There has been alot of talk about cleaning the MAF sensor when a K&N air filter is used. With 50,000 miles since last clean of the K&N, I thought it might be a good idea to check the MAF sensor on my 96 Ranger 4.0L for oily residue. My question is, how to remove the MAF for cleaning? After disconnecting the harness and removing the air intake tube, it seems that the MAF is removed from the inside of the intake tube. Is this correct? I don't see how to access the MAf from outside the intake tube. I see the wires entering the intake tube but no way to remove the MAF from outside. The MAF, I think, is within the air tube insert and removing the insert appears tricky as well as removing the MAF connector within the air tube. I do see a metal plate with 2 Torz screws covering a chamber in the center of the air tube within the housing. Is this how to access the MAF filament?
If anyone has done this on the 96 or like years on a 4.0L, I'd appreciate any info you can provide.

Also, anyone try using the orange citrus cleaning as a substitute for K&N cleaning solution? It says it leaves no residue, is not caustic, and is safe on ANY fabric.

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks, Jim

 

From our Tech Info" thread, located atop this forum, " MAF Cleaning" https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-cleaning.html

I'd use a plastic safe throttle body spray cleaner fomula, to clean the MAF. Just be careful not to touch the sensor wires, or spray them too hard.

Probably a good idea to clean the MAF imo.

Don't know about cleaning a K&N, I use Motorcraft paper filters on all my Ford rides, so some of the guys that have K&N's will probably chime in on how they clean theirs.

 

Dish soap and warm water should do it.

I don't run one because they're not practicle for the daily driver street vehicle. Oiled foam type filters have their place on the off road race circuit were they can gobble up a huge ammount of dust and still flow sufficiently where a paper filter would choke out more quickly. Open celled foam has large pores and large 3 dimentional surface area(there thick comapare to paper). They need the oil to filter properly. Without it, the large pore size allows an awfull amount of dust through. I think it was Wendell Borror who stated that he could wipe the dust off of the inside of the intake tube after a while.

As the air passes through, the irregular, open cells cause the air to change direction in the foam, and the dust being heavier doesnt and 'sticks' to the oil on the foam. After a time, the dust absorbs the oil and the filter ceases to filter dust. As well, the longer you have it on, the more oil mist comes off of the filter(which also reduces the amount of oil on the foam, reducing its effectiveness) and contaminates the MAF.

I'm saying all this because the K&N is a great high performance, high capacity filter and it's misuse is the reason for all of the K&N bashing you'll read in all of the old threads. All of those fellas have fallen prey to marketing and salesmanship who use race results to push an 'application specific' product into the general use market.

My suggestion for anyone with a K&N filter is to keep it clean, oiled and in a sealed coffee can in the toolbox with a quality paper filter on their intakes for daily driving. Going off road? Especially at the back of the pack on a hot dusty trail, throw on the K&N for a trouble free trip. At least where the filter is concerned.

Fred

 

I use an AEM dryflow filter just to avoid the K&N oiling problems.

Remove the two security Torx bits (I just ground them off since I didn't have security bits). Clean the MAF, let it air dry, clean it again, let it air dry, and re-install. If you cut off the heads of the bolts or cut them to be slotted, you can replace them with other bolts, just drill out the threads. That's what I did, worked fine.

Reset the computer afterwords by disconnecting the negative battery cable for 20 minutes so the computer can relearn with the airflow being changed.

I suggest removing the intake tube and cleaning it out as well.

K&Ns should be heavily cleaned out with water and soap until they no longer feel oily, then re-oiled or replaced with a dry filter.

 

I originally posted this MAF thread. The MAF application on the 96 Ranger 4.0L appears to be different than for the earlier years or different motor sizes. I do not see any bolts for removal of the MAF sensor on the outside of the air duct. There are only 2 Torx screws holding on a metal cover plate (probably over the sensor filament) on an assembly mounted within the center of the air duct. The side of the air duct that fits adjacent to the air filter has a cover assembly but no screws to remove the cover assembly.

If anyone has experience with this configuration of MAF on a 96 4.0L motor, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks again...Jim

 

I believe all you have to do is remove the housing from the intake tube and filter box and it's hanging in the open...perhaps I am thinking of another year.

 

Are you saying the photos in the link I posted above, don't fit your application?????

Can you post a photo of your MAF set up???

Those two screws should be all thats holding it in place, as shown in the link.

 

This reply is to pawpaw's reply about the MAF sensor in the 96 ranger 4.0L being the same as the one posted in his earlier reply refering to a web site:

The two MAFs are a different design. I found the following website which details how to access, remove and clean the MAF for my truck's design. Very helpful webiste and my thanks to Berry for his information. The web site is as follows:

www.berrysweb.com/clean_your_maf.htm

Thanks for all those who replied to my original post...Jim

 

Interesting, so your saying your 96 4.0L intake air tube & MAF mounting, looks like the 99 Windstars 3.8L engines air intake tube & MAF mounting?????

Well did you get er out, cleaned up & all put back together????? Would be interesting to know if cleaning the MAF made any differnce?????

 

Yes, the plastic housing that holds the MAF sensors are alike; the rest of the air intake configuration is different. So, the procedure for removing the MAF assembly from the housing is the same. I did remove the MAF assembly, and the MAF assembly and the inside of the air intake were very clean, no dirt or oil residue to be found. So, I did not actually remove the plate covering the sensor filament. If i do anything to test, it will be to run the truck without the MAF sensor harness connected. The Ford person told me that in this case, there is a default program that the computer uses when it does not read any MAF input. Since the truck runs pretty well anyway, I might just leave well enough alone. I've lived with a slight hesitation and wavering idle for 11 years as it is. I tried to find out if there were any specific TSBs for this VIN# but was told they don't track TSBs for VINs over 10 years old. Oh well.