Quick question guys hope it's not dumb!

[Slowcrewcab]

I just bought a 5.3 and put in my 85swb, well it's been being real boggish until 4500 rpms or so and I've been thinking it sounded like a fuel problem, well today my air filter and MAF sensor fell off throttle body( I have it directly to throttle body no piping) didn't have the tools to put it on right there on side of road so I just unplugged the MAF and hoped for the best..... To my surprise the truck ran better than it has before. My question is could this MAF be causing the bad running and not be throwing a code?

[kerrige]

If I remember right it goes into power Enrichment mode when unplugged. More power and less efficiency. Also I believe to check a bad MAF part of the procedure is to run the vehicle with it unplugged.

[fordkiller91]

If maf is good, while runing it usally shuts off. If bad it would run like crap.

[farmtruc]

Being that you didn't secure the Maf correctly the truck could have been extremely lean due to false air.
The O2's were probably reporting to the PCM to add fuel. Or pull fuel. Just depends on what the Maf was reporting to the PCM.
When it fell off and it's not in the air steam the fuel delivery changed.
Or the Maf could be bad all together.
When the Maf is bad the PCM will revert to speed density mode and use the map sensor.

Just an FYI. PE mode isnt active based on a bad or unplugged Maf.
PE mode is activated based on tps. Map value. Rpm. PE threshold table. And torque threshold.

Truck probably went into we mode and most trucks will run just fine.

Just my opinion. Could be way off.

Damn had to edit my post using iPhone lol.

[RS/SS 4.8]

Have you fixed it yet? What was the cause.

[Slowcrewcab]

Changed mass flow and seems to quit the bogging/ starving for fuel feel but still sort of doggy on take off. Think I may need a tad bigger stall, something like a 3200? And I'm gonna swap the 2.73 out to 3.42 this weekend which will help good, or so I hope!