Ok, whenever i start my car in the cold or when i rev it past 5k it makes this strange sound. I finally figured where it comes from but i dont know what it is for. When i put my hand between the engine and fender on the passenger side while it is making this sound i feel lots of air pressurized and pushing on my hand. Is this an air pump for emissions or what? How can i fix this?

It's an 85 GSL stock

 

yes it's the air pump... if it's not connected to anything, remove it... it's for the catalytic convertor (which it supplies o2 to) and if you don't have a cat it's not needed...

Disconnect all the wiring to it and cap all the vacuum lines you disconnected, and you should not have a problem. The only thing that's a pain is that you will have to disassemble the fan clutch.. but that's the price you pay... You'll also gain 2-5 more horsepower.

Also, if you want to relieve stress, smash it to bits with a big hammer ... All this being done after you make sure to check that you have no emission control programs where you live (aircare, etc...).

Search the forum for more on this topic... it's out there.

That's my 2 bits...

Jeff

 

in the engine bay on the passanger side just under the headlight assy and next to the radiator (down by the return hose from the water pump) should be a cylendrical canister. That's the "muffler" for the air pump. The air pump feeds extra fresh air to the cats to help burn any extra fuel and and reduce emissions. If you have no cats, you're prolly just venting the air that it's putting out to the atmosphere. The airpump also injects some fresh air into the engine via the ACV, which is down by the exhaust manifold. In the GSL-SE's it also is responsable (the ACV) for supplying the "boost" signal to the aux ports, but no US 12A's have aux ports so if you don't have a GSL-SE you shouldn't worry about it.

If you've removed your cats, you can get an ACV block off plate from RB for a few bux, and tear out the air pump, ACV, associated hoses and that stupid muffler. You might want to get a dual pully setup for your alternator so your water pump belt doesn't slip under high RPM's. That's a bad thing

Search the forum, I know there's been threads about emissions removal on the 12A's (hopefully post-last-hack) that will get you pointed in the right direction.

Removing the airpump on a GSL-SE is not reccomended unless you remove or jam open the 6ports. My car's performance and top speed was SERIOUSLY hampered by inactive 6ports. (105MPH vs ~121MPH top end in 4th)

If you have cats, then just make sure the airpump and it's gadgetry is all hooked up alright, and just ignore the noise

--matt