Originally posted by Medman
Sorry if this question is somewhat remedial for some owners, but what exactly is a Mass Airflow Sensor. Is it the same thing as the O2 sensor? If so, must we purchase two of them when we upgrade? Second, a mechanic friend of mine said that gas mileage has a lot to do with airflow to the engine and that's why the airflow sensor would improve gas mileage. If this is true, would adding a hood scoop also have the same effect? I have both modifications in mind and could use some quality input. Lastly, regarding anti-sway bars: Calmini or Hellwig? Tight corners are not the VX's forte, and any help would be great!! Thanks ahead for anyone's know-how!
In short, the MAS is the sensor at the intake (located near the airbox along the intake tube). This sensor measures intake air and sends the information on to the brain of the engine (ECU) which calculates fuel delivery.

A hood scoop will not add much unless the following are considered:
1) Aerodynamics. Depending on style of the scoop and its location, it could be useless.
2) Metering. If your MAS is only capable of metering certain amount of air, it does no good to provide more air than what the MAS can measure.
3) Assuming you do have a functional scoop, on a naturally aspirated engine you will not get a ram-air effect unless the vehicle is moving at a very high rate of speed. In other words, little to no low and mid range performance gain... and in a overweight truck like the VX, marginal high end gain because you can't get the VX moving fast enough to matter.

O2 sensors are found along the exhaust system. Their purpose is to monitor fuel mixture and exhaust emissions.

Who says tight corners are not the VX's forte? You must be doing something wrong behind the wheel. The VX has a shorter wheelbase than most sports cars. It's all a matter of learning the VX's handling dynamics and adjusting your speed and steering to accommodate. Look at the VX, it is a body on ladder frame truck. It is not an Italian Autostrada speedster or grand tourer! Stiffer antisway bars will change vehicle dynamics. If you don't know what you're doing you could end up with a VX that is even more tippy than stock. Proper stiffness/flexibility actually allows proper weight transfer and tire to ground contact to help you negotiate corners. With the short wheelbase and too stiff of a bar, the rear will tip rather than kick out (oversteer).

I am willing to bet neither Calmini nor Hellwig spent time to figure the VX's handling limits when they designed their sway bars. I doubt they had the budget to crash a few $30 VX's to find the sweet spot.