2001 Ford F-150 MAF

You shouldn't damage the external wiring when removing ... but only gentle cleaning internally should be carried out !!

Mass Airflow Sensor
The Mass Airflow (MAF) sensor uses a hot wire sensing element to measure amount of air entering the engine. Air passing over the hot wire causes it to cool. The hot wire is maintained at 392 °F (200 °C) greater than ambient temperature, as measured by a constant cold wire. See Fig. 7 .
The current required to maintain hot wire operating temperature is proportional to the intake air mass flow. MAF sensor outputs an analog voltage signal to Powertrain Control Module (PCM) proportional to the intake air mass. PCM uses this signal to calculate the fuel injector pulse width in order to provide the desired air/fuel ratio. On some applications, MAF sensor input is used in determining transmission electronic pressure control, shift and torque converter clutch scheduling.
Cougar 2.0L, Escort, Econoline, Escape, Explorer, Focus, Mountaineer, Sable, Taurus and Windstar applications use MAF sensors that have integrated by-pass technology with an integrated intake air temperature sensor.