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Old 02-24-2007, 06:23 PM   #1
Banish
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Question 06 WRX Air Pump Removal - is it safe??

Ok, been searching this site and a lot of other forums but haven't really found an answer.

While wiring up my gauges today, I removed the Air Pump that is on the drivers side of the engine compartment where the Washer fluid was on the pre-06 models. STI's do not even have this air pump.

I know it is used in the first 20-30 seconds of a start to feed air into the exhaust system so that the car will run cleaner and heat of the cat faster; but is it realy necessary?? After removing it, I plugged up the air hose that it fed and the car seems to be running just fine - no CEL or anything.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this on 06+ WRX's...

Thanks in advance.

-Jeff
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Old 02-24-2007, 06:26 PM   #2
uathatis
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at least a few people have done this and it has been done safely so far,

I'm pretty sure you will get cels from removing this but i forget the evidence thread of this., so i'd suggest a way to delete the cel's for inspection

I guess ask yourself if its worth messing around with the engine to remove something that perhaps saves some lb's but has no performance gain either way...

if your going to do it i believe buschur or.. meld was it? some people were getting some block off plates together.
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Old 02-24-2007, 06:33 PM   #3
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Keep us updated on whether or not you get a CEL. That stupid thing is so in the way when you're trying to install anything that goes through the firewall. If that wasn't there you'd be able to snake your arm down without taking off the IC. BTW, the 07 STis have that confounded contraption.
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Old 02-24-2007, 06:39 PM   #4
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I'll let you know if I throw a CEL. So far I have only driving it like 10 miles with a couple of stops.

-Jeff
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Old 02-25-2007, 02:13 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Banish View Post
I'll let you know if I throw a CEL. So far I have only driving it like 10 miles with a couple of stops.

-Jeff
Why would you take it out? If it comes stock with it its most likely best, and there is obviously a reason it is on there. It's your car though.

-007
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Old 02-25-2007, 02:41 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 007WRX View Post
Why would you take it out? If it comes stock with it its most likely best, and there is obviously a reason it is on there. It's your car though.

-007
You're absolutely right. Stock is best. Why on earth would anyone modify their car?
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Old 02-25-2007, 06:00 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JiveMasterT View Post
You're absolutely right. Stock is best. Why on earth would anyone modify their car?
i still agree with 007 myself,.... sure the exhaust is restrictive, the turbo small, suspension not stiff enough.

But the emissions equipment being a pita?
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Old 02-24-2007, 10:04 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JiveMasterT View Post
Keep us updated on whether or not you get a CEL. That stupid thing is so in the way when you're trying to install anything that goes through the firewall. If that wasn't there you'd be able to snake your arm down without taking off the IC. BTW, the 07 STis have that confounded contraption.
really? wow i hadn't heard 07 sti's had one..
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Old 02-24-2007, 10:08 PM   #9
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here's a pic of my car used for a prosport boost gauge install... you can definitely see it on the right there...

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/jivemastert/boost***37;20gauge/underhood.jpg[/IMG]
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Old 02-24-2007, 10:47 PM   #10
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So long as there are not tuning, CEL issues, I don't see why it wouldn't be safe. I am runnung an 06 longblock with no air pump in my FXT.
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Old 02-24-2007, 10:54 PM   #11
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We need blocking plates ASAP.
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Old 02-25-2007, 09:36 AM   #12
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We need blocking plates ASAP.
...AFAIK...there are plates available at the dealer for this
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Old 02-25-2007, 02:33 AM   #13
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hmm would be a perfect place to fit my ANL fuse holder
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Old 02-25-2007, 08:22 AM   #14
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My temporary fix for plugging the hole was to use one of those little rubber chair leg feet you can get at Home Depot for like $1.00. The one I have is 1" (or 1 1/4" in inner diameter, I forget). It just slipped over th hose (fairly tightly) and then I electric taped it in place to hold it and seal any air leaks. Seems to be working so far until I can find a nice rubber stopper for it.

-Jeff
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:24 PM   #15
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David buschur took his off. The air pump will run for ~90 seconds max or until the coolant temp hits 150. Basically, it adds oxygen to allow fuel unburned in the cyclinders to ignite later and heat up the cats faster. Older STI's did not have these as they were the fleet exempt vehicle. WRX's didn't have these but instead had a pre-turbo cat. The airpump replaces the up pipe cat and, for the sti's, I guess they had to meet tighter emissions.

There is no performance benefit besides losing the weight of both valves and the pump.

Dave said he wouldn't make plates unless he got at least 15 people. I made up a "guaging interest" thread for him and we got 9 people, but then the thread was deleted for whatever reason.
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Old 09-27-2012, 01:47 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mechie3 View Post
David buschur took his off. The air pump will run for ~90 seconds max or until the coolant temp hits 150. Basically, it adds oxygen to allow fuel unburned in the cyclinders to ignite later and heat up the cats faster.
Tangent question... how does injecting air into the exhaust stream ignite the unburnt fuel? Isn't the air from the air pump cooler than just burned cylinder air? (there's no ignition)
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:37 PM   #17
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i wonder if it was deleted for reasons of group buy/vendor thing...

or maybe something do to with tampering of emissions equipment
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:44 PM   #18
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I remember the thread. It didn't list any pricing... it just asked for people who might be interested in such a thing. Then again lots of things happen around here without any rhyme or reason.
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:48 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JiveMasterT View Post
I remember the thread. It didn't list any pricing... it just asked for people who might be interested in such a thing. Then again lots of things happen around here without any rhyme or reason.
Think we can get Dave to open that up as a thread in "Vendor Group Buys" section?

I hate when threads I subscribed to disappear.
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:52 PM   #20
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My thought is that the cats wont last as long doing this mod? The cats being more plugged up from this mod with lots of miles on the engine down the road could make the car slower maybe?
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:54 PM   #21
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I would want to know the fuel mapping and other factors between the cars with and without the air pump before I removed it.
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:54 PM   #22
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Possibly. It's not really a group buy... it's more of a "I don't think people are interested in this thing so I'm not gonna have them mass produced until there is demand" type thing. So you're more than welcome to ask Dave what it would take to have them made and he can start an appropriate thread.
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Old 02-25-2007, 08:04 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JiveMasterT View Post
Possibly. It's not really a group buy... it's more of a "I don't think people are interested in this thing so I'm not gonna have them mass produced until there is demand" type thing. So you're more than welcome to ask Dave what it would take to have them made and he can start an appropriate thread.
Sure it's a group buy: "This is a group buy for air pump blocking plates. They will cost $OMG and we'll need 15 people to make it happen."
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Old 02-25-2007, 07:57 PM   #24
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I've been wondering if anyone would come up with a creative way to use the pump. Obviously there isn't much of a performance benefit to removing 2 or 3 lbs.
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Old 02-25-2007, 08:00 PM   #25
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I've been wondering if anyone would come up with a creative way to use the pump. Obviously there isn't much of a performance benefit to removing 2 or 3 lbs.
What about if you hooked up a turkey call to it and ran a switch to the power inside your cabin. That way you can turn it on and you have instant turkey call sound.
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