intake screen

[JimN696]

This may seem like an obvious question, but I am a carburetor man living in a fuel injected world:
Today I decided to clean out the air box in the SHO and pulled out the filter to find lots of crud in the bottom. On the rubber inlet hose there is what looks like an insect screen. Is that the air sensor or is it just a screen to protect the intake hose? I touched it with my cleaning rag and it was dirty (it got shiny where the rag hit it) What should I clean that with?

 

[luigisho]

That's the MAF-mass airflow sensor. I'm not sure why there is a screen there (maybe just extra protection for debris) because on other Ford maf's there isn't one. You should be able to clean it with about anything. Just be very careful not to douse the electrodes protruding from the electrical connector on top into the small round casting.

 

[sdpatt]

Yes, it is just a final protection against a poorly fitted filter box lid. The screen is held in place by a large C-clip and can be cleaned with intake cleaner. While you are in there, you can gently spray the MAF filaments to clean them off.

<small>[ March 30, 2002, 03:56 AM: Message edited by: sdpatt ]</small>

 

[jcostantino]

Yup... the screen does nothing but protect what's further down the inlet of the MAF. Use a security (with a hole in the center) Torx T-20 bit to remove the MAF element _CAREFULLY!!!_ and spray its two elements with some contact cleaner. If you have a K&N filter, you may have some oil on the elements from over-oiling (like I did). Never hurts to be extra clean..

Some have hypothisized that since this was one of the first Ford MAF-equipped cars that the screen is to keep the bolts to the MAF from being ingested but I've taken my MAF off to clean it and those bolts don't come off without a fight!

Jeff

 

[whfla1]

jcostantino:
Yup... the screen does nothing but protect what's further down the inlet of the MAF. Use a security (with a hole in the center) Torx T-20 bit to remove the MAF element _CAREFULLY!!!_ and spray its two elements with some contact cleaner. If you have a K&N filter, you may have some oil on the elements from over-oiling (like I did). Never hurts to be extra clean..

Some have hypothisized that since this was one of the first Ford MAF-equipped cars that the screen is to keep the bolts to the MAF from being ingested but I've taken my MAF off to clean it and those bolts don't come off without a fight!

Jeff

did u ever find out who stole your part off your car ?....iv'e been keeping a lookout for sho's in coral springs ..however as usual i have seen none !

 

[sdpatt]

While disassembling the intake tract of a SHO to perform the valve gap adjustment, I found the air filter box lid to be improperly attached and the screen covered with dead bugs and dry leaves. The screen is a final barrier to keep engine damaging debris out of the cylinders. The bolts would just fall to the top of the filter element since they would probably be too dense to be sucked in by the airflow.

Scott

 

[jcostantino]

whfla1:
did u ever find out who stole your part off your car ?....iv'e been keeping a lookout for sho's in coral springs ..however as usual i have seen none !

Not yet.. probably won't ever either but I've got an alarm and a hood lock now. Are you in coral springs too? I've only seen two SHO's around here outside of mine... both green gen 2's.. one is parked by a shopping center daily so I assume the owner works there and the other I haven't seen for a while... has aftermarket exhaust of some kind.. I wasted him on the way to work from a stoplight but that was a year ago.

Jeff

<small>[ March 30, 2002, 04:46 PM: Message edited by: jcostantino ]</small>

 

[Shoman594]

I have heard of people taking these screens out to get more performance...

 

[stevetatro]

Some have hypothesized that the screen may actually break up the airflow a little, into little tiny airflows if you will, and actually provides the MAF sensor with more accurate air to gauge. Sounds like a load of bull, but who knows.

Regardless, it obviously wasn't part of the design with the 80mm MAF used on the Gen3 SHO. I have a hard times believing that airbox miraculously seals much better than the V6, but who knows!

Later,

 

[AutoXSHO]

Haven't we been through this? The 55mm MAF bolts to the airbox from the inside. If one of the screws were to back out there is a possibility that it could get sucked into the motor - were it not for the screen.

The 80mm MAF has no such mounting problem.

John V