Hope this is ok to go in this forum, it is L03 related, even though its in a Caprice it's the same engine as the Camaro's got. I'm trying to do some upgrades for better power, fuel mileage, and simplicity under the hood for working on it. My plan is to get an A/C bypass pulley and remove the A/C compressor and other A/C parts, and remove the AIR pump and all air injection related parts. I have a Canadian 87 LG4 engine that came without most emissions stuff so it has no air pump, has V belts so the A/C compressor can be removed without affecting the rest of the accessories and belts. I was also thinking I could use the exhaust manifolds off the LG4 instead of plugging off all the air tubes on the current manifolds (that's assuming that they come off without breaking any bolts). Maybe it's not a good idea to even try that since I could end up with broken bolts in the heads.

I'm going back to school next September but for now I'm driving this car 137 miles round trip to work every day until spring when I drive my Cutlass. It's not going to be worth getting another car just to drive for the winter. I just want to try and get it up close to the 30mpg that they are capable of getting on the highway.

I'm also thinking of upgrading from the 1 wire o2 sensor to the 2 or 3 wire that they used later on.

Any recommendations on the accessories and air injection would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Removing smog pump won't help mileage, performance, or anything else except reducing engine bay clutter.

Removing A/C won't help mileage, performance, or anything else except reducing engine bay clutter if it's not being used.

Can't see that a different O2 sensor is going to help either.

You need a tune up, proper setting of timing, fuel filter, and a check to see if the torque converter is locking up in 3rd and 4th gears if want better mileage. If you want better performance, there's no way to get that AND have the better mileage.

 

Well whether it would help noticeably I don't know, but I don't see why you think it wouldn't be possible when you consider how much weight would be lost when you remove the a/c compressor, air pump, and other associated items. That and slightly less drag on the engine. Engine bay clutter is the biggest thing to me anyways, it was a real pain in the *** just doing plugs on the thing. Tune up has already been done.

Lock up tc was working until a few weeks ago, I already have a replacement solenoid I just have to get chance to put it in.

I've read that the single wire O2 sensor will actually stop working at light load cruising sometimes as it cools off too much. This could explain why it completely stops switching while cruising sometimes when I have the scanner hooked up. Apparently they resort to programmed values instead of o2 feedback when this happens and upgrading the O2 sensor can help mileage.

 

To remove the A/C, you have to install an A/C delete pulley on the LO3 since it's a serpentine pulley system. So you still have a pulley in the works, so same amount of "drag" on the system as when the A/C unit remains and is not turned on.

The air pump is just a fan enclosed in a case - it can be removed without a delete pulley, but the air pump is not creating any more "drag" than the A/C delete pulley is, since it's just a fan. I can see where the smog pump could get a worn bearing and thus not spin freely - have you spun it by hand without the belt on to see if it's free?

My 1990 LO3 Camaro with 200k miles got 32mpg highway with these components in tact - so they have nothing to do with 30+ mileage numbers. Assuming the Caprice may be heavier, or not as aerodynamic ... if your getting less than say 25mpg, then you have another issue.

If you're thinking of swapping the brackets from the LG4 over to the LO3 so that you don't have to get the A/C delete pulley maybe? Know that the LO3 alternator will not bolt into the LG4 bracket, and visa versa - you'll have to get a new alternator if that's the thought.

The manifolds from the LG4 will not bolt up to the L03 motor - the heads, and thus the manifolds, are different. The last bolt holes towards the firewall are different spacing if I remember correctly. Verify this BEFORE trying to swap, but I'm pretty sure they are different.

I'm not trying to toss your idea out the window - just trying to help. THe removal of those things won't help mileage any, but will clean up the engine bay alot. Final word will be with your emissions inspector - so check local laws first with the smog pump issue. Of course, it is federally illegal to remove emissions equipment as well, but the feds don't do the inspecting, so ....

 

You should just buy an A/C delete pulley and install that first. They are fairly cheap and helps to remove both clutter and weight. I doesn't take too long either.

 

Thanks that is the info I needed. I would still like to delete them just for ease of working under the hood. We do emissions tests where I work, so i can probably get away with it, lol.

I've gotten up to a maximum of about 25mpg U.S, but averaging around 20, so that's why I'm trying to play around with it a bit to improve it. Thanks for the help.

 

The delete pulley clears much of the clutter from the pass side but if you want it really clean you will need to get the a/c delete box also which is harder to come by.

If your looking for better mileage you should just make it more efficient with an open element air cleaner, headers and full 3" exhaust.

I no longer need to smog my car where I live, but I kept the cat, smog pump and added hooker 2055's with the air tubes.

 

Headers are not an options since I drive the car through lots of salt in the winter and they'd rot out fast, the open element won't work when it gets really cold cause I need the heat riser, otherwise the TB might ice up. At least carbs will not sure if the TB will.

I will get dual exhaust put on in the spring but for now I can't really afford it.

 

Or you can screw it all and do what I did. I'm a big weight **** sp everything had to go that wasn't related to the car running.

 

That's nice and clean I like that.

 

Robert Frank's ride has a little more intense cleaning-up going on. He's replaced water pump with electric, gotten rid of the big ugly serpetine brackets, moved alternator to pass side (which involves a new alternator and brackets). Ive done the same, except the electric water pump, and I love it!

 

My next little clean up project is I'm going to move the fuel lines out of sight. I want to run them behind the engine, under the distributor and into the tbi unit.

 

here is a few pics of mine. one before and two after my a/c delete.

 

hey did you remove the smog pump?

 

No, not yet, too busy with work and ended up having to replace the torque converter. Lockup stopped working and had no stall. I'm doing that job tomorrow. Other than that I haven't done anything to the car other than drive it 3k miles a month.

 

I removed the heat riser hose on my TBI and capped the vacuum port on the TB that goes to the thermac valve on the air cleaner horn and suffered no ill effects. At least all the way down to about minus 10 degrees F quite a few times. Car fired right up and idled just fine. I had to lose the heat riser hose because I put better flowing 350 TPI exhaust manifolds on, which don't have the heat stove assembly for the hose to attach to. I actually left the stock air cleaner on too, and I disconnected the thermac/flapper valve in the air cleaner horn since it made no sense to have it function without the heat riser hose. At that point it would've made no difference to be running an open element air cleaner. Just have to punch a hole in the base of it to install the IAT sensor and put a breather in the passenger side valve cover so you can do away with the crankcase vent tube. I remember the fast idle was about 18-1900 rpms for the first couple of minutes when it's like 20 below!

 

hey guys, im looking to remove all ac components next week or 2. anything i should know or keep a look out for? or is it straight forward- unbolt/unplug and remove?
ive searched quite a bit on an instructional thread but have yet to find one.
thanks