anyone can answer this if they know the answer but i remember seeing Ed's camaro so i know he has done this mod.

i have decided to take my AIR system off and i need to know what size bolts to use to plug the holes. also is there anything i should know before hand? my plan was to start pulling stuff out and then take off anything its connected to and keep going untill its all gone.

any tips would be welcome. ive never done this before but im sure i can do it. thanks for any help

I'm not Duck, but you'll need to either remove your cat or replace it with a non- air injected model.

Not true -- just run a bolt into the AIR injection hole on the CAT. Better yet, rod it clean or remove. I simply plugged the hole. Any Code 133's you get will be the result of the EGR, not because of AIR removal. I took out all the AIR piping, figuring if the devil made me live in Calif and I had to smog, I'd simply install flex piping.

I did this mod because I upgraded from V-belt to single serpentine. It can be done without buying the AIR pump replacement unit by using a longer belt, but I don't recommend it 'cause the belt flops around a LOT when the AC cycles on and off. I had visions of throwing the belt at high rpms.

GM Parts Direct sells Part #10186167 listed as "water pump pulley" but is is actually the smog pump delete pulley used on export cars. Just take off the pump (below the alternator) and everything attached to it (diverter valve, belt, etc.). The hardest part is getting the steel tubes out of the manifolds. Once you do, plug the manifolds with 1/4" NPT Brass plugs to seal exhaust manifold air tube holes. Also, plug any vacuum lines that you remove. You might want to cap the air tube that goes to the cat with a 1/2" pipe cap. If you're upgrading from V-belts, you'll need a new water pump, etc. It's been at least a couple years now since doing the mod and it has been no problemo and the spark plugs are easy to get at.

thanks a lot ed. i already have a serpintine belt im just trying to clean up my engine bay. i have some crome valve covers i want to put on and some of the AIR system is parked right on top of the passenger side valve cover.

I'll be leaving mine on, but it's nice to know how to do it, if I change my mind...

The easy way to clean up the engine compartment is to remove all the AIR stuff, but leave the pump in place to function as a belt pulley. The parasitic drag of the pump is about non-existant, but if it bothers you, just gut the vanes inside so it free-wheels.

i was just wondering if that would work. i thought that would be the easiest way. the pump looks like its kind of a pain to get to.

I was under the impression that cats with an air injection inlet needed the extra air to complete the catylitic proccess. And that capping off the inlet would cause the cat to clog up sooner. But it looks like you've haven't experienced any problems. If you plan to remove the converter you can get a short section of pipe for just a few buck at checkers which would save the hassle of gutting the cat.

I have heard that gutting cats might cause backpressure problems with the piping going from one size to something larger and then going back to the original size. But at least it would pass a visual inspection... Straight pipe under a convertor shell would be better. I had also heard the same thing about the extra O2 helpign the process out, but I'm not a rocket scientist, so don't quote me on that one.

Nothing a high-flow cat couldn't fix, though...

I like the idea of a straight pipe inside the convertor shell. Don't think there's any problems with changes in exhaust volume ... the larger chamber would act as a resonator. Now, if it choked down to a 1-inch tube, haha, there'd be some problems...

i should have mentioned that i have dual cats.i really dont think it changes anything. i dont plan on takeing my cats off because i have heard a firebird here on base that sounded like crap cause he took his cat off. or mabey...

would it make a difference if i took the cats off my car cause i have a flowmaster cat back system? any idea what it would sound like?

Loud










And....hopefully loud enough to get the attention of the Marines jogging in the middle of the road

LOL!!!! if it makes you feel any better we dont want to be running in the middle of the road.

No biggie, just a friendly jab. I'm Navy, so I just get pissed when I spill my coffee slowing down for you guys. I'd be runnin and training all the time too if I thougt someone might be shooting at me in the near future.

You got that right - when I was in the Army, they had us run at least two miles every time we did PT, and that was five days a week. Now that I'm out, I have this curious soft section where my abs used to be...