you screw it up taking the screen out then you did it wrong. It has nothing to do with it not being there. You just didn't take it apart correctly. If you don't look at the big picture all you will be looking at is other peoples tail lights.

 

better yet, why do all the musclecars with fuel injection run MAP sensors, hmmmm, maybe because there is less flow restriction coming into the intake manifold then, hmmmmmm, I may not have been racing for 16 years, I'm only 21, but this is cake buddy.

 

Thank you fellas. Finally some intelligent people in here. Cripes...that guy just doesn't get it.

And what's funny is that he tries to imply that I am lacking intelligence in the subject.

Eric

 

Removing the MAF screens is a bad idea.

 

I've built more than just one or two TPI motors. The screens always come out. The MAF still reads correctly. If yours doesn't then it's not the fault of the screens. They are porch door type screens and do NOT do anything to straighten the air (the thicker honeycomb screen on an LT-1 MAF does, however).

No, you won't pick up 10 HP or anything like that but you'll get a few.

Why were they on there in the first place? Near as I can tell strictly to protect the MAF from any debris that might make it into the intake tract for whatever reason, or from accidental damage by a mechanic during engine servicing.

 

So.... If we don't remove our MAF Screens... we're unintelligent?

I seen all this coming soon as I seen the post. What would be nice though is if everybody would keep comments about other people and their opinions to themselves. We're all grown-ups around here ey?

I've been looking through my GM Service manual for anything about MAF Screens. Ain't found anything as of yet. I do believe that the designers for General Motors Co. had a reason for the screens to be where they are. GM along with all of the other automobile manufacturers, spend ENORMOUS amounts of money for research and development. I work for a trucking company and we run Caterpillar engines exclusively. But anywho, the Caterpillar represenative told us a while back that Caterpillar spends $1 million per day on research and development. That goes for the complete Caterpillar line (On and off-road equipment), but still that is a considerable amount of money to be using just for research and development. I'm not sure on the amount that GM uses, but I'm confident that their big thinkers have multitudes of ideas and reasons for doing what they do.