What does the AIR system really do and do I even need it? If I do keep it off, will the computer throw a code with it disconected?

 

The AIR system is just an emissions device that pumps air into the exhaust. I'm pretty sure it works like this: When you first start the car, it pumps the air into the catalytic converter to help the cat warm up and work properly. After the car warms up, it pumps air directly into the exhaust manifold to help combust any remaining stuff in the exhaust. I could have that backwards though, but anyway that's basically how it works, it just help clean up the exhaust.

Do you need it? That all depends, does your state have emissions testing? If there's a visual inspection, you will fail. If there's a sniffer test, you may or may not fail, I seen it go both ways, usually depends on the tune of the car. If your state has no emissions testing or no visual inspection, you can definitely delete it if you want to. Technically, I guess it's not needed considering many people have passed emissions without AIR anyway, but it's really up to you.

It doesn't gain you any HP, but it does free up a good bit of room under the hood. It's also really not all that hard to get rid of it, either. The computer will not throw a code if you delete the AIR system.

 

Awesome, I ripped it out and things look much better under the hood.

 

i thought there was some type of compensation w/ o2 for having smog injection that has been found in our code?

 

Great to know!

I'll definetly rip mine out over winter the more i think about it.

Anyone know what size plugs you will need for the air lines that go to the exhaust manifolds and what thread?

I'd like to do this but, would like to have parts ahead of time for smoother sailing. I'm guesing some of you didn't completely remove this because, i haven't heard of any1 removing those airlines (maybe i'm wrong though). it will be nice to get my air pump off the pulley system anyways (it's been making death rattles (bearings are going out)).

 

Only on certain TPI motors.

A lot of people have done it that way, including me. You will need either 1/4" pipe plugs or flare plugs (should be 1/4" as well, can't remember 100%). Some people say that you must use flare plugs, since the pipes were flared, but I personally was never able to find a flare plug that fit the AIR tube holes. Of course, I didn't have much time to find something that worked at the time, either.

Here's 3 of the 4 pipe plugs on my exhaust manifold, just for reference:


You can find both of those plugs at a hardware store, usually in the hardware or plumbing section. If you can, just take an AIR tube with the nut with you to the auto parts store to compare threads to make sure you get the right thing.

 

thanks a lot that helps. I just wanted to make sure there was a plug of some sort available before i yanked it all out. I've heard of some threaded peices on motors that can be dreadful to find pipe plugs and such for. Thanks again.

 

Here's what I used:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=300706

I had an ASE try to tell me that the AIR system cools the exhaust valves. Yeah, OK...the CFM airflow & pressure coming from the exhaust port is much more powerful even at idle than the AIR pump can keep up with. There's no way this could happen unless something went really wrong...