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Air Pump Removal… Pros? Cons? Tips?

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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 03:15 PM
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Air Pump Removal… Pros? Cons? Tips?

I'm really thinking about removing the air pump on my '88 460. There's just so much cr*p in that system that makes general maintenance a pita.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Yes…no? Is there a better way than another to get rid of it and what about belt routing after it goes bye-bye.

This is a California emissions truck but we don't do smog checks up here in the land of Cheddar (at least where I live)….
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 03:25 PM
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So before I did this post I did a forum search and found nothing… a yahoo search found this… it was here all the time.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...at-belt-2.html

But more input is good, too. Fire away...
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 03:37 PM
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It's plenty easy enough to do. I did both of the trucks in my sig. Take off belt driven stuff, plug vacuum lines, and leave anything electrical hooked up. Your probably have the air injection into the manifold, right? If so, just plug them too. I think a small JIC plug is the right size (-4 maybe?) or a short bolt with a copper washer will do the job.
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by eakermeld
It's plenty easy enough to do. I did both of the trucks in my sig. Take off belt driven stuff, plug vacuum lines, and leave anything electrical hooked up. Your probably have the air injection into the manifold, right? If so, just plug them too. I think a small JIC plug is the right size (-4 maybe?) or a short bolt with a copper washer will do the job.
No manifold injection that I can see. I haven't crawled under the truck yet to see if I have something going to the cat… maybe tomorrow.
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 07:55 PM
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Yea, you will have a tube or two going to the cat. I bent mine over and mashed them shut with vise grips.
You can sorta see one on the top of the cat. It's bent back and pinched tight at the fold then whacked off with a die grinder.
It's good you don't have the manifold stuff, those little tubes are a PITA!
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by eakermeld
Yea, you will have a tube or two going to the cat. I bent mine over and mashed them shut with vise grips.
You can sorta see one on the top of the cat. It's bent back and pinched tight at the fold then whacked off with a die grinder.
It's good you don't have the manifold stuff, those little tubes are a PITA!
I can probably fire up the old MIG welder and fix those… a new O2 sensor is probably in order, too.

Thanks for the good photo.

I really have to get my old stock car off of my lift. I've never had a dually on it before but I did use it to service my old E-350. I had it up in the air with a 3500# load in the back and it handled the weight just fine… but it certainly wasn't as long as this thing is. It's rated @ 12,000 lbs. and it's a strong old Made-In-USA Weaver from the 70's… good stuff.

 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 08:21 PM
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I was actually leaning against the MIG when I took that photo, but I was too lazy to hook it up (One clamp, turn on gas, flip switch. Soooo complicated!) so I just bent it over.
 
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Old Sep 1, 2014 | 10:44 PM
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Just to show you guys I'm not a Chevy guy… that Malibu has a Mopar engine/trans in it….
 
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Old Sep 2, 2014 | 11:53 AM
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I removed the pulley on my '89 F150 and just unhooked the hose going to the cat(which I removed also) and just pinched the line over at the back of the heads. There should be a crossover and check valve back there. Have to seal it off or you will have an exhaust leak. My pump was starting to rattle and surely was going to lock up at the most un-opportune time.
 
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Old Sep 2, 2014 | 06:43 PM
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I have a 90 5.0 and am wondering about the same thing. saw earlier posts on plugging the holes in the back of the heads with bolts. do they screw in or do you have to use some goo on them?
 
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Old Sep 2, 2014 | 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by sparky23
I have a 90 5.0 and am wondering about the same thing. saw earlier posts on plugging the holes in the back of the heads with bolts. do they screw in or do you have to use some goo on them?
Goo…is that a technical term?
 
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Old Sep 2, 2014 | 09:51 PM
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My 0.02 USD worth.

Ya know, if it's not seized up, you will only gain less than 1/2 a horsepower.

doesn't seem to be worth the hassle to me.
 
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Old Sep 2, 2014 | 09:55 PM
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Originally Posted by raystankewitz
Ya know, if it's not seized up, you will only gain less than 1/2 a horsepower.

doesn't seem to be worth the hassle to me.
I'd do it just to clean up the engine compartment. I guess I'm bored...
 
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Old Sep 3, 2014 | 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by sparky23
I have a 90 5.0 and am wondering about the same thing. saw earlier posts on plugging the holes in the back of the heads with bolts. do they screw in or do you have to use some goo on them?
The hole is not threaded. It has a plate with two small bolts holding the tube onto the head on each side. As long as the tubing and such is not rotted apart, then just plug off the tube coming down to the cat. Leave the rest alone.

If you take the tubes off, I'm sure someone has tried JB weld or such to hold bolts in the holes. Not sure how permanent that is?
 
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Old Sep 3, 2014 | 11:36 AM
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My '71 Bronco has a newer engine, so I had to plug those ports on the heads. I just drilled holes in some 1/4" steel and used the existing bolt holes to hold the plates in place to block off the holes. I think I used some sort of "goo" to help seal between the plate and the head, but it was so long ago that I don't remember what I used.
 
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