air pump?

[corvette66]

Air pump question....

Do you need the air pump for your car to run properly? I seen a pulley replacement kit to eliminate the airpump. I find it odd that with all the crap they put on these motors, you can eliminate a pump and all the hoses and crap that connect to it. just wondering. If so i will take it off. till i get my 502 in there haha

Also has anyone seen a replacement for the air conditioner and tensioner pulley? or have any good sugestions for replacing it.

thanx dan

 

[rrubel]

It's not required to *run* the car, but it is an emissions item - it adds extra air to the exhaust and the catalytic converter to help get rid of any unburnt fuel. Will your car pass emissions without one? That depends on the state you're in and the individual car...

[RICHR]

 

[86PACER]

YOUR CAR WILL STILL RUN PROPERLY WITH THE REPLACEMENT PULLEY THEY SELL. YOU WILL NOT AFFECT ANYTHING. IF YOU WANTED TO YOU COULD EVEN REMOVE ALL THE AIR PUMP COMPONENTS AND HOSES COMPLETELY AND NOT CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS OR THROW ANY TROUBLE CODES. IT WILL CLEAN UP YOUR ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND REDUCE NOISE YOU MIGHT HAVE WITH YOUR OLD AIR PUMP PULLEY NOW. I AM NOT QUITE SURE IF ITS WORTH THE $100 PLUS DOLLARS FOR IT IN TERMS OF ANY PERFORMANCE GAIN IN MY OPINION. SOME FORUM MEMBERS HAVE EVEN FABRICATED THEIR OWN REPLACEMENT PULLEYS AT A FAR LOWER COST.

 

[corvette66]

sounds good

actually no i don't plan on spending 100 or more bucks on the replacement, i'll build my own. but i wasn't sure how it would run with out all the stuff. but glad to hear that it has no real importance. I live in tucson arizona, and there is no inspection/emissions. makes life GREAT!!!!!!

 

[86PACER]

I WISH THAT I COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT CALIFORNIA. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PULLEY.

 

[Eagle85C4]

First off, the air pump is there to add air to the exhaust gases, especially when letting your foot of the gas when slowing down. It adds extra air to the exhaust gases reducing the possibility of it causing a backfire...in addition to reducing the ratio of exhaust gas to air for emission purposes.
But as the air is injected into the exhaust prior to the oxygen sensor and the ECM uses it to tell it the ratio of oxygen in the exhaust gases to set the fuel/air mixture...makes me wonder in the scheme of things if it is not better just to leave it where it is and operable.



just my .02¢

 

[86PACER]

I PUT MY CAR THROUGH CALIFORNIA SMOG INSPECTIONS WITH AND WITHOUT THE AIR PUMP SUPPLYING AIR TO THE EXHAUST. IT PASSED BOTH WAYS WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN EMISSIONS. OF COURSE WITHOUT THE AIR CONNECTED IT WONT PASS THE VISUAL INSPECTION. IF I LIVED IN ANOTHER STATE THAT DID NOT REQUIRE SMOG TESTS I WOULD GET RID OF IT JUST TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND TO LOOSE THE NOISY PULLEY.

 

[livinez]

Timely post

Was just thinking of same thing for mine.
Curious how much it would throw off the reading to the ECM? I'd guess the ECM would try to lean the car out to compensate or give a trouble code.
86 Pacer, why not lose yours and reinstall it for smog tests. How often do you have to be tested in the sunshine state?

 

[86PACER]

I HAVE SMOG TESTS EVERY 2 YEARS. THE REASON WHY I DONT LOOSE THE AIR PUMP IS BECAUSE IT COSTS WELL OVER 100 DOLLARS FOR THE REPLACEMENT PULLEY. OTHER MEMBERS HAVE STATED THAT THERE IS NO NOTICABLE INCREASE IN HP. IT CLEANS UP YOUR ENGINE MORE THAN ANYTHING. I DONT THINK THAT IT IS WORTH IT FOR THE MONEY. IF I MAKE MY OWN PULLEY, OR FIND A GOOD DEAL ON ONE I WILL LOOSE THE PUMP BECAUSE IT IS GETTING NOISY. I CAN JUST PUT IT BACK ON FOR SMOG TESTS. I HAVE LONG TUBE HEADERS THAT I SWITCH BACK TO STOCK ONES JUST TO PASS SMOG TESTS.

 

[86PACER]

AS FAR AS TROUBLE CODES, YOU CAN REMOVE ALL THE ACCESORIES AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS RELATED TO THE AIR PUMP SYSTEM AND NOT THROW ANY CODES.

 

[Derek]

Took mine off,the whole thing,hoses etc,runs great...but we down under dont have the once yearly smog test,so its not a prob

 

[rrubel]

85C4, some air gets injected before the sensor, yes (though on the older cars theres only ONE sensor - driver's side - and air gets injected on BOTH sides), but also there's a tube that goes down to the cat and injects air straight there as well. My understanding was that the O2 sensor in the exhaust was almost exclusively for emissions purposes.
[RICHR]

 

[silver77vette]

Don't know what part of Tucson you live in,but I have to run my 77 through emission testing every year! They do check for everything! Good luck !