mity2, I know we have been talking via PM, and I welcome others to chime in too, but I thought I would give you a little more background.
Here is what it does. The unit uses the stock MAF electronics which are calibrated for the car already. The MAF sensor sits in a larger sample tube and the MAF is larger all together. This results in more air, however, the MAF electonics still thinks that the stock MAF is on the car. As a result, it gets tricked. The car's A/F then leans out. The more lean your run, the more power you make...to an extent. This device has been said to lean as much as 30% on some cars from stock. Mine was at 29% as I later found out.
There are those that swear by this thing and a few, like me, who have pulled it. Best bet with this C&L MAF is to have the car dyno tuned. I have seen very promising results on cars that have done this. I think the last one i saw claimed 23 rwhp. I am adding NO2, so I wanted my stock MAF back on.
Don't bother screwing with the MAF unless you're pegging the stock one, which isn't going to happen unless you get a supercharger. The stock one isn't that restrictive.
Any power they make is based on them leaning the car out.
I got mine at a ridiculous discount so I thought I could benefit from the leaner mixture but it went way too lean and it now sits in my closet until I get my tune after the heads and such go on. I may need it sometime down the road when I get my shortblock put in( so I can make some real powah). IMO - you don't need it, I would spend my money on a plenum/tb or good cold air like K&N or desencharger.
Don't bother screwing with the MAF unless you're pegging the stock one, which isn't going to happen unless you get a supercharger. The stock one isn't that restrictive.
Any power they make is based on them leaning the car out.
I yanked my C&L 85mm from my 02 GT until I can get the SCT retuned, but my wife's 01 GT still has the C&L 80mm. I was already quite lean from my original SCT tune, then I added all the induction pieces listed in my sig. Then I got paranoid!
1 - After market MAF's are not needed unless the stock one is maxed out - TRUE
2 - The C&L MAF Kit functions by causing the car to run more lean. As a result, an N/A car will see more hp, not from more air, but from the leaner mixture.
Do you guys see the difference between 1 and 2? The C&L does not fit the normal rules.
Signed,
A guy who took his out due to being too lean and not getting a dyno tune.