Thermactor / smog pump - teach me

[matthew]

I just finished up my HO conversion on the love boat (check rides in a week or so, I'll post it all) and in the process I found a broken thermactor pipe. Not wanting to spend money on it, and being the cheap son of a gun I am, I plugged both sides. I know this won't seemingly harm performance, as i have the same scenario in the wagon, but since this is a much nicer car, and I want to do things "right":

Will this cause harm?
What additional steps should be taken to finish the abortion besides plugging the heads and removing the pipe? my end goal is to also completely remove the smog pump as well, and all assocoated tubing for a cleaner look and easier access.

I appreciate any help from the experts a gmn. Long live the marquis!

[Grand Marquis GT]

If you are running no cats, those pipes are useless anyways...

all they do is blow air into the converters. thats it.

in order to block the tubes on the back of the heads quick and easy, take that busted ass crossover pipe, hacksaw the pipes off, and flip the ends around, and bolt them up, so they seal the holes.

Hope this helps

[matthew]

Yes GT, that is exactly what I did. But I am running a four cat stock mustang h-pipe. I want to remove the air pump and wonder if I need to do anything with the vac lines or or plug them or what. I am loving that car of your gt, that thing is badass.

[Grand Marquis GT]

Thanx mang!!

Well, my suggestion is to block off the holes on the cats themselves, justweld em shut, or pinch the lines off so they do not leak...

is your state a smog nazi state? if not, id run an off-road h...problem solved.

I have lots o'expirience in DESMOGGING things :hacksaw:

[Lincolnmania]

just plug the vacuum lines for the divertor valves etc........mine is smogpump free

[DuceAnAHalf]

a very easy way to plug the holes in the back of the heads is to go buy a 5/8"x11 x1" bolt put some type of thread sealant on it and put that into the holes.

[matthew]

smog nazis

Unfortunately, my state is a smog nazi state, however, fortunately, ohio goes county by county, and I am in a non-smog nazi county. I could and would use a offroad H, but I just happened to pick up a stocker cheap, so I'm going to run what I got.

Thanks for all the info guys, I couldn't do it all without some guidance.

[Blaze86Vic]

Just a side note, just as said earlier all the smog pump does is pump air into the cats. As some may wonder, Y? Well, it is to make the cats work quicker from a cold start. The added fresh air reacts with the left over gas and the cats and will result in a reaction that releases heat. They do this because the cats don't start working until they are warmed up. So the smog pump only has a purpose for the first 3 minutes after you start your car. After that, it just sucks up HP. So even though the smog pup is technically required. TECHNICALY, they can't test what emissions are released from your car until the car is running warm. Soooo, the smog pups will not change your emissions when and if they run an emissions test. Removing will help your car all around. Having it on the car will cast in maintenance and as an added load on the engine; it will also decrease your gas mileage if it stays on. They make electric smog pumps if you still want it. I would suggest them because as I said they aren't needed after the first few minutes.