re: 70s air pumps

[Jay Negrin <jmnegrin@domain.elided>]

This from Andrew Watry:

<<Are the air pumps installed on late-70s 115 and 116 cars the same,
other than the pulley and bracketing? That is, can you fit the pump off
an Alfetta
onto a Spider if you change those items and keep the original air
manifold, header, etc?

A more general question:  Air pumps were used what years? 1977-1981?  I
believe 75 and 76 115 and 116 cars didn't have them yet, and were quite
detuned to meet smog regs, but introduction of the air pump and
catalytic in 1977 did most of the cleaning work and allowed more
aggressive cam timing, the two-point distributor, etc.  And they must
have disappeared with introduction of Bosch injection in 1982, right?

What, if any, is the consequence of running one of these with the air
pump disconnected (other than dirtying the air), assuming you've already
passed
your smog test?  Do you risk ruining the catalytic?>>

I can't speak to all of the above, but my 76 Alfetta GT has an air pump
for smog control.  I believe I heard/read somewhere that NON-California
cars did not have a catalytic converter in 76.  Wouldn't necessarily
mean no smog pump, one way or the other, though.

A couple of years ago, my air pump belt broke, just before I went on a
trek to Monterey for the Hysterics.  My mechanic didn't have the time to
fix it.  (He was going as well.)  He told me to drive it, and not to
worry.  I did, and didn't, in that order.  Great weekend.  I got the
belt fixed before I got the car smogged many months later.  I think
there is a check valve in the line from the air pump to air injection
rail to the exhaust manifold.  Make sure it is OK, otherwise you get
exhaust into the engine compartment.  I think

Jay Negrin
ARO So Cal
76 Alfetta GT - still smog legal (I hope)

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