Bruceman,

Can you plese confirm or deny this. Before all of these aligations and stuff get any further out of hand we need to know exactly what muffler it is that you cut open.

Does it say Italy on it?

Did you buy it directly from RB?

What RB system did it come with?

Did you install it on the car yourself?

Please, let us know all the facts.

 

Glasspacks or fiberglass packed mufflers are only a problem if you use them as presilencers up front where the car would normally be. At the back of the car the exhaust has lost so much heat by then that they work fine. I've used fibreglass rear mufflers for a long time. No problems.

 

I have no interest in bashing Racing Beat after all they are one a few companies that make great aftermarket products for Rx-7s. Their exhaust systems sound good and last a long time.

This system (from header to muffler) was purchased and installed by the previous owner of this 82 Rx-7 along with a RB Dellorto intake. It is not the streetport system, just had the one presilencer, with the dual pipes going over the axle to the single inlet muffler (1982 had the dual pipes over axle).
I have no doubt that it is a RB system, there is no "Italy" on it, the header has the RB in the flange, and the rest of the system matches all other RB systems I've looked at. Perhaps this system was purchased in the late '80's, it is hard to tell its age because the car sat in storage a long time - 10 years according to the previous owner.
It certainly isn't the standard muffler, they are very very different.

Bruce

 

I've been saying RB sucks for years. for everysingle part they make there is someone who makes a better one. well all except for the holley intake manifolds. but other than that ...

 

Bruce, can we see some more photos of that muffler you disected? Like the tips and the rest of it? Just curious. I love my RB system, and the power increase was very noticeable. I'm wondering if maybe they have made some changes in their design in the last 15 years or something.... Thanks.

 

You, my good sir, are a cynical bastard. *salutes* You rip apart everything I see you lay eyes on.

So what would you reccomend? I'm interested in being educated outside of the RB microsoft esque dominance of the RX7 tuning world... at least here in america.

 

Yes, I want to see this also.

 

I think you need to go read Paradox's latest post on his muffler purchase, lol.

 

I'm so fond of my RB system I could be called a fanboy.
When I first got my car, it had a stock rusted out system. I then halved the price with my Uncle for a Racing Beat system (head to tip).
After a few months of me not being able to pay him what I owed him, he took it and put it on his car. He gave me his Manifold->custom pipe->OEM replacement muffler setup that he had.

His car died, and I now have headers->custom pipe->RB muffler (all streetport system on RB stuff)

The first setup was horrible as far as power goes. The RB setup (including the presilencer and whatnot) was great.
The second stock-ish setup sucked, but not as bad as the stock.
The latest setup is LOUD and POWERFUL.

 

ebay straight through muffler + apexi pre-silencer all the way. going to get rid of my RB muffler junk.

 

i hear ya d0 luck

 

Werd, Streetport system is the way to go.

DoLuck, I wouldn't throw that "junk" away to soon If I were you.

 

ya im might sell it once i get it all over

 

I've got a single outlet RB header with the mini presilencer, a generic bottle silencer and 2.25 inch piping to a Magnaflow single in/dual out.

It's loud, but not over the limit loud, and provided a significant power increase. I considered the RB muffler but decided against it for cost reasons and because some had said it was restrictive.

Now I know why.

Though I'm interested as to why Steve's muffler is different construction.

 

18 months ago I cut this muffler up to see how it was made so I could build my own muffler. Since then it has been sitting under a bench waiting for me to disect the middle section. I had cut off the tailpipes and used them on another muffler. After I cut open the middle section a few weeks back I disposed of the remaining pieces.

Well I just fetched a piece of one tail pipe from a scrap metal bin to take some measurements....

The outside diameter of a tail pipe is 60mm or 2 3/8", chromed was well as some black coating on the outside
Inside this is another tube measuring about 36mm or 1.4" (inside diameter)
This tube is flared at the ends so it matches the inside of the tailpipe.

If you use a flash light to look down a tailpipe (about 8 inches) into the muffler you should be able to see the perforated tubing.
The perforated tubing measures about 1.4 inches on the inside.

Now look down there again with a flash light - see how the perf. tubing meets the insert tube in the tailpipe. Not a pretty sight. There is no attempt to have a smooth flow at this point. No bends just straight angles.

Even so is there another complete exhaust system for a 1st gen that you can order that will fit well, look good and sound great?

Hope this helps
I can't take more photos because this peice (from the scrap bin) is at work and cameras are not allowed


Bruce

 

As far as full, 'out of the box' systems go, I think Racing Beat is the only one left. I could be wrong, though.

 

Shoot me a pm when your ready to get rid of that "junk" exhaust system. I collect junk

 

Mindtrain systems are still available through www.kickyride.com. They are supposed to be of similar quality to the RB stuff. And of course, there is also the Pacesetter units from VB.

 

mindtrain rocks! and as for the best header.... SDJ Performance in south carolina. they will yield great great power.

 

what about bonez, they are a quality bolt on i'm assuming of course.

 

SDJ Motorsports makes unargueably the best header.
Then Magna flow presilencer and then a muffler for street. It's going to cost though and you'd have to pay for your own exhaust to be run.
Currently My car is jimmyrigged together exhaust. I have a RB header and Presilencer. then in the stock center section I put one of those universal straight through ricer cats. And for the rear muffler I have the RB muffler off of the Mazdaspeed Protege Turbo. Its straight through as opposed to the other RB mufflers. The system I run now works but its not best. The heat from my car melted the ricer cat and the internals melted down and the flow is all funked up now. My ultimate systen would consist of a SDJ header which collects into I think 2.5", then 2 magnaflow bullet race presilencers about a foot apart, then manderl exhanust piping run securely under axle and out a REAL Apex'i N1 muffler. Thats what I'm going to build after I bridge port. Or I'm going to keep the RB header and presilencer and directly after the presilencer a megaphone oping up the exhaust to 3" then under the axle mandrel bent out a REAL Apex'i N1. The problem I have with the RB header is that rhough it is well built the collection is not very well designed. they shouldve been collected into a larger exhaust piping. 1.75" primaries that collect into 2" isn't the best Idea. they should ran into 2.5" piping at least. My honda ran a 2.75" exhaust lol.

 

Samegr8 quality as RB, but I think its the same design. So it's not the very best for race applications. Gr8 for enthused street and not much more. I'm one of those that only wants the very best..

 

What are the RB pre-silencers made out of? I've heard they are made with a small dia. tube?

Has anybody ever tried to make there own pre-sliencers that will hold up to the heat?

=Eric

 

preferated core steel wool rapped typical silencer. It's the same size as stock pipeing

 

I read that it was sustantally smaller than the rest of the RB system.