MAF unit distance to throttle body?

[kclo4]

How far away does the MAF sensor unit need to be away from the throttle body?

I want to build a custom short ram intake that routes where the wiper fluid reservoir sits and under the passenger side headlight and mounting the MAF unit will need to be part of the design.

If the distance is significantly changed does the ECU need to modified or some such? The air flow should be very close to the same all throughout any passageway, but the air temperature and density may not be.

Thanks for any help.

[[Zero-S]]

Seeing as how the volume of air being sucked into the engine shouldn't change, the maf doesn't need to be too far away from the tb

All the maf measures is volume flowing across it.

[benemorius]

Only thing is that the maf uses heat to determine the amount of air flowing through it. An external heat source close enough may goof it up. I doubt it, but I'm just throwing in my 1.8 cents.

[i2ice4m3]

if you're going to shorten the maf wires when you relocate it, i'm wondering if the difference in length will change the signal from the mafs to the ecu from less resistance in the shorter wires. Probably not enough to make a difference..but can anyone confirm that it should be all gravy?

and kcl, what will your custom intake be made of?

[kclo4]

I don't plan on shortening any wires, and a foot or so would be a fraction of an ohm, so there isn't going to be much difference.

I dunno what I will make the intake out of yet. I was thinking about PVC. The guy who did the custom short ram on the installs section of the website used some PVC fittings. I am planning on going all the way through to the front end though. I will be doing some more research on materials I have access to.

[navysnail]

the only problem you may have is the pipe stabilizing the air, what i mean by this is that the air doesnt flow constaintly, it flows in pulses as the valves for each cylinder open, if it is too close, it wont have enough of a "buffer" effect and the MAF may send a very distorted and unstable signal.

[[Zero-S]]

Read up on 240sx.org about the custom short ram on the diy section. Pretty good improvement over the stock airbox.

This is assuming that 240sx.org is still up.

edit: Click

[kclo4]

That would be the article in the installs section on the website that I was refering too.

Mine will likely be similar except I want to go under the headlight.

[EstoMax]

yea i have a shortram setup myself too

like this:

i had to extend the MAF wire almost a foot though cause i couldnt get it out of the main harness, but the car runs great so far

max

[kclo4]

Nice Estomax. How did you extend the MAF wires? Any closeup pics of that?

Did you get another plug and make an extention, or hack and solder it?

How does the car feel? Lose any top end or bottom end?

[EstoMax]

didnt really feel anything power wise, but the air there is much colder then on the other side of the engine after lifting up the hood while the engine has been running, so it helps in some way.

i didnt take any pics of the maf wire but i just cut em and then put new wire in the middle, crimped it.. simple.. i didnt solder

max

[msaskin]

The problems can come from turbulence in the airflow screwing up the MAFs ability to register flow values. If the MAF is too close to the TB (or to any bends in piping) then the airflow can become turbulent = problem.

Try to keep it about 8" away from the TB and away from any major bends and you'll be OK.

~matt