Hey guys just going through my car getting ready for a full interior remodel. I've got a couple of questions, all unrelated to each other. Any input on any of these ?'s appreciated.
1) I've cleaned up several of my wiring harnesses (removed some unnecessary components and their wiring) and was wondering how important it is to (tape) wrap the wires up. I have run them through a split loom/zip tied and took off all the spongy crap that was glued to them. Do I need to wrap them?
2) Part of that (see above) included pulling the vapor barrier (plastic) off the doors. Is there a cleaner alternative (without the goo!) or can I do without the plastic?
3) My old smog pump went kaput (on the track no less...had to keep the RPM's way up so it wouldn't screech) Anyway, long since replaced it but my old one was sooo pretty (polished and anodized). Anyway took it apart and realized the bearing went bad (pieces of it in the bottom jammed the rotational ability). The Carbon brushes and other parts look great. Can I buy a new bearing? And out of curiosity...how do these things (smog pump) actually work....I mean what do they do and how?
4) I'm going carpetless. Is there a way of getting my carpet out (don't want to cut it) without having to remove the air conditioning/ heating unit (means I have to siphon/vacuum out the refrigerant $$$) My dash is out of the car.
5) One of my airbag sensors must be disconnected/cut as the dummy light goes off every time I start the car and beeps at me aggressively. How do I find the problem? Also, I'm considering going to a quick release steering wheel/hub. Will the passenger airbag still work. Will my airbag system act up Like it does now? Any suggestions advice would be helpful?
6) This one should probably go in the race section but what the hell. I track my car and auto X it and am considering a roll bar for added safety and rigidity. I don't think a cage is necessary (is it?) My ?. Is it better welded or bolted in? And, are roll bars from MFG's like Autopower, Kirkey any good. I've been looking at the Autopower 4 point bars (reviews welcome). Weight is obviously an issue and I don't need overkill (I still like to take cruises up to the wine country in comfort with my female companions) but I hear the bolt ons are dangerous. Also do any of these work with existing interior plastics without cutting everything up?

cheers!

 

1) wrapping the wires keeps them organized and protected from being snagged, pulled, etc. a lot of people prefer electrical tape over looms because it's an extra bit of insulation, and are a flame retardant (certain kinds, anyway, like the vinyl 3M electrical tape. price difference is negligible between plastic and vinyl). plus the tape makes a more compact package, as opposed to the loom.
2) i hated the glue when i dealt with it, but that was once in two years of owning my car. i don't know what the downsides of removing it would be, but you rarely mess with it so if you aren't sure, i'd rather be safe than sorry. my guess is that without it, there might be extra corrosion or something in the doors on some of the parts.
3) the air pump's job is to put fresh air into the main cat, especially when the engine and cat are warming up. before up to the proper temps, the engine and cat aren't as efficient so your car's emissions aren't too great. the air pump helps to fix that. even after the car is warmed up, i think it might still pump air to continue helping the emission levels.
4) thanks for going carpetless, the rear carpet looks great i'm not sure about the main carpet, though, i've never messed with one.
5) i think there's a connector somewhere that you can disconnect to shut it off. it might be around the driver's seat. a lot of air bag systems are activated by weight (that's why a passenger-side airbag won't go off if there isn't a passenger in the seat). so if there is a sensor in the seat, disconnecting it should do the trick. i'm not sure if it'll cause any other warnings or beeps if the airbag computer realizes the sensor is disconnected, though. is pulling the whole airbag system an option?
6) welding in roll cages is better than bolting them in, both for structural integrity and chassis rigidity. i'm now sure about the ups-and-downs of any manufacturers, though. i haven't messed with any myself. most roll cages do require cutting portions of the interior, unfortunately. if you're really careful, however, it might still come out really clean. i'm sure if you get clever about it, you could make it look pretty good.

good luck with your project, Frank. i hope i helped at least a little.