I got a 1994 z28.. my question is, the maf sensor's screen (the honeycomb like figure) in the unit has a couple small screwdriver jabs .. looks like someone wanted to take it off and when unloosening the clamps they sliipped and hit the screen.. it closed and bent a couple of the holes.. will this cause it to run weird or any different? also can you descreen it? lastly, even if the maf sensor doesnt look dirty is it a good idea to clean it anyways.. i have yet to clean it....Thanks, daylen

 

The screen is there to promote uniform air flow/velocity across the full cross-section of the sensor. Removing it is easy on your 94... no need to jab it with a screwdriver. There is a spring ring behind that you can pry out, and the screen will fall right out. Later years do not have the spring ring, and people tend to hack the screen up to remove it.

Removing it fully causes a maldistribution of air flow across the sensor, and alters the calibration of the sensor. In some cases, it has no affect at all, in other cases it causes rough idle and even a loss of fuel economy, at least based on the posts I've read. My recommendation would be to leave it in. The exception would be if you had a very straight and symetrical air intake system, like the LT1 WS6 or the LS1 engines have. GM took the screen out of the later year C5 Z06 engines, and picked up 5HP. But they had a very clean, symetric air intake, not a distorted/bent air tube into the sensor, and a 90-deg bend out of the sensor to the throttle body.

If you have a couple holes in the screen it probably will not hurt anything. If there are areas where the flow is being blocked by loose pieces of the screen, it would probably be a trim away the torn pieces.