Question:

 

My 86 XT-GL uses a vane style MAF. I just picked up a nice, large, conical air filter off eBay ($4) and a heat shield to go with it ($10). What do I need to to in order to affix the new filter to my engine, given the vane style MAF?

Use your immagination - take a trip to home depot, and check out the plumbing isle.....

 

GD

Not sure if I have the vane-style MAF or not ('92 Loyale SPFI), but a MAF adaptor from a 1991-1999 Nissan Sentra 1.6L bolted right up. Works awesome!

hey samo, with this mass airflow sensor from the sentra do you use the wiring too, or just the piece that the filter connects to¿

 

sounds interesting.

Gregg, welcome to the board. As you are a bit new pleas excuse the...

The one problem you are going to have (unless you somehow use the existing air box) is supporting the MAF. As it is now the air box is the support. You can add a bracket down to the frame.

You will need an elbow with a sharp 90 deg turn to miss the inner fender. If you would like I can send you some pictures of my varrious creations or goto http://www.subspeed.com/

He sells a rather expensive adapter, but it may give you an idea.

Here is an experimental version but the MAF to turbo pipe needs changed as shown to set the MAF back.

You can see the bracket though.

One small warning though, these style MAF's do like a volume of air in front of them. That is why the air box is configed like it is, I believe.

I learned this using the above prototype. My filter is now mounted in the area between the inner fender and fender.

Hope this helps some.

(Doom please, instead of post trampling - you might try to PM Samo )

One problem you may run into is that the 85-86 MAF has a sqare/rectanfular opening. the 87+ Hotwire has a slightly larger round hole. Whatever adfapter you use must take that into account.

 

I have seen adapters at autozone that will bolt on to our MAFs, but I don't know how well they will seal againct the square/rectangular Vane style.

Originally posted by MaroonDuneDoom

hey samo, with this mass airflow sensor from the sentra do you use the wiring too, or just the piece that the filter connects to¿

 

sounds interesting.

 

Just the piece that the filter connects to. Mine's a little black plastic piece. But, if you have the square opening, the Sentra MAF adaptor won't work well.

Think it would be difficult to replace the vane MF with a hot wire MAF, if I could locate a rather inexpensive one someplace? I'm sure I could have my under-the-counter mechanic fab something or other, but I'd rather do this myself.

Sorry, Gregg, the operating principles are totally different. Yours is basiclly a potentiometer (variable resistor) the hot wire MAF is a wheatstone bridge (resistance changing due to temperature variation)

If you would care to learn more about the two different types of air flow sensors please see

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h34.pdf

 

You would need to change the ECU. wiring harness and various sensors.

A wee bit more involved than bodging an adapter for your new filter.

It looks like I'm back to plan A: fabbing something. My GF's dad jokingly suggested duct tape. Maybe I'll run by the auto parts store on Sunday...

 

Anyone here have experience with adding a cone filter to a vane MAF?

I think I read here sometime back of someone useing an ABS rain gutter downspout, the square type. Take some measurements first.

Rob

Off the the hardware store I go. My GF is goin to think I'm bastante loco, but the feeling of cruising down an open highway at 90+ with a BMW and an Eclipse Spyder makes it worth it

The trip to Home Depot did it. Cut some sheet metal for a downspout to fit the MAF, used duct tape (until I can find something better) to attach a 3" diameter dry duct elbow, and affixed my cone filter and heat shield to that. She pulls like a dream, sounds mean, and runs smoother than before.