Leaving Off Air-Pump?...

[cubinzkid]

Hey guys, i'm in the middle of pulling my drivers side head to get a glow plug tip out, and had to unbolt the front of the engine to get some of the belt driven stuff out of the way. My question is, this airpump thing. What would happen if I pulled it completely and left it off? I know on my old 460 it wasn't a big deal, and because of where I live, we don't have diesel emission testing. So, if its an emissions problem, i'm not worried. Thanks!

 

[snicklas]

You can leave it off if you don't want your brakes to work, or your HVAC......

This is not an "air-pump" it is a vacuum pump. It is used to operate the vacuum assist on your power brakes, and to make the doors function to change temperature and location of the air from the HVAC.... I would put it back on.... it has NOTHING to do with emissions like an "air-pump" on a gasser.......

 

[icanfixall]

You are asking about that pump found under the alternator aren't you??? If so the above warning is relevant to needs of power brakes and ac function.

 

[madpogue]

^^^^ And to clarify/elaborate, on your old 460, that pump didn't exist.

 

[cubinzkid]

Ah, okay. Thankyou! Glad I asked. I'll throw it back on.

 

[dunk]

^^^^ And to clarify/elaborate, on your old 460, that pump didn't exist.

Maybe he had a real lumpy cam in it and wanted power brakes? The 460 trucks actually were ladened with two smog pumps and smog pumps look nothing like vacuum pumps. More of a small rotary pump looks closer to a sanden compressor than a vacuum diaphragm pump.

 

[madpogue]

^^^^^ The more meaningful distinction is that an Otto cycle engine produces vacuum, whereas a Diesel cycle engine does not. Vacuum was traditionally seen as a ready and abundant source of "auxiliary power" for things like brake boost and HVAC control. With the integration of Diesel engines in trucks that previously had Otto (gasser) engines, rather than find alternate systems such as hydroboost brakes and simple mechanical or electrical HVAC controls, Ford clung tight-****** onto the Cold War era technology of vacuum, which requires a separate pump on a Diesel engine. One of those fundamental differences that any new diesel owner should know about.

 

[79jasper]

I've heard people call a smog pump an air pump. Lol

Sent from my SM-T537R4 using Tapatalk

 

[chris142]

Ya your power brakes and dash vents won't work without that.

 

[dunk]

Amusingly enough my IDI truck is the first vehicle I'be had with vacuum heater controls. Everything I've has before has been cable controls, simple reliable and just works.

 

[madpogue]

Everything I've has before has been cable controls, simple reliable and just works.

Ford never let silly concepts like "simple", "reliable" and "just works" get in the way of a gread Rube Goldberg design.....

 

[icanfixall]

The purpose of the "smog pump" is actually to pump air into the base of the exhaust valve. On paper is burns off the unburned gas exiting the exhaust post. Thats on paper. What it REALLY did was dilute the exhaust with outside fresh air. So the tail pipe monitor saw a cleaner exhaust.. so in short the solution to pollution is dilution... Nothing more really. Can the smog pump be called an air pump. Either way works.

 

[The Warden]

With the integration of Diesel engines in trucks that previously had Otto (gasser) engines, rather than find alternate systems such as hydroboost brakes and simple mechanical or electrical HVAC controls, Ford clung tight-****** onto the Cold War era technology of vacuum, which requires a separate pump on a Diesel engine. One of those fundamental differences that any new diesel owner should know about.

Ford never let silly concepts like "simple", "reliable" and "just works" get in the way of a gread Rube Goldberg design.....

For the record, the idea of keeping vacuum systems was not limited to Ford. I don't know if GM's had an extensive vacuum system, but IIRC at least the first gen Dodge diesels have vacuum-operated climate control and brakes, and don't even get started on Mercedes diesels...if you lose vacuum on an M-B, you lose your door locks and have to go under the hood to shut the engine off

 

[IDIoit]

early to mid 60's cars, GM and Fords had vacuum power windows!

 

[madpogue]

Remember those stylin' "hidden headlights" in the '60s and early '70s? Vacuum-powered, a lot of them. At least they "defaulted" to open instead of closed.