Yes, they'll no longer be able to serve their purpose.

 

Althought it is not advised for you to "clean" the MAF elements both Air Intake/Throttle Body cleaner and The Electric Parts cleaner do work. We generally use the Berryman's Air Intake cleaner here at the shop and then use a little air to blow it dry, obviously not at full pressure. I'd personally leave the screen in and just disassemble the unit to clean it. There's always the huge arguement over wether descreening the MAF is good or bad. I've run car's both ways and unless you have a wild motor or forced induction I haven't seen a benefit to descreening it. Also if you're using a q-tip its generally better to soak or wet it with cleaner before using it, prevents lent or small strands of cotton from getting stuck on the sensor.

 

sorry to wake up an old thread but I have something to share here:

I've made measurements back then and found that the idle suffers; the screen seems to align the air flow and helps consistency in reading. They are definitely more steady with the screen in. Now, this is only true at idle and not anymore as soon as the air flow is high enough. So, my vote is no screen

 

can somone please tell me where to locate my MAF? I am going to try and clean today.. Being that i live in the UK there is no chance that i am going to let a englishman touch my 99Z28... Not happening. Thanks in advance! Maybe anyone have any pics? Ya know dumb it down for me.

 

that's easy:
you look at the top of the engine, that's the intake; at the front, there is a rubber bellow that does a 90 degree turn (unless you have a ram-air car) and, as you follow it, you will reach a 1 inch wide metal device sandwiched between the rubber and the air intake: that's the MAF

 

He has a 99 Z28 (ended up in the wrong fourm because he used the "search" and found this old thread).... doesn't have a 90-deg elbow. There's an air filter box sitting on top of the radiator support. The MAF is between the outlet of the air filter box, and the throttle body.

Dead center in this photo:

 

SORRY DUDE BUT I WORK AT AN AUTOPARTS WAREHOUSE AND THERE IS A MASS AIR FLOW CLEANER OUT THERE

CRC DOES HAVE ONE AND BERRYMAN ALSO HAS ONE (THE SAME BRAND THAT MAKES B-12 CARB CLEANER)

 

.....and you just commented on a quote from 2 years ago.

 

I EAT T/A has not signed in since 5/28/07.