MikeS

My air pump is bad! It's making all kinds of rattling noises. Sounds like bad bearings or bushings or something. I took the belt off to stop the sound, although I don't like the fact that that is one less belt on my water pump. What should I do!? I can replace the pump with a good one, or just get rid of it altogether.

Ok, so I already knew what the answer was going to be. I just had to make a poll.

TBI305Camaro

id say just leave it off but its your car...im assuming you have v belts? i wouldnt worry about it my buddy has a 78 vette and we took all the smog crap off and it has v belts and he doesnt have a problem

vic_V8

how right now I'm the only vote for take it off

slickrock55

I would say take all the emissions crap off, unless you have emissions in your area, and anticipate problems with the sniffer. It will free up a few hp, and unclutter your engine compartment. The first time i started changing things on my engine, i managed to have all the smog crap "fall" off.

rx7speed

if you still have your cats leave that thing on or else those things will clog up real quick


if they are out then take the airpump off

chevymad

Allright RX, I was just going to mention that too. If you don't have cats then its ok to remove. If you have a cat. convertor though it needs the air to burn the excess gasses. Without it it'll plug up.

rx7speed

so what it looks like you need to do is get a straight pipe put in there and remove the airpump

MikeS

Yes, I do have emissions here, but am not worried about the lack of an air pump in that respect. I know that I can pass without one. I've had non cc carb engines pass in cars they weren't supposed to be in (with no egr, no AIR, only a cat), so I'm not worried about that.

RX-
Interesting point about the cat not lasting without the air injection. I have heard conflicting things there. Some people say it will last just fine, but others say it wont. Those in the latter camp say it will have to be replaced with one designed for use with no AIR system (ie no tube on the side of it). So, what I do with the cat/test pipe depends on what kind of definitive information I can find on cat longevity without AIR. If it will not last, i'll choose between using a different type of cat, or have to go with a test pipe sometimes and a cat other times. If it will last, I'll just seal up the tube and leave it there.

This all is starting to relate just a bit to my cracked y-pipe now. I've been trying to decide between hooker and slp headers since they come with a new y-pipe. This'll make the AIR/no AIR decision for me.

92BlAcK_RSLO3

Ok One Question the AIR Pump is the black stuff in the passager side above the valve cover its suport comes fron the A/C support?

I dont see any connection between the belt and the pump, I have no Cat (We started using cats here in my country about 2 years ago same with unlead fuel) the last owner of my car put a straight pipe in its place. And the Hose that comes fron the pump is just there fastened to a side.

The pump is used for anything else besides pumping air to the Cat, I dont need to pump hot Air to my intake, We dont have frezing temps here (I plan to remove the Hot air raiser fron the exhaust manifold to the Air Cleaner asembly too).

So to remove the AIR pump what I will need just unbolt it and jank off all the hoses?

I will need to seal off the Exahust manifold to no?

I just dont understand the tech document in this site regarding the remove of the pump how does this afect the Serp-Belt?

Thanks for any help.

I just whant to clean my engine compartment and put an open air element filter.

RICH92RS350

Replace it.....If you have to pass smog.
Kragen has rebuilt ones pretty cheap, with lifetime warrantee.
Just remember "lifetime warrantee" doesn't mean it'll last forever....just that you can replace it forever.Again and again.
If you have no smog visual inspection as we do here in the"soviet republik of kalifornia" I'd get rid of it, but that will require some other modifications.
-Rich-

92BlAcK_RSLO3

Well the only way I could risk myself to an inspection is:

If I trhow out Black smoke out of my tail pipes.
If My Car make more noise than a Harly With Straight Pipes.

I have seen Cars on the street that you would not belive, fron competition Porches, 70´s American Muscle Cars with no hood and Bigblock With Blowers, To ricers (I call that to any small imported car that is just wheels and a resonator) that make more noise than a Harley.

So exactly What I would need To remove all the Smog stuff, as I toll I already dont have a CAT.

Thanks for any help.

rx7speed

well one thing you can do (and I will do also if they pass smog here) is take the cat out then put flanges on either side of the cat as well as on the exhaust pipes, then have a straight pipe made up to the same size as the cat and this way you can just take out a few bolts and you now have a cat, or do the same with a straight pipe

that way you do not have to worry about the smog part. and you can always get one of those cats that do not have the air pump hook up.