benji's_z28

i read in the jegs mag. and was reading about the MAF for the lt1/lt1 stuff. and they said the ls1s can get like 15 hp and it said that an lt1 could get even more hp. just wondering if that maf would really make that big of difference or if its just a scam. thanks guys

2000GTP

The aftermarket MAFs are not what they are hyped to be and will not produce the gains that they claim.

dangalla

your stock maf is fine, i would highly recommend not changing it unless you have a problem and even then i would replace it with a stock unit

94zgreenmachine

and don't pull off the screen. I did a long time ago and could kick myself for doing so. I now have a bit of a stumble in my idle. Not terrible but enough to irritate.

VinceTrifecta

Here's the deal on aftermarket MAFs (that claim to improve horsepower numbers): The ones I have tuned on "lie" to the computer about the amount of airflow going into the engine. They tell the PCM there is less airflow, particularly at high air flow ranges correlating to wide open throttle. They do this because everybody knows that GM tunes their motors too rich at wide open throttle and most power gains come from leaning them out.

An aftermarket MAF I tuned on recently leaned out the fuel mixture a full point. E.g. the stock tune AFR was at 11.76, and with the aftermarket MAF installed it was 12.76 at the tailpipe.

On a bone stock vehicle, these typically will improve power. When used in conjunction with custom tuning they yield no improvement at all (at least relating to fuel ratio adjustment) because a custom tuner is going to lean out the fuel mixture using a different mechanism.

As a tuner I do not recommend aftermarket MAFs because they do not measure airflow consistently. You can get a custom tune for less then what the aftermarket MAFs cost, and in addition to the gains from correcting fuel mixture, you also get the benefits of an optimized timing curve and all the other goodies that come along with custom tuning. I *might* be a little biased though. ;-)

If custom tuning is in the plans, stick with the factory MAF. I'd also recommend not removing the screen, either. Without custom tuning, sometimes removing the screen will improve power because again the MAF looks like it is flowing less air then it actually is. This can cause the MAF to read airflow inconsistently and in some cases makes it impossible to adjust the air to fuel ratio in the computer accurately.

shoebox

The LT1 and LS1 MAF are now the same as far as a replacement goes. The part numbers were merged a while back.

PWR SHFT

How much are new MAFs?

VinceTrifecta

I bought a remanufactured MAF at the autoparts store for $185. I also bought a working unit from a wrecking yard for $40.

Unless they get physically damaged, they are usually pretty reliable.

PWR SHFT

Cool, thanks.

slomarao

yeah the consensus you ll get around here is stay with a stock unit. Unless you have a FI engine thats maxing it out. Otherwise dont screw with it, you ll regret it like me and others.