MadMikeyL
Administrator
The primary purpose of installing a different MAF sensor is if your engine build is expected to exceed or closely approach the peak measuring capacity of your current sensor. Aside from the higher airflow measuring capabilities of these MAF sensors, there are no performance benefits to a different MAF sensor on a stock or near-stock vehicle.
The 02-04 Mustang GT MAF is an ideal MAF sensor to consider for most applications on these vehicles, especially when they remain naturally aspirated. The 80mm Lightning MAF from 99-00 is the next step up in air metering capability and is a better match to forced induction setups. For even more extreme needs there are 90mm options, but that is beyond the scope of this writing.
Outlined here is the process to install the 99-00 Lightning MAF (LMAF) which uses an 80mm housing. The 02-04 Mustang GT MAF sensor also uses an 80mm housing and the process to install is virtually identical to installing the LMAF.
Parts needed:
The 80mm 02-04 Mustang GT sensor is the stock sensor on 2002-2004 Mustang GTs. The 80mm Lightning MAF is the stock sensor on the 5.4L F150 Lighting from '99-'00. These sensors are finely tuned to work with their air inlets to offer more accurate airflow measurements in naturally aspirated and supercharged applications, respectively.
YOU MUST have the transfer function of the new MAF put on your EEC/PCM/chip for proper air/fuel ratio and engine function. It is not just a hardware swap.
This is the inlet side view of the Lightning MAF (LMAF), Ford PN XL3Z-12B579-AA. It uses a flange mount on the front which is the standard flange for F150/F250 and 4.6L Mustang airboxes. Adapters can be purchased to allow for large open cone filter attachment, but this creates a "hot air intake" that draws air in from the engine compartment. It is best to adapt the conical filter housing to fit in place of the rectangular factory air filter box so that cool air can be drawn from the inner fender area. These are the only mounting points for the sensor so be prepared to come up with something to hold it. The bore of the MAF is actually smaller than some other MAFs, but it is venturi shaped to control air velocity.
Note on filter configuration. The stock configuration has air entering this meter from a cone shaped filter that is centered on its bore. Changing the airstream dynamics can affect the meter's accuracy, so stick with the factory configuration whenever possible. Likewise, since it is configured like this from the factory, it is the best meter, with few (if any) exceptions for open filter setups that employ factory hardware.
This shot is a back to back comparison of the outlets of the Lightning MAF on the left and the stock 70mm MAF used on my '95 Thunderbird. The outside diameter of the Lightning MAF exit is about 3.6" or about 90mm. A 3.5" silicone hose fits very snug over it. The 99-04 Mustang GT air tube is also a direct bolt-on fit to these sensors as well as the factory as well as FRPP throttle bodies.
Here is the LMAF attached to a Mustang style K&N filter. I used a piece of aluminum plate and made all the holes to glue and screw it together. The wiring harness shown is a must have for 94-95 guys. The connector on the L-MAF is the later model style. Use F68Z-12A690-AA wire assembly and cut off the other end to allow it to be spliced into the stock wiring. The wiring pinouts match the stock A to A , B to B, C to C, D to D.
The main practical difference between the LMAF and the GT MAF is that the latter has the ambient air temperature (IAT) sensor integrated into it. You can either use an aftermarket adapter harness or drill out the blank pin covers in positions A and E on the factory harness (if you have a 96 or 97) to insert the pins for the IAT sensor.
A hint for 94-95s: To attach the L-MAF to a stock T-Bird airtube to the TB, you will need to adapt from 3.5" to 3". Otherwise, you can get a custom intake tube and use the TB boot off the stock airtube (violin case) to attach reversed to the L-MAF and provides a 3" outlet connection. Then you can use the port from the idle air bypass to insert the intake air temperature sensor into the airstream.
The 02-04 Mustang GT MAF is an ideal MAF sensor to consider for most applications on these vehicles, especially when they remain naturally aspirated. The 80mm Lightning MAF from 99-00 is the next step up in air metering capability and is a better match to forced induction setups. For even more extreme needs there are 90mm options, but that is beyond the scope of this writing.
Outlined here is the process to install the 99-00 Lightning MAF (LMAF) which uses an 80mm housing. The 02-04 Mustang GT MAF sensor also uses an 80mm housing and the process to install is virtually identical to installing the LMAF.
Parts needed:
- MAF sensors:
- 99-00 LMAF is XL3Z-12B579-AA
- 02-04 GT MAF is YC2F-12B579-BA
- Wire Harness (for pre-96 applications) is F68Z-12A690-AA
- Adapter for the air filter (the LMAF has 4 holes to bolt to)
- An alternative for 96+ setups is to use the 99-04 Mustang GT air tube and conical air filter box. They are a slightly different shape but they are otherwise a snug fit with a little coaxing.
- New PCM program that will adjust the MAF transfer function
The 80mm 02-04 Mustang GT sensor is the stock sensor on 2002-2004 Mustang GTs. The 80mm Lightning MAF is the stock sensor on the 5.4L F150 Lighting from '99-'00. These sensors are finely tuned to work with their air inlets to offer more accurate airflow measurements in naturally aspirated and supercharged applications, respectively.
YOU MUST have the transfer function of the new MAF put on your EEC/PCM/chip for proper air/fuel ratio and engine function. It is not just a hardware swap.
This is the inlet side view of the Lightning MAF (LMAF), Ford PN XL3Z-12B579-AA. It uses a flange mount on the front which is the standard flange for F150/F250 and 4.6L Mustang airboxes. Adapters can be purchased to allow for large open cone filter attachment, but this creates a "hot air intake" that draws air in from the engine compartment. It is best to adapt the conical filter housing to fit in place of the rectangular factory air filter box so that cool air can be drawn from the inner fender area. These are the only mounting points for the sensor so be prepared to come up with something to hold it. The bore of the MAF is actually smaller than some other MAFs, but it is venturi shaped to control air velocity.
Note on filter configuration. The stock configuration has air entering this meter from a cone shaped filter that is centered on its bore. Changing the airstream dynamics can affect the meter's accuracy, so stick with the factory configuration whenever possible. Likewise, since it is configured like this from the factory, it is the best meter, with few (if any) exceptions for open filter setups that employ factory hardware.
This shot is a back to back comparison of the outlets of the Lightning MAF on the left and the stock 70mm MAF used on my '95 Thunderbird. The outside diameter of the Lightning MAF exit is about 3.6" or about 90mm. A 3.5" silicone hose fits very snug over it. The 99-04 Mustang GT air tube is also a direct bolt-on fit to these sensors as well as the factory as well as FRPP throttle bodies.
Here is the LMAF attached to a Mustang style K&N filter. I used a piece of aluminum plate and made all the holes to glue and screw it together. The wiring harness shown is a must have for 94-95 guys. The connector on the L-MAF is the later model style. Use F68Z-12A690-AA wire assembly and cut off the other end to allow it to be spliced into the stock wiring. The wiring pinouts match the stock A to A , B to B, C to C, D to D.
The main practical difference between the LMAF and the GT MAF is that the latter has the ambient air temperature (IAT) sensor integrated into it. You can either use an aftermarket adapter harness or drill out the blank pin covers in positions A and E on the factory harness (if you have a 96 or 97) to insert the pins for the IAT sensor.
A hint for 94-95s: To attach the L-MAF to a stock T-Bird airtube to the TB, you will need to adapt from 3.5" to 3". Otherwise, you can get a custom intake tube and use the TB boot off the stock airtube (violin case) to attach reversed to the L-MAF and provides a 3" outlet connection. Then you can use the port from the idle air bypass to insert the intake air temperature sensor into the airstream.
