extremely frustrated
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 420
From: Long Island USA
Anything that doesn't leave a residue.
Usually, brake cleaner is what I use. It doesn't harm the plastic, nor the o-ring. Brake cleaner is a perchlorethane, or trichlorethane, like dry-cleaning fluid.
But if what you have doesn't leave anything behind when it evaporates, it should be OK - within reason - no matter what, I'd check it on plastic just to see what happens. Some stuff like throttle body cleaner might have Xylol (xylene) and that melts plastic.
Carb cleaner has Xylol in it too...
Usually, brake cleaner is what I use. It doesn't harm the plastic, nor the o-ring. Brake cleaner is a perchlorethane, or trichlorethane, like dry-cleaning fluid.
But if what you have doesn't leave anything behind when it evaporates, it should be OK - within reason - no matter what, I'd check it on plastic just to see what happens. Some stuff like throttle body cleaner might have Xylol (xylene) and that melts plastic.
Carb cleaner has Xylol in it too...
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 420
From: Long Island USA
Uh, on my SD, it was pretty interesting... it's in the air box piece AFTER the filter. Take the hose off, and remove the housing. I don't remember exactly how to get it out, I remember an internal piece having to be taken out, and then the MAF is bolted down with two anti-tamper Torx screws (the type with the pin in the center of the hole). On mine, one of the brass thread inserts spun in the plastic, so I just shot the MAF as much as I could with the brake cleaner.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Lancaster, CA
well, all I can say is keep your MAF clean!!!! I took that whole assembly apart, the MAF assembly unbolts from the inner intake tube, cleaned it with brake cleaner and airhose. Just a bit of info, air filter was clean n dry but my MAF had all kinds of dirt stuck to it (never looked at it before)!! Anyhow, after the cleaning process, I put the whole thing back together, and no more service engine light, plus it revs quick and fast like my F350 now. I let it sit and idle for about 30 minutes, and revved it pretty hard a 1/2 dozen times. Runs excellent!!! Can't wait to drive it and see if the power improved. Anyhow, looks like I fixed it by a simple cleaning.... Thanks to KREWAT!!!
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 420
From: Long Island USA
I swear, EVERY vehicle with a MAF I'm come across, the MAF was dirty.
My V10's was dirty after 20K miles with paper filters. (ok, more like 60-80K miles worth of air has gone into the motor, but you get the idea).
I now do it as an at-least-yearly maintenance item.
After doing the MAF, and verifying everything is better, reset the PCM - disconnect the battery, turn on the headlights and leave it for a couple of hours. After that, go through the re-learn process. Go on the highway for 20 minutes, stop, go, stop, speed up to 40, down to 20, back up to 60, you get the idea. Drive it around for a week.
That'll let the computer really re-learn everything, including automatic shifts!
My V10 was shifting kinda funny, after the MAF clean, it was fine.
My V10's was dirty after 20K miles with paper filters. (ok, more like 60-80K miles worth of air has gone into the motor, but you get the idea).
I now do it as an at-least-yearly maintenance item.
After doing the MAF, and verifying everything is better, reset the PCM - disconnect the battery, turn on the headlights and leave it for a couple of hours. After that, go through the re-learn process. Go on the highway for 20 minutes, stop, go, stop, speed up to 40, down to 20, back up to 60, you get the idea. Drive it around for a week.
That'll let the computer really re-learn everything, including automatic shifts!
My V10 was shifting kinda funny, after the MAF clean, it was fine.
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Joined: Nov 2006
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When we hear hoofbeats...
I have been reading this thread with interest and it really tells the story of FTE & what it is all about...people helping people solve all sorts of problems with their rides and other situations. You couldn't dream up a fictional story for a perfect example of FTE's value that would be better than this is.
I have nothing constructive to add here since the problem seems to have been solved. But it seems the more we know about "stuff" the greater tendancy we have to shoot right past the more basic solutions to a problem and get to the more technical aspects of the situation.
I had a similar problem with my '89 E-250 years ago. I had had a different engine installed in it (went from 302 to 351 and they didn't have a clue it wouldn't just "drop right in"). I started experiencing driveability problems and was sure it was the engine, especially since there were some previous problems, like a soft drive gear on the new distributor and other problems, I first "thought" fuel pressure since it seemed starved and showed lean codes. I read alot about this van/engine. I learned alot too.
I changed the fuel filter, I changed the high-pressure pump. I swapped in a known good fuel pressure regulator. (The '89's fuel pressure regulator is still in the '97 Crown Vic these several years later.)
Still the problem persisted. Then I finally checked the low pressure pump (in-tank in this vehicle) for volume output and the result was marginal at best. After dropping the gas tank to change that little guy out the problem was gone. There was enough pressure and volume to idle and run around town ok, but not enough for sustained highway driving at 65 mph.
So, why is it when we hear hoofbeats we so often start looking for Zebras rather than the horses common sense tells us are nearby? (I know why, 'cause I didn't want to have to drop that as tank, that's why! ...and it really wasn't all that bad after all.
Some other observations...Wimmer mentioned rusty water in the tank. Rust can only form if there IS water in the tank and we all get water in our gas tanks....
Unless we live in a perpetual arid climate and our gasoline is known to be always free of water. Not many folks can say tyes to the above. Otherwise, we get water in our tanks. And it will collect and collect until it causes a problem. Around here it likes to be problematic when the outdoor temps dip below the low twenties. Ice just doesn't flow well in a fuel line. When that happens you know immediately there is a problem.
