I have searched and have come up with no actual technique for removal, except that's it's easy. I have a lot of parts removed at this time alternator, plenum, AIR pump. I see there is a pipe that connects the exhaust manifolds I may either have to remove air conditioner or cut the pipe out, is this correct? I think for now I will keep the check valves connected for removal later. Then there is this "stuff" divert silencer, air solenoid, control solenoid attached to the air conditioner with electrical connectors (2) can this garbage be removed? Unplug and play-this is not. Am I on the right track? I really don't want any "check engine" light. Thanks for any help.

 

What year helps?

 

Oops '85

 

Unplug and play it is
Anything connected to the pump ( both in and out ) gets removed
The one way valves on the exh manifolds can be left in place and sealed with rubber caps ( as used for heater lines ) or the valves removed and the threaded pipe sealed with 1/2 NPT pipe cap.
Tape up the connectors to the divertor valves because wires are hot with key on

If you are talking about the s/s pipe back to the cat it can be removed all the way and the pipe at the cat sealed up

No SES light because there is no feedback to the ECM on the AIR system

 

Awesome, thanks for the reply. The pipe I'm talking about in in the front of the engine and ties the check valves together which are connected to the exhaust manifolds. Thanks again.

 

I loved getting rid of the smog equipment on my 90 L98, and my original
belt still fit. i left my diverter check valves on for now untill i install the headers this fall PO already removed the Cats.

 

I am involved in this project right now. 91 L98. I pulled all that stuff off and am going to sell it on eBay. I am also installing a modified LT1 intake that I bought from David Frederick here on the Forum. Great guy to work with!
I am also installing under drive pulleys and figured that "while I am in there" I might as well install a new water pump. Just pushed the car out into the driveway and used a gasoline powered power washer to blast the front of the engine and the stuff below it at 3,000 PSI. I am soaked and the driveway is flowing rainbow-colored water! I am glad I covered everything up good because the greasy black pieces of crud went everywhere! I am going to have to wash the car tomorrow.
I'll get some before and after pics up tomorrow after it all dries.
Fun in the garage! (actually out in the driveway).

 

You can remove the check valves and get some 1'2" pipe thread pipe caps from a hardware store. Thread them on using some anti-seize and tighten snugly.

You can remove all of the hoses and plastic lines without causing any issues at all. There is no electrical relationship between the AIR components and the A/C compressor. There is a single plug with two wires going to the A/C compressor; just leave that connector in place.

There will be a vacuum line to the AIR valve so get a rubber vacuum line cap to plug the line. The two electrical connections can simply be wire-tied out of the way.

You didn't say what AIR pump eliminator kit you are using, but make sure you check for any difference in the diameter of the OEM AIR pump pulley and the kit pulley. You may have to use a serp belt that is a couple inches shorter. It depends on the kit.

 

I got the kit from TPIS, and you make a good point about the diameter of the pulley and serpentine belt.

 

You know, I started out replacing the coolant and thermostat. So far I have changed the distributor cap and rotor, changed the injectors, purchased better looking valve covers. Powdered coated the runners and plenum in my garage, changed the EGR. The alternator was cracked where the mounting bolt goes thru tab--changing alternator. Installing refurbished throttle body from TPIS. Lots of changes, lots can go wrong, but I am taking my time. And having fun.

 

Another question please on my AIR delete. I have removed everything including the "divert solenoid" and "port solenoid" connectors have been waterproofed. My question is there was a hose connection from the fuel pressure regulator and plenum they came together in a "Y" and then connected to the divert solenoid which is now gone. What happens to that connection from the FPR I assume I can plug off the one on the plenum. Thanks for any assistance.

 

Yes, just plug off empty vacuum ports...or replace a Y with a single piece.

Also, don't except these 20hp gains being advertised from an AIR delete. It's consistently been show to be a false claim.

You'll be lucky if you get 1hp...and that's gonna be due to dyno variance from run-to-run.

 

Agreed. The HP difference is minuscule. I never understood why people rip his very simple and effective pollution control device off at the drop of a hat.

 

Do you really think its all about a hp gain? Maybe some people just want to clean up the engine bay and eliminate some unnecessary hardware. Thank you for your response though. Even if it was worthless.

 

I must admit that it never even occurred to me that someone would remove the A.I.R pump for reasons of engine compartment aesthetics. I see so many around here who are eager to remove emissions equipment, and it is usually for one of two reasons:

1) To increase horsepower, or because they are installing engine components (or whole engines) which are incompatible with them. This is what I assumed in your case.

2) To attempt to resolve some issue with the way the engine is running.

If you are removing it for the first reason, I can understand that. Significant mods sometimes result in removal of the equipment. Headers, intakes, etc... sometimes just do not allow for them. This I can live with, especially on a track or drag car. The second reason is just dumb. If your stock engine is not running right, then defeating a piece of equipment that was designed to be part of the system in an attempt to "right" it is a lazy shortcut. Yes, there is the odd occasion where the emissions equipment cannot be repaired and is truly the cause- but most often it's just removed because it is a convenient scapegoat for someone who does not even know what the equipment does.

Your reason is, in my opinion, of less value than either of those two, especially if the engine is running well with it in place.

The old-car hobby is on the defensive. It's been attacked for years as an environmentally damaging endeavor full of old cars spewing smog and leaking massive quantities of gasoline and oil all over our highways while we rip by at insane speeds with loud exhausts. From car-crushing rebates and buybacks to legislation prohibiting hobbyists from parking their cars in their driveways, any number of legal attacks have been visited upon our hobby. And when someone uninitiated in this hobby reads that you want to pull off your A.I.R. pump, which robs a tiny sliver of horsepower from your engine but allows a more complete burning of hydrocarbons by your engine, because you don't like THE WAY IT LOOKS, then their feelings about old car guys are reinforced. And your ownership of a C4 makes you an "old car guy", like it or not.

Further, the word "unnecessary" is ridiculous in this instance. The engineers who designed and installed the equipment on that car did not do so because they had no better way to spend the money. I'm guessing that you could not even tell me what the A.I.R. system does without Googling it.

Your attitude is worse than worthless- it makes us look bad to people who are already highly suspicious of our hobby and would love to see these cars crushed up and recycled into nice, happy, Nissan Leafs and Priuses.

If that's truly your only reason for junking it, perhaps your time would be better invested in figuring out a way to make it better looking- plating, polishing, perhaps a set of custom stainless tubes or something equally cool.