LT4 MAF location
 

I am building a 66 C10 with the Gen V LT4 8 speed auto. Mostly done and have put the build on the project updates as "66 Chevy Cgt". I am trying to build a custom air intake/airfilter but cannot meet the specs that GM lays out for the MAF location. They want straight 4" pipe 6" long with the MAF in the center and 10" away from the throttle body. With my intake the most I could get is 2" before the MAF of straight pipe and 1" after, but packages very nicely. I am pretty close to 10" away from the throttle body. I could just pipe down the front of the engine and exceed their specs but it would not be as cool. How critical is it? Deal breaker?
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What the recommendations are shooting for is relatively smooth airflow over the MAF - that's what the straight section is supposed to provide. In most cases a sub-optimal MAF location can be tuned around by any competent tuner, not a big deal because you really should have it tuned anyway. The factory crate tunes typically calibrate the MAF overly rich to account for installation variations. That said, if you have really sharp turns before or after the MAF, that can complicate the tuning process.

Thank you for that. I guess it won't be as cool as I will just go straight down so I will be able to exceed GM's spec