Modding the MAF

[T45]

Anyone have experience dismantling the maf and installing it into 3.5" aluminum intake tubing? I broke mine and need to hack it to make it work in my intake tube. I can't afford another one.

[Q45tech]

Junkyard MAF are only ~~ $50. The screen [and its position] is necessary to straighten air to achieve decent calibration.

[T45]

I understand. I checked pick-n-pull yesterday and found a Q but the TB and MAF were gone. Some KA-T kid must have picked them up. I did find out that the entire VH would only cost me $185.00 if I pulled it.

My intake tube is pretty long and straight. I don't think I'll have any turbulence that will affect it that bad. I'll probably have 8 inches of straight tube before and after sensor.

[elwesso]

You'd still probably want a screen there. Theres a reason why the nissan engineers put it there, and I'm assuming they know more about turbulent compressible fluid flow than I do.

[Carl H]

you'll atleast want to maintain the front screen, my rear screen was damaged on my z maf so i removed it...didnt change anything but the front screen would for sure.

[qsiguy]

How do we "know" the screen is there to straighten the air flow? Maybe it's just there to keep junk from touching the sensor... Are we just assuming it's function because Tech says so or is there some technical data from Infiniti/Nissan confirming this? If you just need a screen to evenly distribute the air across the sensor about any mesh screen should work. It's possible it just smooths out turbulence in the air flow.

Need to wire up a MAF to a meter or o-scope and blow through it with a leaf blower and read output with and without the screen. Also with various bends and straight tubing combinations to see how it is effected. Hmm, might have to try that. I have a spare MAF that's missing the screen.

[Carl H]

tbh i left the screen in because i didnt want forign objects crashing into the maf if they got in there.

[T45]

I'm not worried about anything getting into my intake. That's what the filter is for. I'm just worried about the tubing I'm installing the sensor into being too big. A few mm bigger can throw my AFR off too much.