Hey guys... Need your knowledge and advice on this one. So I purchased a Spectre mass airflow sensor adapter and Spectre air filter for my 07 Ranger 4.0L. The adapter is 2.7" inside diameter, where as the stock diameter for the MAF is 2.5" The adapter came with 3 different sized sleeves to accommodate and correct the dia. to the stock size. Well I didn't put one in right away and I definitely noticed some significant gains in HP. (which I LIKED!!) But then I could hear my engine missing, like a "ffiitt" sound in a cylinder or like when a cat is spitting. So I put the sleeve in that was the closest to the stock dia. and it seemed as though I lost HP from what I had before mods. ?? But no more missing. Do I need to get a tuner to fix the missing with the larger MAF? If I don't get a tunner and run the engine without the sleeve, what kind of damage am I looking at? Thanks guys, I really apprecieate you reading this and all of your help!



hella 4.0

 

First try resetting the computer, unhook the battery for about 20 minutes so it can relearn. If that doesn't work, then I would say you need an engine programer. I put a larger maff and tb on a 99 F-150, it caused a lean condition and needed flashed.

 

If it were me, I would not have purchased that filter and adapter to begin with. First off, you have eliminated the stock airbox. That airbox functions to shield the intake from the engine heat. If you raw heated air into the engine, the air will be less dense. Less air means less power. Also the computer will detect that the air is warm and retard the timing to prevent knocking. Less timing advance means less power. This is part of why you are experiencing a power loss.

Secondly, the entire purpose of an air filter is to remove any foreign particles that could potentially damage your engine. I seriously doubt that those cheap Spectre filter can keep out truly dangerous particles like sand.

The issue you are experiencing is a combination of things. You have altered the way the air flows through the system, which is causing inconsistent readings about the volume of air going into the engine. This is in turn causing your miss. When you install the shroud or whatever you put in there, it stabilizes the reading, but seems to reduce power. From the experience I have had with high performance filters, let me explain what I think is happening.

Cone filter without filter shrouds are loud. Certainly louder and deeper than stock. This creates a false impression of power. I know because I used to have a setup like that on my Mazda (and still sort of do). But when I ran it against the same model with a stock system, I was severely embarassed. Especially because I had the 5 speed manual and he had an automatic. Despite all the noise, the truck was actually less powerful and much slower. But it didn't feel like it when you were driving it. I later made more modifications to increase intake velocity by using a smaller intake tube. I still don't have the filter shrouded in. But flow does not equal power in all cases. I'm not saying that more flow would make more power. I'm saying that a freer flowing air filter doesn't mean that more air flows into your engine.

I'm sorry for your loss, but unless you've thrown away your stock airbox and filter, I would put that stuff back on. Or I would go buy a real cold air intake. AFE makes some nice kits, and they have very high efficiency dry filters. Not sure about your year, but I think that should have something.

 

I'm a little confused... you say it was less powerful and much slower, but you actually thought it was faster because of all the noise. Judging by your stature, I would naturally assume that you would notice this loss in power from the start, and then knowing that your truck felt different you would probably look into this a little ? I'm sorry if I am sounding rude or demeaning. That is not my intention here. I just need to clarify to myself that you did not notice the significant loss in power after installing whatever it was you installed. But you thought that your truck was "more powerful and faster" due to the added noise "bonus" from the intake.

I understand the issue of the heated air entering the engine, and I will make a custom heat shield. As for the adapter, it is of good quality and will suit my need as per my budget. And I agree about the filter, I don't really trust it. But for in-town driving, I'm thinking I'll be okay until I can afford the AEM Dry Flow Filter. I did re-install the stock system because of my concerns so no worries Thank you for your advice and thoughtfulness and I hope to be able to update you guys at a later date with some better news

Hella 4.0