1revin712488

i have a 88 base and i've been told to take the air pump out. i have gutted cats and hks mufflers.

i went to take it out today bc my belt broke when i saw a sticker stating "never remove air pump. NO OILING." so i stopped and figured i'd ask you guys 1st if its ok to take it out.

i do have a dual alternator pulley.
do i just gank the sucker and thats it? or is their anything else i have to do like cap off the line to the back of the air pump.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Your 5th & 6th port actuators won't open without the airpump. You'll lose some top end power if they were previously working properly. I removed my entire emissions & air system & ended making my own port activation system. It would have been easier to keep the air pump, but mine was already gone.

Ramses666

1revin712488

so, my car will still be well oiled even if i take the pump off?

why would mazda put that sticker on it then?

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

The air pump does not oil the car. The car is oiled by the OMP oil metering pump located at the passenger side of the lower front engine cover there is a rod coming from the OMP to the front of the throttle body and 4 clear nylon oil lines going to the top of the engine from the OMP. The reference on the air pump means you do not have to oil the air pump. If you remove the airpump you will disable your auxillary intake ports and the rest of your air system. Lots of people do this - but then have trouble with the Aux ports. Some people remove all air & emissions equipment as well as the aux port valves. Removing the aux port valves will noticeably decrease low end torque. Leaving the valves in place but non-functional will decrease high-end power. Its a little complicated.

Ramses666

TongassT

On a S4 the air pump DOES NOT actuate the Aux Ports

BACKPRESSURE from the CAT does. He has most likely already made them inaffective by gutting the cat.

The air pump is for emmisions. Without a cat, there is no need for the air pump. The sticker is there so you don't affect emissions and toast your cat.

1revin712488

i know all about the actuators. i've read up alot on them bc mine currently dont work. so i'm considering the rpm switch

thanks for the info ramses666.....u've been a lot of help.

1revin712488

i knew this...i just figured he had a s5. and i didnt want to start the drama of another aux ports thread

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

I wouldn't do anything that mazda says not to do.......

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

The actuation of the aux ports with pressure from the cats through the split air pipe is tied in with the Air Control Valve, Relief Solenoid and the rest of the Vacuum Rack. What exactly happens when there is no back-pressure from the cats? Does the air pump keep the pressure up in the sytem when there is no back-pressure? I would think so, but I'm not sure... The S5 does so I think - Don't know about S4.

Using an RPM switch will still require a pressure source to activate Aux Ports. You could use the stock air pump for this. I upgraded my intake to an S5 VDI so I added another actuator for the VDI. Here's a link to my solution for my particular situation - https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=748570

If most of your factory air system is intact you should be able to make it functional without jumping through a bunch of hoops like I did. You can test it by attatching a vacuum/boost gauge with a tee fitting into the line going to the actuators and running a temporary vacuum line for the gauge into the cockpit to monitor while driving. You would see the gauge showing 2-3 PSI under load over 3800 rpms.

This would be an easy test to see whats happenning with the factory air system. You could try to unplug the relief solenoid possibly... I'm not sure exactly what the factory air system is doing all the time... it's a little confusing on the diagrams.

Ramses666

1revin712488

I'm just going to get a header with the little air nipple out of it for the aux ports......my exhaust manifold is messed up anyway. thanks for the info

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

I've been there & done that. It just doesn't really work properly. Although I recently had a conversation with the racing beat guys about the amount of back-pressure available - the new models have a nipple that is user changeable - instead of being silver soldered in so that you Could replace it with a larger nipple if needed. I measured maximum of 2.5 psi at 5000 rpm's and much less under that. I felt that it didn't function "properly" from the back pressure but maybe the newer ones are a little better - perhaps the back-pressure pipe could be combined with the existing solenoid for proper activation, but that was not the case for me and my older setup. I opted for my own air control system, independant of the header or factory systems.

QUOTE: "Greetings!

I purchased a complete RoadRace system for my '88 NA a few years ago & have enjoyed it completely. The backpressure pick-up tube has a nipple on it that was broken off when I first unpacked it. It still had a small section left on it & I managed to use it. I was wondering how the nipple was fixed to the tube? - it has a hex nut - so that I can replace it. Is it welded on? Does the plating process keep it from coming unscrewed? Can I use a cut-off wheel or similar implement to remove the plating & then unscrew it and install a new one? Also I'm constructing a RPM-switch activated port activation system with a pressure holding tank & am wondering how much back-pressure is possible from the pick-up tube if the nipple size is increased? I'm hoping for 10 PSI. Is this possible? Should I just drill out the existing fitting for a larger hole? Thanks for your time!!! & You have an EXCELLENT product!!

