A.I.R. Delete
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15
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A.I.R. Delete Hello, I did some research on what I can or cannot remove from my car to free up some engine bay space. I decided to keep the EGR just for the sake of ride comfort, but what I would like to do is delete the A.I.R. system all together. I know it will probably throw a code which can be tuned out. But what I would like to know is how will it effect ride quality or durability of the vehicle? It seems a lot of people do just fine without it, emissions tests are not a problem in my area. Is it a good idea to remove this? The engine bay is really tight already and this could free up quite a bit of space.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,147
Likes: 62
From: Little Rock, AR
Please give year and car info when asking for help. Results of removal are different accordingly. Not quite understanding the "ride comfort" or "ride quality" statements. That's usually something in reference to suspension.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Sorry, this is a 1997 Z28 LT1, and what I mean by ride comfort is by how smooth the engine operates.i heard with the removal of parts like these it can cause the engine to run rough.
If you still have the cats it is quite possible they will eventually clog without the AIR system. If you don't have cats, then go ahead and toss it. You can get it tuned out via mail order. A member here named moehorspower does mail orders. I would suggest you do the tune out first before tossing it. If you don't you will indeed trigger a code and your PCM will run in open loop, which again, if you care, the engine will not run as efficiently. You would most likely benefit in keeping the EGR unless you are going to install a more aggressive cam. That too will have to be turned off in the PCM if you decide to be rid of it.
In the OBD-I cars, as long as the fuse for the AIR pump is left in place it won't trigger a code if the pump and pipe are removed and the AIR fittings capped off. Not sure about 96-97 cars. As SS RR indicated, having air blown down the exhaust for 2-4 minutes on cold startup helps get the cats to light-off temperature. I kept this on my 94 Formula with aftermarket 100 cell/in. cats. Pump, pipe and fittings have never gotten in the way for me. The ABS pump and modulator and AC plumbing are more unsightly to me but I'm not getting rid of those either. 
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 79
Likes: 5
From: Houston, Texas
I deleted both when I started getting EGR trouble codes and didn't think it necessary to fix it. I noticed no difference in the way my car behaves one way or the other. However, I later found out that the previous owner had hollowed out the cat that was on the car, so the AIR system didn't really have a job to do anymore in the first place. As long as you're only running premium in the car and don't need to worry about emissions in your area, there's not too much reason to keep it unless you're wanting to resell somewhere that does test emissions.
