Mike..this is in no way meant as a knock..but to prove a point.

Is this the same car you told me you didn't trust enough to drive 30 miles..forget about the 4 hours to an NEBF?

Yep. Because I had chronic WHEEL BEARING PROBLEMS.

It'* a scary thing driving 70 miles to Cecil only to find out your wheel bearing is crunching and all your lugs on one wheel got loose. Then when you let it cool down and try to tighten them back up, the studs shear off. Good thing I have 100 AAA.

I guess it helps to have all the info huh?

i did notice that my plugs are whiter now than before
all of your points are very interesting
thanks for the info
JJ

People may feel more power initially because without the MAF screen the MAF sensor tends to read leaner. Lean makes power (although too lean is not safe). If it starts to feel more sluggish afterwards this may be a sign that the car is getting some consistant KR and the PCM is compensating by learning to pull timing after modifying the fuel trim.

I don't recommend you run without the screen. Most people are not smarter than GM engineers and believe me when I tell you the MAF screen has had no impact on my power by being present.

At the VERY LEAST thinki of it as a last line of protection in case a foreign object gets in the air intake.

Before I switched to a FWI I repeatedly found small objects like grass and things stuck in my MAF screen. My stock airbox was designed in such a way, that in areas with heavy dust and other matter common, like my area, that things could be sucked into it.

The only thing ive found stuck in it after the FWI switch was a small dab of silicone from sealing up the area around my IAT sensor.

Point is, keep it in, you dont want that stuff getting past that screen, im sure ive had stuff slip by, but i also know its stopped some stuff.

It'* been about 300 miles since I reinstalled the screen. I never thought I had an idle problem, but I did. I notice it sitting at a light, never heard it , but feel it now. Passing power has also improved. I don't need to manually throw it into 3rd and pass. I always felt low on power passing in 4th, like I had to keep getting farther into the pedal, and then so far into it that it would go into 3rd and the rpms wereup so high I would launch. So I would throw it into 3rd and give it a little gas and pass, it made for a smoother experience for passengers (unless they were kids, they like that high rpm launching)
I'll have a chance to check mileage this week. I'll be getting another screen also I think. this one has about 4 or 5 of the holes screwed up on the edge (all in one spot). Don't know if that matters that much, but I know it is there and I'll keep thinking about it until I replace it.