Your question was forwarded to Jim Mederer, Racing Beat's co-founder and chief engineer, for review. The following is his reply to your inquiry:

There have been several variations of the fitting attachment over the years. The earliest models had a brass fitting silver soldered to the sensing tube. The second version used a steel fitting that was welded to the tube. The current version has a steel nut welded to the tube that has a 1/8" NPT thread inside, and we supply a separate fitting for customer installation. I suggest you return the header and we will modify it to our current model. If you choose to do the job locally, we can supply the nut and fitting. This would require cutting off the existing fitting and welding on the nut, then installing the fitting.

It has been quite a few years since I did the testing of the 6-port actuators, but as I recall, the highest pressure I saw was around 5 psi. The actuator starts to open at 1.2 psi and is fully open at 2.1 psi.

Jim Mederer "

That was the question I asked & the reply I recieved. My solution went a different direction & I just put a screw through the back-pressure pipe to seal it.

Ramses666

Icemark

wrong. The air pump does not effect a S4 aux ports.

Wrong, it is actually exhaust velocity that controls the aux port operation on th 84-88 13B. You could gut the cat and it would change nothing. It is usually the idiots that put on a 3 inch exhaust on a non turbo and wonder why their aux ports no longer work... it is because they lost all exhaust velocity.

Exhaust Back pressure is never a good thing on a Rotary Engine...

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

ok... Lets see if we can get this straight... the split air pipe to the cats goes both ways in a factory setup... below a certain rpm & load the air pump feeds air into the Cat through the split air pipe controled by the ACV & relief valve. Above a certain RPM the air pump is closed and the back-pressure from the cats activates the aux ports. What would prevent someone from blocking off the split-air pipe and using the air pump to supply the pressure to open the aux ports? I guess we need a scan of the diagram and a list of ECU functions of the Solenoid rack. I'm just saying you should be able to change the plumbing in the Vacuum rack to make it work without adding any parts.

Ramses666

Icemark

Yes
No, the air pump never closes and again it is not back pressure that activates the ports on a S3 or S4, it is the exhaust velocity. If you **** up the exhaust volocity, they won't open (regardless of if the cat is intact or not).

The stock air pump will get up too over 5 psi... The old method of actuating the aux ports with the air pump directly, was to install a bleed valve, and tune it too open the ports (1.2 psi or 2.1 psi depending on series).

Been there done that... 20 years ago. The dump valve actuates at 3800.

This is very old hat and been done countless times, and is covered in quite a few threads.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

ok... so I'm not totally crazy... if the OP guts his cats he can still operate his aux ports using the air pump & existing solenoid rack. The question is exactly how and what can be removed & what needs to stay and will it function properly. what needs to be changed? I asked some similar questions about port opening signal & got buttkiss. I obviously went the long way around the pond.

Ramses666

1revin712488

whats up guys...heres the skinny.

my aux ports dont work.....as in there stuck closed.

I took out the air pump and it runs great if not better.

Icemark is right (as usual) the aux ports run off the velocity of the exhaust going through the split air pipe. The velocity creates a little pressure and opens them. mine are just shot....prob from sitting for 4 years in an old mans garage. i just orderd a racing beat header with the aux port nipple and i'm going to clean them while i have the LIM off.

Once again....thanks for the help Ramses666 and Icemark

Icemark

On a S3 and S4 (84-88) the solenoid rack has nothing to do with the aux port operation.

Well #1 the parts need to be there...so it all needs to be there.

If you have a specific situation (such as you removed all the emissions including the ACV and the air pump and are trying to make them work) that can be addressed on an individual set up.

So, what can be removed and what needs to be there is entirely dependent on what is there right now.

Icemark

Try using a little spray penetrating oil where the actuator rod goes into the intake manifold. They often get gummed up and jammed up there, as opposed to actually being stuck inside the block.

Spray in the at the rod, let sit over night then try and move the actuators by hand. Occasionally when they are really stuck, I'll use a nice long screw driver and hammer and knock them loose, then spray again until they loosen enough to move by hand.

walken

iTrader: (6)

take off your 5/6 port actuators and clean them up. lube the arm with silicone spray. with them off check the ports themselves and see if they freely move. if not you are going to have to tear the engine down the the block, pull them out, and clean them up. put it all back together and use new lower, middle, and upper intake manifold gaskets.

if your exhaust is modified and your cats a gutted then leave your airpump and air control valve in place. tee you 5/6 port actuators into the ACV dump tube. the big black hose coming out the the ACV toward the strut tower and disappearing under your headlight.

if done correctly your car will have its powerband restored.