Interesting Discovery
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 666
From: Northeast
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,929
Likes: 842
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
It does dilute the exhaust which is what it really accomplished, it isn't vital to the cars operation and I'd pull it off and at least save some weight.
But I agree box it up and keep it one day it may be worth something
But I agree box it up and keep it one day it may be worth something
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
You get your torque manly for CI and compression... Horse power comes from rpm... Thus the formula for hp is (tq X rpm/)5252
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
The 79 has a 3.55 rear gear ratio so it will seem peppy compared to the typical 3.08 or the anemic 2.79 or whatever it was in the early 80 cars. The L82 has decent compression, decent intake and carb and a decent cam. Downfall is the exhaust but the 2 1/2 true duel with no cat will really help. I would hook the air pump belt up. The exhaust manifolds have a lot of backpressure and the exhaust will be forced back into the pump, likely trashing it. The A.I.R components on the early 70's cars are quite valuable as the L48 cars did not have them but the performance engines did. The states that require smog you need that pump so it has value because a LOT of them were removed and thrown away. Keep it as it was. Only cost a couple HP if that.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,162
Likes: 814
From: Chapel Hill NC
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I would save any smog equipment removed. I don't think the smog laws will become more lenient, but probably the opposite.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
Thanks all for the correction of my poor memory of the earliest "smog" controls with completely mechanical carburetors!
I had forgotten that there is so much unburned fuel in the exhaust that injecting fresh air directly into the exhaust manifold would result in most of it being fully combusted with reduced CO.
As I do believe in being reasonably considerate regarding pollution I will reinstall the belt on the A.I.R. pump as it is performing a useful service and I can deal with the small amount of lost engine power.
I had forgotten that there is so much unburned fuel in the exhaust that injecting fresh air directly into the exhaust manifold would result in most of it being fully combusted with reduced CO.
As I do believe in being reasonably considerate regarding pollution I will reinstall the belt on the A.I.R. pump as it is performing a useful service and I can deal with the small amount of lost engine power.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Thanks all for the correction of my poor memory of the earliest "smog" controls with completely mechanical carburetors!
I had forgotten that there is so much unburned fuel in the exhaust that injecting fresh air directly into the exhaust manifold would result in most of it being fully combusted with reduced CO.
As I do believe in being reasonably considerate regarding pollution I will reinstall the belt on the A.I.R. pump as it is performing a useful service and I can deal with the small amount of lost engine power.
I had forgotten that there is so much unburned fuel in the exhaust that injecting fresh air directly into the exhaust manifold would result in most of it being fully combusted with reduced CO.
As I do believe in being reasonably considerate regarding pollution I will reinstall the belt on the A.I.R. pump as it is performing a useful service and I can deal with the small amount of lost engine power.
