ive been searching posts and did not get the answers i need .im attempting to to rebuild my smog pump . does any one know how to remove the inside drum.or know where to find a rebuild manual on line.its off a 1970 chevelle thanks

After doing a search for myself on the same topic, I'm bringing this back to the top to see if there are any answers out there.

I have a couple Chevrolet Chassis Service Manuals and a A.I.R. pump service booklet from Saginaw Steering Gear (who manufactured the pumps in the 60s and 70s.) None of them address taking the pump apart. All they service is the plastic filter fan on the front of the pump or the relief valve.

I can remember that the filter fan has to be removed. (You will most likely destroy the plastic fan when you try to remove it. So you will need a replacement.) Once the filter is off, you will need a puller to remove the pulley hub.

Now remove the back cover. It is held in place by 3 or 4 screws and a locating dowel. Pull the cover straight back (it has a pressed-in pin that the vanes rotate on.) Now with the cover off, you should be able to press on the driveshaft and remove the vanes and the drum inside the pump.

One thing I do remember is that the front bearing in the pump was held in place by injected plastic. That bearing is a real bear to press out of the housing. If the bearing had to be replaced the service bearing would have to come with a snap ring.

The vanes had rectangular carbon shoes and springs that sealed them to the drum inside the pump. There may also have been thin carbon plates to seal the ends of the drum to the pump housing and/or cover.

This is as I remember the old AIR pump. I was just a co-op engineering student when the pump was being developed in the mid-60s. I did some testing and pump teardowns in the engineering lab as part of my many job assignments. So a lot of what I remember could have been prototype or development pumps that were not exactly like the production models.

Jim

This topic has been discussed on yenko.net. An aircraft mechanic friend of mine tried this and the bottom line is that you can easily de-vane the pump and rebuild/repack the rear bearing, but you would most likely destroy the pump trying to change the front bearing.

Woj.

PS. There are professional rebuild services out there, you might want to check with Bill Hodel. You can easily find his number with google.

The only way to get the front bearing out in my opinion is what I did. Cut the front bearing with a dremel from the inside towards the outside and slowly whittle away at it until you get to the aluminum housing and pick out the last peices of the old front bearing. Then you can clean it up and press a new front bearing into place and peen the edges of the front bearing into the aluminum housing so the front bearing will not move or try and rotate while the pump is running or the tension of the fan belt will make the front bearing wear out faster because it might move with out making sure you get the bearing seated into place.