Chevy G20 350 V8 5.7 Smog Pump Delete

Does the arrow (red arrow) line up with the notch (blue arrow) on your tensioner? That will indicate if your belt is the correct length. In this picture the belt a just a bit too long.

 

Interesting, I didn't think of that. My tensioner doesn't look like that one but I will check tomorrow and report back

 

Guess you have never worked on a van that had one air pump much less two. These pumps love to seize up and it is usually at night on an open road. Been there, done that.

When you remove and plug the air pipes it makes spark plug changes much easier as well.

The air pump eats about 5 hp and sucks more fuel as well.

 

Changing the spark plugs with the air pipes in the way plus reading about the possiblity of the pumps seizing and shredding a belt made up my mind on removing that shit. Last thing I need when towing at night in the middle of nowhere is a mechanical issue that leaves me stranded. Just one less thing to worry about with it all gone

 

The PS pump could seize. Better remove it.

The A/C compressor could seize. Gotta go.

I've seen water pumps fail. You need to look into that.

My own truck (88 K1500) had the alternator rear bearing lock up. Noisy as hell until I shut it off at the gas pump, and then the starter wasn't powerful enough to turn the engine until I replaced the alternator. You'd better remove your alternator, too.

Yes, the AIR pump can seize. Get a new/rebuilt replacement.

5 hp to run an AIR pump? Not likely.

How hard can it be to change plugs? (Yes, vans suck for engine work, no way around that.)

 

This should be obvious but I guess it isn’t...the difference between all of that stuff and the dumbass air pump is that it’s all necessary and/or useful. The air pump is not. So that’s a bad argument.

changing the plugs with all the stuff there was definitely possible, but without it it’s way easier. Engine bay looks better too. If you don’t want to do it to your motor then don’t do it, but it was worth the little bit of trouble to do it to mine.

why pay money to replace something that’s completely unnecessary (and provides nothing but a liability) when it goes bad when I can remove it for free? If you want to waste your money go right ahead buddy but taking this shit off my motor was the right move for me.

 

Totally agree. I guess Schurkey would also be the one to keep and replace the A/C idler tensioner on the LS trucks too when you can install a stretch belt and eliminate it too.

 

Gained 10 hp to the tires removing both air pumps on my old 83 G20. Torque gains across the whole rpm range. Saved a good 20-30 lbs of weight removing all that garbage too.

Those air pumps can seize with little to no warning and not worth replacing unless you live in an area with California like smog laws. Better keep that 160 hp engine STOCK there but in other places....

I removed the air pump on the 87 G20 I built recently too in the form of a heads/cam LQ4 6.0L/4L80E install in place of the 104K mile TBI 305/TH400 driveline. On the highway it knocks down 20 mpg. With the 3.08 rear gear turns 1,800 rpm @ 70.

I took the EGR off that 6.0L and used an 06 PCM with a 2006 VIN. None are the wiser that it is not an 06 engine that came without EGR.

 

here’s mine, not the same but it looks like the main line is in between the 2 on the other piece. Does this look about right?