Got some money now to start modding my car now and I was just wondering Is a Granatelli MAF sensor really worth the money? Read some good things about it and just wanted to hear back from some people that have one to see if its all its cracked up to be. I will also be using the new MAF with an aftermarket intake and 52mm throttle body if that makes any difference. Thanks

 

I think it is fair to say you could spend $300 much more effectivley than getting an aftermarket MAF sensor, which, if you are lucky, might lean out the overly rich WOT A/F ratio programmed into the stock PCM. But for less than 1/2 the cost of the Granatelli, you could have your PCM tuned and pick up a guaranteed 15HP, even on a totally stock engine. And not everyone sees the gains from leaning out the A/F ratio, because the Granatelli doesn't seem to be all the consistant. A good tune will give you a permanent gain.

A 52mm throttle body is also of questionable value. You don't show any other mods. Do you have a CAI.... a good catback? Those are the first two steps to building up your LT1.

 

Forget the MAF, like said above its just not something you need to worry about

 

Worry about the MAF if yours dies. Otherwise, start with the CAI, then catback. Could even do some headers.

 

It's better than not having it, but not worth the $$. Your better off picking
up some 1.6 rockers and a set of LT4 valve springs. If everything else you
have is stock the rockers will be worth about 15 rwhp.

 

.....

 

Actually, they're calibrated to trick the PCM to decrease fuel at WOT. That leans out the overly rich 11.7:1 (typical) target A/F ratio in Power Enrichment mode. Since they've only "leaned out" the upper portion of the mass air flow measurement, the PCM isn't going to do a lot of compensation, since learning is disabled when you're in PE mode.

Problem with the Granatelli appears to be its a sort of "hit or miss" effort to recalibrate the output signal at higher air flows, which is made more erratic since they've also deleted the screen and the dividing wall. Its the "unknown" and inconsitant calibration that the mail order tuners don't like.

 

i stand corrected

 

Heres the thing though I already have the 1.6 rocker arms underdrive pulley, CAI, and shorty headers, with no cats a cutout and a computer tune. I'm just looking for a few ways to make the car breathe a little bit better. I have read some ariticles on Granatelli mass air and seen some pretty impresive dyno numbers from it. Just thought maybe with the new MAF and throttle body I could squeeze out a few more horses. Would do a cam and heads but its and automatic and as crappy as gas is right now that would kind of take away the daily drivability.

 

fact is YOU DONT NEED IT...guys with 400+RWHP have STOCK MAF's...


Send your PCM in for a tune... there ya go

EDIT:: If your already tuned, you do not need an aftermarket MAF...just going to mess things up

 

Do a "search" for posts on the Granatelli MAF... I know someone posted a link in the past month or so, to a magazine article that got some very high HP gains. You might want to read the entire thread, to see what people thought of the magazine test.

Another suggestion.... add a "signature" showing the year of your car (your screen name suggests it, but there are people on here with "LS1" in there screen names, who own LT1's), and major mods. That would have helped us help you, since no one knew if you even had the "basics" like the CAI and other mods.

I'll repeat what everyone said above.... there are better, more reliable ways to get that HP, but you seem to have already made up your mind that the MAF and TB are going to give you big gains. Tuning the PCM to gain power makes a lot more sense than trying to "trick" it with an MAF with a screwed up calibration.

 

This man here picked up 2-3hp WITH dyno tuning(expensive but often worth it for other mods) on an over 300wrhp car that is an awefully expensive 2-3hp even if you buy one used so listen to him if noone else when he says not to buy one.

 

In one of my issues of camaro magazine they put a Granatelli MAF on a 94 LT1 and got 19rwhp and 22foot lbs of torque. I had the dyno sheet and everything. Who knows it could be B.S. or not. Like I said I already have all the other free mods for the most part and I'm just trying to find a few more. For some reason MAF's and throttle bodies are a touchy subject because some people swear by them and others absolutly hate them,

 

That question was asked a few weeks ago, I was involved in that thread actually and brought up that point. I asked how could this be a bad mod if it shows real dyno gains at the wheels. Someone told me that what they do is do a baseline test in very non-ideal conditions, high heat and humidity, maybe pull some timing, or run a car that is out of tune. Then they correct all those variables as well as slap on the ADVERTISED part and boom, you have big numbers all of the sudden and a bunch of these 300.00 parts are going out the door.

 

Some of the people doing custom tunes don't like aftermarket MAFs. I know my tuner specifically said he preferred working with the GM MAF even though I was quite willing to spend the extra $$ on an aftermarket MAF. If you do buy an aftermarket MAF, you may find yourself switching back to stock later.