Just wondering if this was a common thing because when I first bought the car before the swap(see sig) the car had no air pump or air system whatsoever. I thought all thirdgens had this? Was it just a v6 thing? If anyone has more info Id appreciate it.

 

quite a few pre -90's were like this. (89- down) Freinds 89 no pump, just a idler pully.

 

My '86 GM service manual says that 2.8's with automatics did NOT get an AIR system, but 2.8's with manual transmissions did. So that's "concrete evidence" for the 1986 year. I worked on a friend's '89 2.8 with 700r4 automatic, he didn't have the AIR system either. Another friend's '87 2.8 with 700r4 also didn't have AIR.

But, my '84 2.8/700r4 parts car DID have AIR- but it was carbureted.

 

My 89 is an auto and does not have an AIR pump.

 

Odd, my 89 does have AIR. I think this has something to do with it being built down in Cali. I've been pondering deleting it, but then from what I understand, I would have to find a non-AIR chip. Or would anyone know if the computer would just compensate for the loss of o2 in the exhaust? Been something I have been thinking about for awhile since I noticed that the AIR cuts out and comes back intermittently (though I think this has something to do with that other vaccum line running from some little cylinder like black valve to the AIR *shrug*).

-Dan

 

'87 Calif edition V6 RS and no air pump stock- car burned clean enough that c.a.r.b. did not mandate it for this year- don't know about other years though.

 

Well I'm not sure how it works on older 3rd gens, but on new cars the AIR only comes on at startup to light off the cats. But 3rd gens it was belt driven so I think it would be on all the time? Or was there a clutch that would disengage it? Will a code even be set if the AIR pump is malfunctioning or removed? Does the ecu monitor its operation at all?

 

From what I understand of the AIR system (I don't have it so I never concerned myself with learning about it), it does the same thing- only pumps oxygen to the cat for a while to help it warm up faster. It'll somehow shut that line off after a while, but it'll continue to pump fresh air into the exhaust manifolds while the car's running.

The whole thing still makes no sense to me. If I pumped a ton of fresh air into my exhaust, of course my car would run cleaner! Might as well just hang the tailpipe sniffer "near" the tailpipe exit instead of putting it into the pipe!

Sounds like a definate way to pass emissions on a troublesome car... add an AIR system.

 

Ah, I know quite a few big cam'd LS1 guys who tried this to no avail. Unfortunately the smog equipment is smart enough to detect air contamination in the exhaust stream and fail you. Similiarly, the exhaust leak on my '89 cause me to fail sniffer because of contamination in the exhaust for the same reason.

 

Is your f-bird an auto TomP? My SC's the same year and engine as yours and it has AIR. Mine's a T5.

I thought the AIR system had something to do with a closed throttle at shifting or something. Because the injectors are firing but the throttle is closed. I can't support this claim though. But maybe I'll look into it.

 

Hm, yah. It's all pretty odd to me. See, my cat has never had a seperate inlet for AIR to inject strait into it, never has on this car (though I've seen it on other cars). Only air that gets injected is the 6 inlets on the headers. Yet, I noticed when I took off the rubber hose from the pump to the main inlet, the pump would pump sometimes and then sometimes not. Don't really care much, but if that isn't normal, then I'd like to take care of the problem. Don't really like the idea of the o2 sensor thinking it needs to run richer certain times and then leaner on others. I think I'll phone my mechanic friend of mine and find out a bit more.

-Dan

 

well i had a problem,, when i orderd my jet underdrive pulleys from summit racing..... they kept giving me a part # for the belt,
that was the wrong one.. i have a 87 firebird, i told them the one they keep giving me, is for an ((air pump)) i dont have one...
they said well thats the part # that jet pulleys have..
so u know what i had to do right! keep trying different ones till i found the right one..