Hi i have a 98 z28 camaro , the question i have is about the air pump . What does the air pump do for the engine , can the engine perform without the air pump . Any info on this question will be great , Thanks

 

the air pump is only for emissions. air is needed to finish the combustion in the cat, so it adds the needed airm the air is pumped into the exhause manifold. if you have emision testing in your county then you will need it to pass. If they take a sniff test then there is no way around it, you need it. if all they do (much much more likley) is tap into the OBDII port and check emissions codes then you can edit it with the proper software so it will always pass.

either way it will not effect the performance of the eninge with or without it. there is no point in having an air pump if you dont have a cat.

 

this will explain it better:


AIR INJECTION
Since no internal combustion engine is 100% efficient, there will always be some unburned fuel in the exhaust. This increases hydrocarbon emissions. To eliminate this source of emissions an air injection system was created. Combustion requires fuel, oxygen and heat. Without any one of the three, combustion cannot occur. Inside the exhaust manifold there is sufficient heat to support combustion, if we introduce some oxygen than any unburned fuel will ignite. This combustion will not produce any power, but it will reduce excessive hydrocarbon emissions. Unlike in the combustion chamber, this combustion is uncontrolled, so if the fuel content of the exhaust is excessive, explosions, that sound like popping, will occur. There are times when under normal conditions, such as deceleration, when the fuel content is excessive. Under these conditions we would want to shut off the air injection system. This is accomplished through the use of a diverter valve, which instead of shutting the air pump off, diverts the air away from the exhaust manifold. Since all of this is done after the combustion process is complete, this is one emission control that has no effect on engine performance. The only maintenance that is required is a careful inspection of the air pump drive belt. (but our camaros dont have a belt driven pump, its electric, so instead of diverting the air when its not needed, they just shut off the pump)

 

You can take it off if you don't run cats or have emissions.