Hey Guys I noticed when I open up the hood that on the drivers side of the car there is a thick black hose that connects to four skinny polution pipes that are threaded into the exhaust manifold. The thick black hose looks like it goes behind the motor (up against the firewall) and then connects into this black square box on the passenger side of the car. It is located behind the AC compressor, and it has skinny polution pipes that thread into the exhaust manifold also. Can this stuff be removed? Has anyone here done this? Will it cause my engine light to come on, or any other problems? I eliminated my catalytic converter, and have had no problems there.
Thanks guys
C-ya
Mike

 

GTA,

The system you describe sounds like the A.I.R. (Air Injection/Reaction) system plumbing. If you do not have to meet emissions standards and no longer have a cat converter, you can eliminate these pipes and hoses. If you use the car for street driving, the smog police are probably going to catch up to you and forbid you from street driving until all the plumbing is replaced.

The "black square box" is probably a check valve.



The larger "black box" on the opposite side of the engine is likely the A.I.R. diverter control, or air management valve.



The A.I.R. system does not really steal any power from the engine, or at least so little that it makes no effective difference. The less than 2 HP you might recover at 5,000 RPM will be negligible. If you need to remove the plumbing to make space for something like a blower or turbocharger, have at it.

If you do decide to remove the parts, save everything in case you ever need to reinstall it.

In some cases (with newer ECMs) the disconnection of the AIR management valve can cause an error code to be set (the ECM expects to see and measure an electrical load when commanding the valve to open, similar to the EGR solenoid on most cars). Unless you have a '91 or newer car, I don't believe you will have a problem with setting an error code, but I've been wrong before...

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

 

that's not an '89, I assume it's vader's car. it's a v-belt car (serpentine was used in 1989) notice the AC on the drivers side.

 

Hey Guys, thanks for the help! We do not have emisson checks here. The real reason I wanted to elimiate these things is to "clean up the engine compartment" a little. It should be easier to get to the plugs & all. Thats strange on that picture, my AC compressor is on the opposite side also. Thanks again guys
C-ya
Mike

 

When I took off the check valves on the exhaust manifolds off the vette, I went to Lowes harware and bought two 1/2 inch threaded pipe caps and screwed the caps on the air tubes where the check valve used to go..really cleaned up the motor.
The caps are in the plumbing section and are cast Iron I believe.They work great.
-about 50 cents each.

 

BC86TPI-Z51.....Thanks! I dont want to destory the air fittings on my headers. I want to save all the parts to return it to stock one day. I will be making a trip to the hardware store today.

Vader...The corvette guys are saying they are picking up 10 horsepower bypassing the pump. I dont see anything gained by taking the air from the system. But not having to turn the pump shouldnt that make an improvment in power? Do you think it would be the same for the F-bodys as well? Or is this not worth doing?

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Black 90 IROC, L98, A4, 323 gear. SuperRamed 406 in the works!

[This message has been edited by MikeH (edited June 13, 2001).]

 

I had one ot those smog pumps freeze up once. Took it off and put atf fluid in it worked fine ever since. They should have a way to lube them pumps.