ok I know it means Mass Air Flow sensor but what does it actually do and how much horsepower do it add if any??

also what is the best brand? what about grantelli or how ever it is spelled

 

I wouldn't even mess with the MAF, it lets the computer know how much air is coming into the engine, and uses that information to calculate how much fuel should be used.....someone correct me if I'm wrong..

 

if you look in the maf you can see the little metal sensors, those heat up to like 250 degrees F. and the air cools it down and that helps it read how much air is going through the maf.. and ported ones are not good because it throws off the sensor because there is more air going in than what it actually reads...

 

stock MAF sensors are good up to like 500-600 HP. MAF mods yeild such little gain, and actually most of the time end up losing power, cause the car to be harder to tune and ect. MAF mods are also not liked too much by A4's. Take that money and buy something else.

 

98s respond well to the MAF mod, I picked up more than a tenth in my 98, and so did the three others who ported the MAFs on their 98s on the same day as me, and two of those cars were A4s.

It seems that 99-02s don't often see as good of a result though.

 

98, sorry this is off topic but if you're looking for a set of center bolt VALVE COVERS i have a set in the shop. they're painted red, but can be easily cleaned up. i'll sand'em down if you'd like if you're interested in them. let me know. thanks

Matt

 

well the "98s respond well to the MAF mod" must hold true.

I have had NO problems after using Tbyrne MAF ends on my 98. My A-tap #s look good. I have heard over and over of many people having problems from this mod though.

Like everyone has said, the money could be much better spent on other things.

good luck.

 

the MAF is a sensor, and there is no reason to modify the sensor, to give false readings to the computer.

There are 2 ways to tune, the right way, with changes in the computer. and the wrong way, by modifying what the comptuer sees.

There is NO reason to port a maf, for longterm benefits. (under 450rwhp)

Ryan.

 

I have a 2001 Z28 and I modified my MAF sensor. I could hear and feel a small difference. But the way I did it took some time. Basically I removed the MAF sensor housing and seperated it. Then I took a hack saw to the rear peice and took out the aluminum post. Then I used a dremel to smooth out the rough cuts. But the front is where it got a little tricky. DO NOT remove the steel mesh. It is there to straighten out the airflow that the sensors measure. This is the mistake I think that most people make. I used a dremel once again to remove the aluminum post on the front side of the MAF housing and smoothed it out like the back. It took some time but I think it was worth it.

 

No offense, but your butt-o-meter isn't feeling the small HP gains from a MAF mod.

 

In conjuction with my SLP air lid, K&N, and Magnaflow exhaust system I do think the the throttle response did improve.

 

so basically the answer is leave it alone..it can cause a problem and results are not worth it.

 

Money and time is better spent elsewhere

 

I've had friends mod their MAFs before, and much like this thread, the '98s seemed to respond to it, whereas other years didn't respond as well... V6s dont respond well, either, from my experience... different cars like different mods... some pick up 2hp from a lid, other pick up 10-12hp... its a trial and error deal... I have ported MAF ends on my '02, and, when combined with the lid, it really did make a difference at low end... if you find one cheap, and want to experiment, go for it... what's the worst that could happen? your car wouldn't like it and you'd just take it off and sell it to someone else...