But everyone else gets the slow treatment from water problems. That's the rust and crud problem plugging things up slowly. That might take years before it gets like Wimmer's.
When the '85 E-350 351 quit due to a plug of snot in that tiny carb mounted filter, I started using "dry gas" religiously and I added a bigger in-line pre-filter. Then I bought the '77 Louisville in '87 after it had set around for a year or more with only a quarter tank of fuel. I found no less than three or four big Cat-sized fuel filters of water in the system. It was then that I knew this water situation could be a big problem.
Once I found an oil-based product that could be used in diesel or gas engines I quit using alcohol based water dispersants. I have used this type product pretty much consistently ever since in my gasoline cars and vans and my son and Uncle use it in their diesel lawn tractors.
I always know there is little or no water in my gas tank, my injectors are kept clean and fuel deposits are kept to a minimum. (Did you ever see the pictures of the back-side of the intake valve covered with gasoline deposits?)
I'm glad the problem was found. I hope it didn't end up costing too much.
I have nothing constructive to add here since the problem seems to have been solved. But it seems the more we know about "stuff" the greater tendancy we have to shoot right past the more basic solutions to a problem and get to the more technical aspects of the situation.
I had a similar problem with my '89 E-250 years ago. I had had a different engine installed in it (went from 302 to 351 and they didn't have a clue it wouldn't just "drop right in"). I started experiencing driveability problems and was sure it was the engine, especially since there were some previous problems, like a soft drive gear on the new distributor and other problems, I first "thought" fuel pressure since it seemed starved and showed lean codes. I read alot about this van/engine. I learned alot too.
I changed the fuel filter, I changed the high-pressure pump. I swapped in a known good fuel pressure regulator. (The '89's fuel pressure regulator is still in the '97 Crown Vic these several years later.)
Still the problem persisted. Then I finally checked the low pressure pump (in-tank in this vehicle) for volume output and the result was marginal at best. After dropping the gas tank to change that little guy out the problem was gone. There was enough pressure and volume to idle and run around town ok, but not enough for sustained highway driving at 65 mph.
So, why is it when we hear hoofbeats we so often start looking for Zebras rather than the horses common sense tells us are nearby? (I know why, 'cause I didn't want to have to drop that as tank, that's why! ...and it really wasn't all that bad after all.
Some other observations...Wimmer mentioned rusty water in the tank. Rust can only form if there IS water in the tank and we all get water in our gas tanks....
Unless we live in a perpetual arid climate and our gasoline is known to be always free of water. Not many folks can say tyes to the above. Otherwise, we get water in our tanks. And it will collect and collect until it causes a problem. Around here it likes to be problematic when the outdoor temps dip below the low twenties. Ice just doesn't flow well in a fuel line. When that happens you know immediately there is a problem.
But everyone else gets the slow treatment from water problems. That's the rust and crud problem plugging things up slowly. That might take years before it gets like Wimmer's.
When the '85 E-350 351 quit due to a plug of snot in that tiny carb mounted filter, I started using "dry gas" religiously and I added a bigger in-line pre-filter. Then I bought the '77 Louisville in '87 after it had set around for a year or more with only a quarter tank of fuel. I found no less than three or four big Cat-sized fuel filters of water in the system. It was then that I knew this water situation could be a big problem.
Once I found an oil-based product that could be used in diesel or gas engines I quit using alcohol based water dispersants. I have used this type product pretty much consistently ever since in my gasoline cars and vans and my son and Uncle use it in their diesel lawn tractors.
I always know there is little or no water in my gas tank, my injectors are kept clean and fuel deposits are kept to a minimum. (Did you ever see the pictures of the back-side of the intake valve covered with gasoline deposits?)
I'm glad the problem was found. I hope it didn't end up costing too much.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
I just cleaned my MAF sensor, it definitely made an improvement! I just bought the truck with 250K miles on it, and after cleaning the MAF and adjusting the steering lash, the truck drives like new!
CRC makes "electronic parts cleaner", should be available in any auto parts store.
It is kind of a pain to disassemble everything to get to the MAF. If/when I do it again, I'll just split it at the hose-clamp on the downstream side, the air filter disconnect on the upstream side, and spray it right in the engine compartment. The electrical connector for the MAF itself is inside the tube, and really a B***H to get on and off if you have big hands.
CRC makes "electronic parts cleaner", should be available in any auto parts store.
It is kind of a pain to disassemble everything to get to the MAF. If/when I do it again, I'll just split it at the hose-clamp on the downstream side, the air filter disconnect on the upstream side, and spray it right in the engine compartment. The electrical connector for the MAF itself is inside the tube, and really a B***H to get on and off if you have big hands.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Lancaster, CA
just wanted to post a follow-up on my V10 motorhome performance since I cleaned the MAF. It runs excellent!!! I didn't tow the toys this weekend, but me and the kid drove out to the Adelanto, CA GP motocross race. The trip to and from was about 100 miles each way with several medium hills on the way. I pulled those hills at 60 mph no problem. Acceleration from a dead stop is at least 50% better than it use to be. And, no more service engine light! WOOHOO
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F350Scott
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
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May 12, 2009 10:59 AM
