Engine restricting emission removal

[standup650]

Ammachine390, yea but that's a big IF. I'd rather just take off all those vacuum lines. I love my eagle but man does the engine compartment look cluttered. So if I can un-clutter it and raise the performance and eliminate the headache of emission control things then I'm all in.
Carnuck, I'm pretty sure 30 year old cars in WA state are exempt from smog regulations, plus how would anyone ever find out. But still 5k? Thanks for the heads up

Its easy to see no cat if you look under a rig, plus it is a federal thing, if your car came with one then technology it has to have one. and remember any policeman that knows will turn you in to the EPA. also the EPA does not care about you, they only care about the environment they WILL fine you. besides always run a cat people around you will thank you. when i go wheeling if your "that guy" and your not running a cat then it's back of the line. properly tuned engine or not the cat eliminates some hardcore fumes. Like carnuck said get a high flow one. I say if you research what the systems do most are good and dont rob power, most are there to help the engine as well as cut back on emissions. Im running, egr, pcv, and  a cat, you can get rid of a ton of vac and computer stuff if you have it. the only other thing would be gonks carb kit, i need one too. you can get power, save fuel, and not have your eyes water every time you are sitting at a stop light.it win win.

my clutter is in wires not emissions i think i have like 3 vac lines

[rohnk]

Ya that's %90 of it for me as well, my egr went bad in my truck and it took me a while to figure it out because it was staying open creating a vacuum leak. After much diagnostics, it only happened at high speeds under load, I found it and replaced it. The only reason I didn't block it was because the block kit was about the same price and not available that day and I was just tired of dealing with it. And of course a cleaner looking engine bay.

So I've got the 81 sx4 that was switched from an automatic to a 5speed. Is there any way to tell if I have the air pump or a diagram showing where everything that I can take off is?
Rohnk, when you do yours can you take pics if its not to much trouble? It would be a great write up!

Yes, I'll take some pictures. I also printed off the digram from Eaglepedia that shows all the vac line routing and smog stuff. I highlighted everything in red that can come off the engine. I'll take a pic tonight so you have an idea of what your going to be getting into. Maybe I'll start a thread on the subject as well.

Also, like standup650 says, you should keep the catalytic converter in the system. They do remove a lot of crud from the air. All I will do with my cat is remove the line from it to the air pump and cap it off. The cat will stay in the system though.

[carnuck]

Once I get some time, I'll be yanking that stuff out of mine. Main thing is do NOT pull the air pump before pulling the cat (unless you're not driving it) The old cats will superheat and set your floor on fire if they aren't getting enough air into them.

[olymunch]

Ya those are all good points. After looking up how the old cats differ from the new ones I'll prob spend the money and get a new one for higher flow. Also good to know about the line going to the cat. I know they only really work when hot but had no idea they were temp regulated to keep from overheating.
Looking forward to the diagram and pics, that'll be a HUGE help!

[rohnk]

Once I get some time, I'll be yanking that stuff out of mine. Main thing is do NOT pull the air pump before pulling the cat (unless you're not driving it) The old cats will superheat and set your floor on fire if they aren't getting enough air into them.

Oh snap! I totally didn't think of this. Dang it. Well, I guess I should plan to get a new MagnaFlow then. I looked one up on the O'Reilly site and the picture shows a MagnaFlow with a tube on the side for the air injection. There is also a universal fit one that doesn't have that tube.

Now what do I do!? 

[rohnk]

I was just reading the TSM and it says that all 6 cyl engines use the same type of air pump. How can that be when I have seen many pictures of engines on the forum that don't have an air pump? I'm confused by this.

If your car doesn't have an air pump, then what keeps the catalytic cool? All the replacement cats that I have looked up have an air tube on them. I was mistaken earlier about the universal fits, they have the air tube also.

Does anybody have a converter with an air tube that is blocked off?

Now I am considering removing the cat altogether but I really dont want to do that. I'm a borderline tree hugger and I like the environment so I'd really like to run the converter if possible. Just don't want it melting down or starting a fire.

[rohnk]

Ok, sorry for taking over this thread. I looked in the Eaglepedia under the diagram section for exhaust and chose the 6 cyl. It shows the exhaust system with airtube in the main diagram. In the smaller diagrams below the main one, it states that you can plug the air tube with a 3/8" pipe fitting.

So apparently, the air injection is not needed to help cool the converter, just to help it burn the gases more efficiently on smog equipment built vehicles. On non-smog vehicles, they must have used the same converter but plugged the air tube on it since there is no air pump to inject air.

Sound right to anybody else? I just want to do what is right here for the sake of my Eagle and the enviroment.

