Just started up my 87 N/A GXL and during the warm up high RPM it was making a squealing noise. Tracked it down to the air pump. When I blip the throttle is squeals. I took the air cleaner out and covered the intake going to the pump and the squealing went away. Will I do any damage driving it home tonight? About 15 miles, half on the highway. Since covering the input makes it go away what is making the noise in there. I figured the bearing a first but now I'm not sure.

 

Mine started like that but I just got used to the annoying sound, lasted about two weeks then I smelled burned rubber then the belt snapped. The pump seized up, completely froze.
I removed it and threw it in the trash...that was the end of air pumps for me.

 

You sure it's the air pump itself and not the belt???

The air pump cannot be lubricated internally.
If you need it, it has to be replaced.
It's not serviceable according to Mazda.


-Ted

 

In the past at least with Mazda products that have used the air pumps I would run the engine and spray WD-40 into the pump. Its not a cure-all by any means but it did cut down on the annoyance factor until the pump completly failed. Don't know if yours was a N/A but doesn't the air pump also supply positive pressure to operate the port motors and if disconnected isn't it like an RX7 castration?

988

 

Mine had a chirping sound so I opened mine up, took out the vanes and lubricated the interior walls of the pump with moly-b grease, then greased parts I thought would move. Worked pretty well. There's somewhat of a write up somewhere. If you do disassemble it make sure you mark each of the three sets of vanes-they go together only one way.