The smog pump requires almost zero power from the engine. It is moving air along a tube; it is not pressuring said air. It is not an air compressor. It is not doing any significantly challenging "pumping" work, despite what we normally think of the word pump.
Remove it if you insist, you'll have to change several other things as well, and you'll magically unlock at least 0.01 horsepower. Or leave it as is, it doesn't harm a thing, it helps the cat run much more efficiently (as you alluded to.) And even if you don't give a carp, your kids/grandkids will appreciate cleaner air. Not to mention anyone stuck driving behind you.
Here's the real problem: the more we intentionally are willing to make cars run dirty, the more ammunition the average Joe Public has to think poorly of "old cars" and by extension all automotive enthusiasts, and the faster they can convince their elected representatives to shut us down. It's already killing CA, do you really want this public perception disease to spread to you also?
The primary goal of modifying the vehicle is to enhance its aesthetics. One critical modification is i will be installing modern catalytic converters, which, unlike their predecessors, do not require (as much) oxygen but rely more on heat and abundance of metals for efficient operation. These newer catalytic converters are highly effective at reducing emissions and offer a significant improvement over older models, which I feel justifies their use in place of the original emission control components.
Removing the air smog pump although is a contentious issue. This component, responsible for injecting air into the exhaust system to aid in the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons, can often become a source of frequent malfunction. Given that the air smog pump is prone to failure and its repair or replacement can be costly, its removal could be a pragmatic decision. The cost of maintaining this component, which may fail more frequently than desired, could be better allocated elsewhere in the vehicle's maintenance budget.
Moreover, the decision to modify the vehicle should not be seen in isolation. The car's performance metrics, such as a 0-60 mph time of 15 seconds and a curb weight exceeding 2,500 pounds, underscores the necessity of even a fractional increase in horsepower “.01 horse power”. - "this is sarcasm" While the primary motivation may be the enhancement of the vehicle's visual appeal, creating some room for more spacious performance improvements in the future is also a consideration. Even marginal gains in horsepower havemaybe possibly have a very small but possibly noticeable impact on driving dynamics.
From an environmental perspective, the argument for removing the air smog pump is balanced by the car's overall emissions footprint. And while the removal of the air smog pump might seem counterintuitive, it is essential to consider the broader context of the vehicle's environmental impact. With around an average of 5 tesla vehicle sales per day, which replace x amount of cars on the road daily, is significantly more impactful than one volvo creating alittle more dust in the air. Additionally world wide vehicles only produce around 3 billion metric tons of co2 yearly, while mega corps and industrial manufacturing creats around 36.8 giga-tons. (1 giga-ton = 1,000,000 metric tons). I additionally own and operate a pre-epa diesel work truck "this is required by my job" which has a far greater environmental impact compared to the modified Volvo. Given the disproportionate emissions from the diesel truck, the overall ecological footprint of the Volvo, even with the air smog pump removed, remains relatively unimportant to anyone on this thread or any governing body of anywhere.
The decision to remove the air smog pump while upgrading other components, such as installing modern catalytic converter hopefully reflects and shows I'm trying to balance between visual enhancement and environmental responsibility. The motivations behind these modifications are rooted in both practical considerations, such as reducing maintenance costs and improving vehicle aesthetics, and maybe giving the engine bay more room for my mechanic elfs to work there magic. where as the vehicle's impact is completely unimportant compared to other sources of pollution.