BTW, Magnaflow cats from O'Reilly's are $67. Not a huge amount of money I guess and it should perform better than the stock one that is on there now.   

[vangremlin]

I had to put a new cat on my car since it was cut off when I bought it.  I bought it off the auction site from some place in Lansing.  It does not have a feed from the air pump.  The air pump on my 81 goes to a manifold that taps into the exhaust manifold.  I have been running it for almost 3 years without the air pump being functional with no problems.

[rohnk]

Right, there is a single feed air injection and a dual feed air injection. The single feed only pushes air into the exhaust manifold via the air injection manifold. The dual feed pushes air into the injection manifold and catalytic converter through a diverter valve and vacuum control switch. The valve is controlled by vacuum from the CTO. As the engine gets warm, the CTO opens ported vacuum to the air control valve which starts air flowing to the catalytic convert.

[ammachine390]

The air pump was last used on Eagles in 1982. 1980 and 81 (except California Models) models are equipped with a single air injection, which feeds only to the exhaust manifold. In 1982, Eagles got computer controls. The ECM controls the the air valve operation. When the engine is cold, air is directed to the exhaust manifold since a cold engine runs rich, so this cleans it up, and it heats up the O2 sensor faster. Once the engine warms up, the computer switches off the vacuum solenoid, and the air is directed to the catalytic converter.

You should be ok disconnecting the air pump tube to the catalytic converter.

[carnuck]

My '81 has the plastic valve cover, non-feedback carb, dual AIR injection (manifold and cat) because it was a CA car. I drove it home from the shop tonight (just a couple miles) and it stunk of oil leak. In the AM I will be loading tools, power inverter, sawzall, air compressor and other stuff in the wagon and going to my cabin to disassemble the XJ parts rig of my buddy's plus cut the cab off the datsun pickup that's becoming a trailer.

[ammachine390]

My '81 has the plastic valve cover, non-feedback carb, dual AIR injection (manifold and cat) because it was a CA car.

Being a California model, it should have the dual air injection as well as the feedback carb. Maybe someone switched the carb? The feedback system used on the 81 California Eagles was the same that all 81 Concords and Spirits have. They are not like the usual Eagle feedback system, as it is the only feedback system that does not control the ignition timing in any way, all it does control is the air injection solenoids, and the stepper motor.

[carnuck]

The little TPS switch on the back? There doesn't appear to be any harness for the feedback carb yet it has TONS of extraneous hoses that will disappear soon (after I swap in a new cat)

[ammachine390]

If it is a feedback carb, there is a stepper motor on the back side of the carb, which has a square 5 wire connector going into it. Also there is a TPS which is just on the passenger side, and has 3 wires going into it. If the carb has been swapped, those won't be on a non-feedback carb, but the harnesses should still be there.

Also,are there 3 vacuum solenoids on top the valve cover? Are there 3 vacuum switches on the passenger side fender across from the distributor? If yes, your car definitely had a feedback carb at one point.

[rohnk]

I've been working on the air pump removal for the last two hours. I can only take so much bending over the engine compartment so I am taking a break to play with the kids, walk the dog and maybe watch a little TV.

So far I have the air pump out, the air injection manifold off and I cut the hose to the catalytic converter. I removed the carb also to make room to get to the bolts. Good thing I am doing this, the front and rear injection points where broke off the tubes. The rear one is hard to get too as it is right up by the firewall. I still need to get that bolt out so I can plug the hole. It has been leaking badly from the point and has bown oil and carbon all over the backside of the engine.

Everyone keep in mind that when doing this job the valve cover will be very accessible and so will the bolts to the intake and exhasut manifolds. It is a good time to tighten your bolts on the manifolds or loosen them up and replace gaskets. I'm leaning toward putting in new gaskets since I think the original gaskets are still on my engine. Another thing to do since the carb is off, is to remove the EGR and make a block-off plate. I'm also taking out the CTO since I have no vaccum lines going to it right now. Also when I reinstall the carb, I am not going to put the thick plastic spacer back in. It would give me more air space and maybe a couple HP, but I really don't think it is necessary since my adjustment screws are not interferring with the spacer.

Since the valve cover is accessible, I am going to be replacing the origianl plastic one with a new one I ordered last week. It should be in this week so I'll have everything I need.

One more quick note. On my engine, the bolts for the brackets holding the air pump and power steering pump are metric. 15mm I believe. The air injection manifold bolts are 5/8" and most everything else is 9/16". I was missing one nut on the bottom of the air pump as well. Not sure why other than someone must have worked on it at one point and not put the nut back on.