How much will this hurt my SHO?

[Blank-Disk]

Last week I figured out that i have a bad MAF, and it's cut my power down to about 120-140hp. I've been keeping it connected though, under the assumption that it's better to have a bad MAF than no MAF. Having just lost a race to a Focus zx3 (stayed right next to him the WHOLE time), and feeling totally imasculated, I gotta ask which is worse, a bad MAF or No MAF. If I disconnect it, it's got more power, but the comptuer is deffinatly doing a lot of guess work. Witht eh MAF connected, it lags and hesitates and shakes the car and drives me up the wall. So either way I'm in a bad mood. So for the car's sake, which will do less damage in the long run untill I can afford a new MAF?

 

[SHOtimer]

Hey, so you found the problem eh? . I had a bad MAF, I bought a 'rebuilt' Autozone 'MAF'. It prolly isn't the fastest thing in the world, but it was equivilant to the OEM one, and the car was much better afterward. I don't remember it being too pricy.

In answer to your acual question, I'm not sure which is easier on the car. I would assume unplugged because it is running in default mode, and won't do any damage like that except a CE light. Better than making the engine run incorrectly and like crap. My .02

Doug

 

[oh_SHO]

I am not sure either. Did you try to clean the MAF? Only the price of contact cleaner and security torx...

 

[AutoSHO]

Chances are the car is running lean with the MAF plugged in, so unplugging it will probably be better for it in the long run.

Have you tried cleaning your MAF ?

 

[Blank-Disk]

yeah i did try cleaning it. I even went so far as to bomb it with Motorcraft Brake cleaner (used it to clean my intake manifold), and not a damn difference. I'd like to stick to Ford parts, but are there any equally good aftermarket ones?

 

[SHOtimer]

I replaced mine with an Autozone one, it seems to be equivalent to the stock one, but I'm not sure. My SHO is still fast, well uhm..ha it was before my rod spun..... But, I am swapping a new motor and it should be good.

Doug

 

[blk\blk90]

I bought one off a 3.8 t-bird in a junk yard for 5 bux.

 

[shofun93]

there are several up on ebay right now. Just buy one there or go to the junk yard, and pick one up for $5-10.

 

[Blank-Disk]

Unfortunatly out here in the Desert junked SHOs are hard to come by. They don't jsut rust out and fall apart down here. I've gone to almost every junk yard in Albuquerque (there's a LOT) and only found two, both silver gen1's and were 100% looted of anything good.

 

[blk\blk90]

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=35289
There's a list of maf's that will work at the bottom.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

I've got one in my '90, email me your address and a couple dollars or something...