** Is the E46 M3 MAF Unique, or do other BMW's use same one?**

LITEWAITM3 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-24-2002, 12:42 PM

OK the E46 m3 has the MAF built into the stockairbox, as most of you know. So to have an aftermarket intake you need a MAf adapter, which is basicaly a MAF that is by itself. So does anyone know if the MAF on any other bmw's use the same plug as the e46 m3 and can be substituted into the E46 m3? I am designing an intake system for it, and just need to find a MAF to use.

Right now my plan is to just get the upper portion of the E46 m3 from "someone" and cut off the MFA portion and just use that.

Anyone have any idea if the plug is the same on any other BMW's and if the sensor is to the same specs.

Thanks

LITEWAITM3 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 01:49 PM

Noone knows?

Sean@ECIS · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 03:01 PM

You cannot do what you are contemplating...the hfm is part of the air box and you will butcher it trying to cut it out.

you will need someone to make one in plastic or metal that is the same circumference and length.

Or, you can wait for our E46 Intake which will be done soon.

LITEWAITM3 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 03:24 PM

Well I was "studying" tour e46 m3 engine bay last time i was home, and I can easily cut the MAF portion off and have enough left on there to put a coupler on. NO butchering involved. however I am getting my hands on some upper airboxes soon hopefully

I can get an ABS or aluminum tube produced for about $20, $5 for a rubber coupler, $35 for an inline filter, and labor is free of course

So $60 i should be able to have a pretty nice system made. I have already designed and built a race intake system for my vw, which is NOT street legal, and am working on making it one peice from TB to headlightintake (where the velocity stack is located), as well as adding a phelonic spacer and heat-absorbing 'Material" to the under side of the manifold because the heat really kills power on the VR6 (well on all engines, but vr6 you can really feel the power loss).

My buddy is picking up some MAF from other e46's and other newer bmw models to see if any have the same plug. Because thats the only part of the intake that costs money, the rest is very inexpensive. Using the stock intake location will work perfectly. All the resonance and emissions tubing on the stock intake is useless to us really, so none of it is required. Unless its a showcar, no need to make it all carbon fiber, Not economical. Once i get the dimensions when I go home for thanksgiving, I'll draw one up in CAD and see what i can do.

LITEWAITM3 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 03:55 PM

Hey Sean, I tried Private messaging you, but your Box is full. I'll email to you ECIS email, but please try to empty your box So I can email over dtm

Thanks man. I got some stuff to talk to you about

Sean@ECIS · #6 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 05:00 PM

What you are attempting to do is very half-assed...sorry to be blunt, but you will end up with very little of the hfm and it really is useless to attempt it. Unless you have some shielding and other proper components, you will probably lose hp. The E46 M3 is nothing like your VW or an E36 M3; it is very intricate.

There is NOTHING in my inbox...I do not know why it is giving you and me those messages.

LITEWAITM3 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-25-2002, 05:12 PM

Its not half ass man. There is no difference between a new MAF that is seperate or if you cut it off. There is defintely room, for sure, and it would look as if it were never molded into airbox. What shielding would you need, and what kind of proper components are you refering to?? I can mold a one peice carbon fiebr tube and MAF component to old everything, but thats not economical, especially for a protoype .Even though I dont have to pay for the carbon fiber or resin, its not worth it to waste the materials. Also the VW if anything is HARDER to engineer something to help it because of its lack of "sports" design from the factory. On the E46 m3 its already tuned, just emissions, resonance tubes hold back the extra tiny bit of cfm left available. Intricate yes, has physical and dynamic properties that have never been seen before, OF COURSE NOT! Physics is physics. Your inbox does not matter, its old mail you might have stacked up, I just had to delete a bunch of stuff as well due to this problem.
Thanks
I 'll retry to email.

Also only so much can be obtained from a custom intake system before you really have to do work on the intake side of the engine, and improve the plenum design. Then once your flowing at optimum into the engine you have to make the exhuast at optimum. Intakes are intakes. Look at most prepped built race cars, they have long extrude hone velocity stacks(when used with restrictors for sanctioned racing) with fine mesh on the end.

Sean@ECIS · #8 (**permalink**) 10-26-2002, 02:24 AM

I just PM'd you...

BMWGuy206 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2002, 03:03 AM

Just remove the Air Mass sensor itself w/integrated air intake temp. sensor and make your own housing. No need to cut the factory housing out. Good Luck

LITEWAITM3 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2002, 07:26 AM

Oh wait, the HFM is screws into the airbox, correct? Damn, I totally forgot! I guess I did not look hard enough at the setup, haha.

Alright, I'll draw up a quick cad render of the idea tonight and see what you guys think. The tube is 4" diamter, right?

thanks,
peace