When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
You can test this easily, without removing anything (yet). Be aware that there are risks in doing this if it is not done properly. If the catalytic converter is the original three-way design there is a minor risk of contaminating the secondary catalyst bed on cold starts/short trips without the extra air from the pump being applied. Also, the oxygen sensor may not indicate quite correctly since there is a programmed offset applied to the sensor signal by the ECM. Whenever the AIR management system diverts air, the ECM offsets the O² sensor threshold by 100mV to compensate for the additional air. As a result, it is likely to run lean without changing the ECM programming.
To test the idea, you can remove the original belt and install a longer belt, something like a GATES K060966, and re-route it around the A.I.R. pump sheave.
Disconnect the electrical connector from the port/divert valve control, then drive the car for a week to ten days as you normally would. Report back with any error codes or operational problems you develop.
If your RS is the typical LO3 engine, the belt should end up looking something like this:
