Today I was on Ebay looking for parts that could come in handy. When I noticed a complete exhaust system for a 79 and 80.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...484012594&rd=1

Don't get me wrong it's a good deal because you can't find these parts anywhere and they are rare. But the seller is showing a catalytic converter in one of the photos. Below is a a copy of the email verbatim as I sent it to him.

" FYI... The system is not complete. Where you show a catalytic converter that is a heat exchanger. 1979 and 1980 RX7's had no catalytic converter it had a thermo reactor which is not pictured on the diagram.. normally thermo reactors are right next to the engine below the air pumpwhere headers normally are."

So that is what I sent him and this the reply I got.

"sorry, but you haven't a clue about what you're talking about
I called it a catalytic, so as not to confuse people, otherwise it's a complete sysytem..and I do have the reactor if someone needs it but they last forever...so, nice try , but ive been doing this for 20 yrs pal!"

I sent the orginal message to help protect people from buying this item because their "catalytic converter" is fouled. So to shorten things up if you think your cat is bad get this instead.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33632

So am I wrong?? Thermal reactor = catalytic converter in 1979 and 1980 models and that cat in the photo is a heat exchanger right??

 

I think you are right, but I really don't know much about this. I know more about 81 on rx's.

 

He is right, and 20 years is a long time to be doing things wrong.

 

Not only that but it's not original, the cars never had a resonator in the heat exchanger-to-muffler pipe.

 

1973/4 have a heat exchanger in that location. However his attitude sucks apparently.