How does one remove the electric AIR system in a 1998 Tahoe?

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Calvo

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My 98 2 door has it, it’s called the secondary air injection. It is a California emissions vehicle also. I’ve just replaced my exhaust manifold gaskets and in process of going back together. I actually took all that piping for that nonsense off. As of now my 2door is now 25yrs old and emissions exempt. I’m not messing with EGR or removing cats….just taking off the electric air pump, check valves, and all the hoses that go with it. Just get a sheet of exhaust gasket material from fel-pro is like $8. Cut it to the shape and put a small piece of flat bar or whatever you have on hand to plug the hole and just use the two bolts to snug ot down. It’s now blocked off. You could also just run a plug tap for the air port in the center and put a stainless plug in it. There’s a few different ways to do it. As far as a tune….you don’t need it. The pump does not come on when your driving. It’s only suppose to pump air to exhaust stream to heat your O2 sensors up quicker. Not much help here in Houston where it stays hot and doesn’t need any help warming up. HAHA
Thank you! This is actually very helpful!
 

Andrews98

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Sure, no problem. Schurkey is correct, there is zero “need” to remove it. However, it’s a personal preference and my “need” is to get rid of useless things and free up some space to install things that are actually useful like that cool little toolbox they use to have in that spot, or the additional battery, or a deep cycle battery with an inverter set up etc. Plus it really cleans up the engine bay quite a bit without the hoses there. Wait until that system starts having problems. I remember reading the TSBs 20+ years ago about installing baffles in the hoses because of some weird noise complaints etc.
 

Schurkey

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Hey this sounds awesome, but where do I find a set of headers with the air provisions, can’t find them!
I got mine twenty-something years ago, to fit my '88. Edelbrock Tubular Exhaust System p/n 6667. But they've been discontinued since forever.

Worst case: Weld in an AIR pipe on each header set, threaded for an AIR check-valve. Plug the AIR hoses into the check valves. Done.
 
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