StangEatsRice

Leave it or take it out?

lizzyfan

Leave it...........

undecided.steve

Leave it, but clean it on occasion.

97tplsGT

[:-][:-][:-] woops, when i put my cai on, the screen just wouldnt fit, to thick to bolt up with the screen, so i left it off, no probs so far, keeping fingers crossed now......

LX90

I had to take mine out when I put my BBK CAI on, it wouldn't fit with it. I haven't had any problems with removing it, but some people say their car's idle like S*** without it. I'm not really sure what it does, some say it changes the way the air flows through the intake, kind of like one of those stupid Tornado things, other people say it's just a screen to keep things out of the intake. Either way, I had to remove it to get my intake to fit and I've had no problems so far, and it's been about a year.

mustang_pa

took mine out, why leave it if i have a after marketair filter, just adds to the rescrictive flow of air. imo

cliffyk

It is there to straighten the flow through the MAF, and is not necessary IF you have the OEM airbox, or an aftermatket intake that has a more or less symmetricalcone feeding the MAF (like the OEM airbox), or has at least 6" or straight pipe before the MAF.[/align][/align]If your intake has an elbow or other uneven flow inducing whatever (like an internal step or something) then you may experience surging at load revs and loads, a lumpy idle, and maybe even throw codes P0172 and P0175 (too rich Bank1 or 2). This is the straight dope, been there and done it wih my '03 GT and a couple other 4.6L GTs--on onem using a K&N drop-in and removing the screen, triggered the MILs. Putting the screen back (ora paper filter without the screen) produced no DTCs...[/align][/align]

97targa

If you have the factory air box you NEED it! Look at your maf where it's mounted to the factory airbox and there's probably an 1/8" slot all the way around where dirt can get into your engine! It's a necessary spacer that sdeals that up!

97modifiedmustangGT

I still have mine in and I have an intake, and a MAF and still have mine in. Every time I have to take it apart that screen is a bitch to get in. Maybe that is why you guys say it doesn't fit?? It just doesn't seem to line up right. Do you guys think I would be fine without it??

gill7784

Yes, you can take it out without worries. I don't run one, and many others don't either. Personally, I think its a redundancy from the factory. It appears to do absolutely nothing other than catch particulate matter that may make it past your air filter.