yes I did a search, and no I didn't find a direct answer to my question.

I am brain storming on making a cold air intake for my 89 tII. one question I have though, does the afm need to stay level? does anyone have experience with this that can give a for sure answer.

 

In theory, yes. If its off center the door isn't going to respond exactly how its calibrated to with that gravity thing interfering.

Edit, Wait. You have an 89... s5.... No AFM, you have a MAF. With a MAF it doesn't matter how it sits, there's no mechanical door inside it to measure airflow.

 

The S5 is an AFM, just a different design than the flappy door S4.
The S5 unit is not position sensitive.

 

My experience is that most people try so hard to keep the airflow away from heat that they end up choking the intake tract. Just make sure that you are building a freeway rather than a prison.

It looks a lot like a MAF sensor, but the S5 AFM has a spring loaded cone rather than a sensing wire. Since it is symmetrical, its positioning does not affect its function as much as an asymmetrical S4 vane AFM.

 

thanks for the impute guys, sorry for the confusion on my wording with the AFM/MAF, I new it was a maf and not afm, just a brain fart on my wording.

 

AFM is correct. No production RX-7 ever had a MAF sensor (wire sensor).