On a ej20t (but I'm guessing they're all pretty similar) is the plastic housing that the airflow meter fits in critical? or can I remove the working bits and fit them in a stainless tube of the same size? (ie just have a pipe from the turbo to the airfilter with the air flow meter working bits fitted into the side)
Does the distance from the filter or the turbo make any difference? ( I'm trying to shorten it right up, maybe 3 inches total)
Receipe for disaster? Going to run like a hairy dog?

Liam not critical but damn sensative and not sure if you could, trying to get my head around how you would do it. From what I have heard its placement back and forth can create problems and Subaru have placed it at its optimal position, cant see what difference it would make though...............give it a try, if worse comes to worse I have a spare you can have that Im sure was working fine when I removed it.

Position doesn't matter as long as it is upwind of all ir intakes so all air flow moves past it. So yes you could do it BUT I wouldn't as they are that relaible and I have seena few of them stuff up. If you got all that effort then you may end up with a lemon.

Would probably works better to make some sort of cover for it and leave the AFM stock.

If you do modify it make sure that the ID of anything you put it in is teh same size as stock and its position within that tube is relative to its position currently, is distance from sides and angle as this is important.

Yeah be carefull. As mentioned they are sensitive and easily stuff up. I've even heard some air filters can create havoc with them, like the airflow through the meter is not even (turbulent), giving more/less air flow in the middle which is where the measuring element is. Similarly placing it right next to the turbo or other air pipes will create an uneven flow.

Thanks guys, I think I'll have a go at it anyway. The worst that can happen is it wont run well and I have to go back to standard....and other famous last words....