Pinto Car Club of America
Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: tim1223 on June 17, 2005, 02:45:52 PM
Hello everyone,  I just bought a header for my 1975 stock 2.3l.  There is a tube coming from the smog pump that goes the timed bypass valve then it goes to the exhaust manifold. The new header does not have a hole for this tube.
MY QUESTION IS do I need the smog (air ) pump on this engine or can I remove it? If removed what would the difference be? Any information would be a great help. Please excuse my terminology but I don't know anything about emission controls. The component I am referring to is on the right side of the motor. By the way, in Minnesota we got rid of emission testing so removing any controls is not a problem. Thanks in advance Tim
I say remove it & throw it away. If you are in a state that does e-checks then you might have a problem passing emission testing.
Hello, If I remove the pump will I notice a difference in the exhaust smell? Thanks Tim
The pump is to blow fresh air into exhaust to help cool the cat conv. Should not smell different. When my pump went out I threw it away and put a bracket in its place that did not have holes for a pump.
My smog pump was removed from my 79 Pinto SW as soon as I bought my car in 1988. The mechanic said it wasn't working well, and all it was doing was using up horsepower.
I was able to pass emissions without it. Only once, when I'd had the car off the road a while, and was having trouble getting the idle set right (for the slow idle test at emissions, the shop set it too high), did a state employee open the hood of my car and remind me that my engine "has been tampered with". Usually, they don't look.
Quote from: billnall on June 28, 2005, 05:55:37 PM
The pump is to blow fresh air into exhaust to help cool the cat conv. Should not smell different. When my pump went out I threw it away and put a bracket in its place that did not have holes for a pump.
The pump is used to heat the partially unburned exhaust by introducing air to induce more burn time, much like blowing on a hot ember. it was used with and without cats. Believe it or not, they're testing air injection on lawnmower engines also for the same reason. You'll notice the smog pump is disappearing as engines and EFI systems are getting more complicated and efficient.