volume of air question

[4x4fun]

i know there prolly not a real answer to this but just want your two cents

i see alot of upgrades to the maf and tb out there to get more air.

my question is the intake really that restrictive,

i just got the K&N air intake system today, adn the guy said the dia were the maf goes in is necked down to stock, were the other larger ones need to be reprogramed.

my plan for the truck is

exhaust....done
intake .......with in the week.
ud pullies...... a month or so
1.7 rolling rockers by the end of the summer.
maybe reprogramed as an xmas present to my self.

is there any point in my travels were i really need to upgrade the maf and tb

 

[4x4fun]

any body.......

 

[Rearanger]

Unless there is proof that the stock intake is like trying to breath with one nostril blocked, I don't think you'll notice any improvement. Demand for flow is set by the combustion chamber size, rpm and designed flow characteristics down stream of the intake. Changing the upstream side will not increase the downstream requirements.

 

[McCormack]

Theory aside, people (including myself) that have actually done the MAF mod have noticed an increase of the performance of their engines... it's not a huge increase, but it's a noticeable and worthwhile increase.

And over on the RPS site there is a guy that dyno'd his truck before and after he swapped out his stock MAF for a larger one, and the dyno showed something like a 6 HP increase with the larger MAF.

So yes, apparently the stock 3.0 intake is somewhat restrictive.

 

[4x4fun]

so would that gain be bigger if other mods were done as well

 

[exbass94]

If you're not running at wide open throttle all the time, then don't bother with an intake. The throttle body has a plate that regulates how much air goes into the engine. If you need more airflow, all you have to do is step on the gas pedal some more to open the throttle plate more.

 

[Rearanger]

And over on the RPS site there is a guy that dyno'd his truck before and after he swapped out his stock MAF for a larger one, and the dyno showed something like a 6 HP increase with the larger MAF.

Rpm and throttle position would help to figure out if it's really worth it.

 

[turbo cat]

are you planing to rev the 3.0 higher? Are you planning to increase the compression, slide in a bigger cam, heavily port the truck with gearin gand stall changes. If so go for the bigger maf but with you mods listed i would stick with the oem MAF. What are you tryin gt oachive with the 3.0?

The 6hp increase is pretty small and most of that power was probally picked up i nthe tune not due to the bigger MAF

 

[4x4fun]

What are you trying to achieve with the 3.0?

not really anything i like the mods manly just keeping me busy something to work on. im not looking for a certian HP or anything. just a lil some thing, just to say i have it. i was really just wondering if i do all this.....and im missing out on like 30 hp because i didnt upgrade the maf or TB or some thing like that.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the 3.0 is a revver. it doesnt make its peak power until well over 5,000 RPM, yet, ford thought it'd be "funny" to bolt on a tiny 50MM TB and anemic little runners.

if this motor was tuned to run at lower RPM like a 4.0, itd be fine...but its not. a larger MAF, TB, gasket matching, P&P, and extrude honed intake runners will do nothing but help this engine get the volume it needs at higher RPMs. it may cost you a small amount of power on the lower end of the RPM band...but on a motor than can turn over 3 grand all day long without breaking a sweat, does it really matter?

 

[turbo cat]

If it were me i would save the $$$$$ you have. spend no more aon wasteful boltons and go for the whipplecharger kit. the kit ranges around 2-3000 and will give you gobs of torque and power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiesal_b49M

 

[4x4fun]

thanks for the enthusiasm. lol i dont mind the power of the 3.0l its not gonna be a race truck or anything like that. i just like after noon projects to wrench on and make it mine. the HP is good but im not gonna dyno it when im done. it will be what its gonna be. but looking at whats out there, i didnt want to over look something simple. kinda like "while you took all this apart" you should change this $30 part so you dont have to undo it all again for a future mod.
ill prolly never reprogram it. unless its %100 ness but its always nice to have a wish list.
if that makes any scene

 

[McCormack]

In stock form the 3.0 is indeed a revver, but I did the hot water bypass, did the MAF mod, took out the restrictive air box silencer, threw in a 180 degree thermostat, and converted to an electric radiator fan, and now I have just about all the low-end torque that I want. Without a tune. And with no pinging. Is it as good as a big block V-8? Well no, it is still only a smallish 3.0 liter engine after all, but I rarely finding myself wishing for more torque, and what I really like is that out on the highway my truck isn't constantly locking and unlocking the torque converter like it used to.

And BTW, the 6 rear-wheel HP* gained with a simple MAF swap is a significant gain (especially if it's low-end hp) in an engine that only puts out a true 120 RWHP to start with.
*Actually, if I recall the number was closer to 8 RWHP, and that was without a tune. I'll research it and report back.

I always laugh when guys poo-poo the idea of opening up or swapping out MAFs and the other mods that can be done to the 3.0 engine, because it usually turns out that they're speaking from what theory says should and shouldn't be, and they have absolutely zero real-world experience with doing those types of mods to their own vehicles. But they'll fight with you tooth and nail and tell you that those types of mods can't possibly work!
Before offering up advice on a particular subject it would be nice if every now and then the nay-sayers had some actual hands-on experience in regard to the advice they're offering up.

 

[4x4fun]

i talked to mike (maybe) the guy that answers the phone when you call underdog performance he said that if you increast the size of the maf you have to reprogram it, untrue

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the PCM can usually compensate for changes to the stock MAF housing. if you swap your MAF for a larger one from another vehicle, it will have to be reprogrammed for your particular number of cylinders and injector ratings.