Hey, im new to the forum so bare with me. 87 TPI Z28 auto.
I want to make the engine bay as clean as possible. Fixing all the previous owners hack jobs.

Couple questions:

Im going to get rid of the "air pump?" that connects to each runner in the exhuast manifolds. 1/4" NPT plugs. After the lines all connect where do they run to? Whats the best way to get rid of it? The cat has alread been removed from the car. Havent looked under there yet. lol

Vapor Canister. Is that the can at the front drivers side of the car? whats the best way to remove this? Will it cause a noticeable decrease in fuel mileage?

Anything else that is unnecesary?
Thanks alot.

 

Personally I'd only remove the AIR system. The canister and EGR don't affect your milage negatively at all, and don't rob any horsepower from the engine.

 

I asked because someone here said the canister Increases mileage. Just wondering if i would lose mileage by removing it. thanks.

 

As far as the air pump goes, you just got to get a smog pump delete pulley or re route the belt. The air tubes all connect on the drivers side and runs around the back of the engine and then all the passenger side ones connect into it and it runs to the smog pump. There are a couple bolts on the back of the engine that holds teh big tube to the heads...a real bitch to remove the damn bolts. I used the plugs but cant remember the size of them. I would also like to know how to get rid of the evap canister. People bitch whine and moan about how dangerous it is but hell cars went how long without them so there is a way.

 

Alright thanks. Must have got the air pump tubes confused with something else. Just remember something to do with the catalytic converter.
Im sure the evap canister is perfectly safe if working right, but i just dont like having all kinds of vacuum lines and unecesary hoses all over the place.

Kinda funny looking at my old 1987 2.8L TBI jimmy 4x4, then looking at my grandparents olds 88. 3.8L. Youd swear the olds was from a hot rod shop the way everythign was tucked away so nicely. You actually had to look for the vacuum lines.

 

The AIR pump does have to do with the cat. It literally pumps air into the exhaust manifolds to provide oxygen to the cat for it to burn off the different emissions in the exhaust stream. If you remove the AIR system, you should remove the cat too (I think you mentioned its already gone though).

The Evap canister basically sucks exhaust fumes off from the top of the fuel tank, rather than letting it build pressure in there, then at certain times the ECM opens a vaccum solenoid to it so it sucks those fumes into the engine to provide a bit more fuel. Like mentioned it actually helps with milage if it is working correctly. I wouldn't say its dangerous to remove so long as you have a vented gas cap, which would alllow the excess fumes to vent to atmosphere.

 

I understand all of the things discussed above. But what is that black box right behind the A/C compressor, I took it apart while pulling my engine out and it had some wiring going to it and was also connnected to the smog pump what is its purpose. Is it the solenoid for the pump ?

 

Yes I believe it is, I ripped mine off awhile back, cleaned it up some....somewhere there was a diagram that showed all the air system off of the car and explained how it worked so you could see the whole system

 

Did you put yours back on ? When I put my engine back together can I just leave out that solenoid and AIR system and just use new headers and re-route the pulleys to bypass the smog pump ? Or will it cause problems ?

 

If you have an 87 your belt routing should be the same as mine. (Its not all 1 serpentine belt) I did put headers on my car. There is 1 belt to drive the smog pump...so there is no need to buy a new belt. Cut your off and toss it away. YES the air tube that run along the rear of the block are a bitch to get off! I had my car up on a hoist with a long extention and a swivel socket to get the bolts undone. So cut the lines, cut the belt, and tos the smog pump in the trash. Also cut the lines going to your charcoal canister, block them off, tuck the wiring or tape them up, unbolt that canister and toss in the trash! Maybe shoot a 3 pointer! Then go buy a vented gas cap and your all set. I personally would get headers for your car unless you can plug those holes from the air pump tubing. Mine were all rusty. But it DOES clean up that engine compartment alot. If you need pics....I did mine already. Just PM me. The reason why I got rid of the Charcoal canister is I bought a SLP cold air induction system. LOL.....they wanted me to re-route the charcoal canister to the drivers side. LOL.....thats wasnt going to happen!

 

HAHA cool, Im gonna do that. If theres one cosmetic thing our cars need its to clean up that cluttered engine bay. But what about the box behind the a/c compressor if I leave that out what do I do with the wire that connected to it, what will happen ?

 

is your AC on the drivers side or the passanger side? Mines on the drivers side. I dont remember a box behind it. Is it the small box that have your coolent lines running to them? Just leave that alone. That goes back to the fire wall to your heater core. 1 line goes to your throttle Body (cough **coolent bye-pass** cough LOL!!) also, and another line goes somewhere but I forget.

 

Oh yea thats right, I have a bypass on it right now, I have the passenger side a/c unit. Strange tho cause its connected to the smog pump ??

 

Toss that box, it just re-routes air to either the tubes or the catalytic converter, wont throw up any codes, its as you said, clutter in the engine bay.

 

So that box isnt connected to coolant ? I seem to remember when I didnt my coolant bypass that it did? Is there a way to even bypass that ?

 

there is a round tube that hookes to the box from the air pump i left my air pump on my car just took off the tube on the back of the pump and the box

 

I put my engine back together without the air pump, and its working fine.