Can the honeycomb screen in a mass air flow sensor be removed ? Will this help or hurt the performance? This is a 99 with 4.3.

Thanks

 

The screen provides a dual purpose. To evenly distribute intake air across the MAFS. It also blends and equalizes warm and cool streaks in the incoming air to make IAT readings more accurate. If the flow is disrupted by removing the screen, the air fuel mixture and timing adjustments will be off the optimum standards.
I recommend not cutting it out. The benefits do not outweigh the consequences.

 

I have read where hollowing out the MAF will provide more air flow and very small increased power gains but you will only really see the benefit of that at WOT.
Unless your racing on weekends with your daily drive its not worth the loss of the normal driveability that Brent spoke of.

 

The only reason you should remove it, is to clean it out, and also be able to clean the throttle valve.

Leaving it out will, as EvansBlue stated, cause a few driveability concerns, as well as allow for crap to get sucked into it causing major driveability concerns