Will I see a huge difference in air flow with the LT1 3" maf & Big Mouth Cold Air kit

[The Darkside]

Just ordered a new LT1 3" maf, a translator plus, extender chip & a Big Mouth Cold Air kit along with a new 3" Mass air pipe. How much of a difference in air flow will I see & feel over my original set up where I was using the original GM maf and with my K&N under the hood?

Does the fact that the extender chip will now let your maf read up to 512 instead of the 255 make that much difference ? If so, please explain why?

Since I decided on going with the LT1 3" sensor, did I make a mistake in not going with the LS1 3.5 sensor? Would it really have made that much difference ?

Will the 3" sensor & 3" mass air pipe become a bottle neck coming from the 4" big mouth cold air system?



The Darkside

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by The Darkside
Just ordered a new LT1 3" maf, a translator plus, extender chip & a Big Mouth Cold Air kit along with a new 3" Mass air pipe. How much of a difference in air flow will I see & feel over my original set up where I was using the original GM maf and with my K&N under the hood?

Does the fact that the extender chip will now let your maf read up to 512 instead of the 255 make that much difference ? If so, please explain why?

Since I decided on going with the LT1 3" sensor, did I make a mistake in not going with the LS1 3.5 sensor? Would it really have made that much difference ?

Will the 3" sensor & 3" mass air pipe become a bottle neck coming from the 4" big mouth cold air system?



The Darkside

Not sure how much difference in air flow you'll see, since I don't know how closely you monitor your actual airflow. There will be a marked improvement though!!! And you will feel the difference in a better, quicker spool up, and more pull on the big end. Horsepower = MPH, and that's where you'll see it.

Yes, it makes a difference that you can read past 255. Now, instead of the MAF stopping at 255 and the motor being at the mercy of your fuel calibration guess work in the chip's PE tables, it will read whatever airflow you generate, and deliver the fuel needed. No real need for Power Enrichment tables, matter of fact they're not really used in that setup. Not needed.

As for making a mistake getting the 3" instead, well that kind of depends on what you're future plans might be. For now you're OK. IF at some point you want to start pushing deeeeeep into the 11's or quicker, a 3.5" might be a better choice.

Wont really be a bottle neck, still has to get through the turbo compressor inlet. You only need to be slightly bigger than that opening, as it's still all on the suction side of the turbo. The incredible increase in flow the LT1 has over the stock plastic MAF will be a big start!

Plus all the new features of the Extender chip

 

[The Darkside]

Turbo Dave,

Thanks for the reply!!!Before with my prior set up, the maf would always peg out @ 255 really quick. I guess that means that now being able to surpass 255, I'll see a positive difference in that area at least

I plan on doing the bell mouth thing to the maf & removing the screen also, so that should help alot too I hope!!!

As far as what you're saying about the turbo inlet being only 3", so it'll have to bottle down to that anyway, does that mean unless you're running a turbo that has a bigger than 3" inlet , you'll see no real performance gains by using a bigger mass air pipe or even a 3.5" maf?




The Darkside

 

[blackbuick87]

You got it

 

[The Darkside]

OK, What size turbo's have a bigger than 3" inlet , or what's the biggest turbo you can run that comes with the 3" inlet?




The Darkside

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by blackbuick87
You got it

I really must disagree. Simply because anything you can do to improve airflow before the turbo will enhance the breathing. Just because the turbo is x.x" size doesn't mean you won't see an improvement by increasing the size or flow capabililities of items in front of the turbo.

It was very easy to document precise improvements at the track by do nothing more than changing from the stock MAF to and LT1 MAF, and then up to the LS1 MAF.

Trust me, there was marked improvement in each step of the way.

You will absolutely gain by improving things in front of the turbo. To what degree depends.

 

[blackbuick87]

OK Dave so what did you gain my going from a 3" MAF to a 3.5"? They should have almost the same driveability so what perf gain is there? 1 tenth? 1 mph? Either way the airflow is still corked at the smallest point, which will be the compressor wheel

 

[azgn]

I'm guessing my coneless, screenless stock maf flows as well as either of the Chebby maf's (maybe better)

think Steve might agree (MaxEffort).... the little neckdown from the 4" cold air (bit of a Venturi?) doesn't hurt either

there are a couple of ways to skin a cat

 

[salvageV6]

Betcha Steve would also say NO MAF flows even better.

They were all flowed a few years back don't know who has the links and info. ???

 

[azgn]

well, maybe, but I think flow isn't the issue............

we'll be tryin' the nomaf this winter (72's first....)

(bet when they did the flow tests they didn't have a "Steve" style gutted stocker )

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by azgn
I'm guessing my coneless, screenless stock maf flows as well as either of the Chebby maf's (maybe better)

think Steve might agree (MaxEffort).... the little neckdown from the 4" cold air (bit of a Venturi?) doesn't hurt either

there are a couple of ways to skin a cat

Can't argue much with that point, gut the plastic piece out, and there's not much left but a hole
Some of us like what we've got however.

Both systems probably are about on equal footing performance wise, flow, etc.

I'm just not ready to go full open loop. I like the control that closed loop operation affords me, especially with radically changing weather/altitude conditions, etc.

As for gains from 3" to 3.5", it was very close to .10 and 1mph, possibly slightly more, but documented .10 and 1mph.

Maybe my car responds differently, but I CAN tell the difference in driveability between the two. The car just responds a little better with the 3.5"

BTW, both my 3" and 3.5" are screenless but not machined.