Ok people.

I had a weird custom dual exhaust on my 84 GSL.

It was basically a stock style exhaust til about the rear axle. After that, it went into a custom muffler with dual outlets. One exited directly behind the muffler, and the other turned, followed the inside of the rear fascia, and exited in the opposite side.

Anyhow, I bought the car with the exhaust separated at the connection by the rear axle. It just hung down about 2", so the muffler basically wasnt even used.

I still had both cats, which seemed all clogged, and I noticed they were leaking exhaust through small rusted parts anyhow.

I brought my car up to a friends on one of those Uhaul trailers (all 4 wheels off ground) in North Dakota from near the Twin Cities in Minnesota. (243 miles). I noticed, I must have caught the exhaust that hung low on the trailer somehow, because it was scraping the ground after that.

Had an emergency with my daughter back in Minnesota, so I had to drive back...and only thing I could use was the RX-7. I figured, I'd probably have to replace the exhaust anyhow, so if it scrapes up, its no big loss.

Halfway into the trip, I hear the loudest bang ever. I figure I blew an Apex seal or something......the car seemed like it wanted to die.....sort of lost power for a bit there. I didn't know if I should pull over, since I was pretty low on cash, and still had like an hour and a half left to go driving-wise.

Then I hear some vibrating, louder scraping, and a few loud thumps below the car.

I pull over and see that the exhaust, from the header to the axle has separated somehow. Seemed to explode directly after the header.

I just picked it up, yanked out the wire (is that the 02 sensor?) and tossed it into the ditch.

I start the car right back up.....its just louder than ever now. The car actually seemed to have quite a bit more horsepower. (I am guessing since it was so clogged in the cats anyways)

My question is, am I hurting the car driving it in the meantime with no exhaust from the header back? Am I losing power? And, what was that wire......seemed to be wrapped in that braided metal....?

I am fully aware that I am probably going to attract alot of cops with my car sounding like the inside of a domed stadium during a monster truck event.....

Does this pose damage to the rotary engine driving it like this? My car seems fine, I can actually start it in the cold without the choke out too. (???)

 

That wire might be the exhaust temp.? Driving with only the header shouldn't cause any problems besides being really loud. The only thing is that if you had kept the exhaust you could show it to cops if they pull you over and tell them if just fell off.

 

yeah, definately no problems with just a header, you'll just have to really watch out for the fuzz now... haha... at worst you'll probably just get a fix-it slip, and have to have your exhaust fixed in a week or something then drive down there to show them it's fixed.

 

wire was exhaust temp. got ear plugs?

 

Ehh,

I kinda like it......lol.

The sound just needs a little tuning....I imagine straight pipes to a resonator would give it the proper note...

I wonder now...since I dont HAVE any cats on the car.....if I can take it to any shop, and say "Hello, I am looking to have a custom exhaust made up for my 1971 RX-7...."

We don't have emissions testing here in Minnesota...its really only a sound thing that I might get hassled for down the line......but I've gotten used to coasting with the clutch in around the cops, since my 71 MGB roadster was just header-straight pipe-resonator-Monza tip and was pretty loud. Never got a ticket for that noise.

Its fun to pull up next to someone, and have them look at you, like you're insane for driving such an unbelievably loud obnoxious car......and still revving it up to 7500 a few times as you wave to them.

 

Do you have an acutal header on the car or still the stock reactor?

 

lol

 

what is the wire underneath the carpet on the passenger side and goes into the transmission tunnel almost through a solid mounted piece? or is this what your talking about the exhst temp wire?

 

That wire was connected to the exhaust....

I believe I remember it being in one of the cats, or something. I'd guess it was an exhaust temp wire too.

Um, I really don't know if it IS a header, or stock part, like I said, the exhaust setup was custom on the car. I don't recall their being some bling bling chrome header in there.......so, I dunno. I'll have to really take a look when it's not so cold out.

 

I was asking if it was a header because if you thought your car was loud now without an exhaust.... Having a header would make it that much worse without an exhaust. The stock peice is like a thick rectangluar block but aftermarket would be just 2 tubes and look like a regular header.

 

less restrictive exhaust requires richening the carb slightly. and you will then get some more power! you are running slightly lean otherwise. Not a good thing but if your timing is set stock and you use good quality gas don't run hot it should be dandy for the time being.

racing beat dual presilencers and road race header quiet best, last long time, make good power.

 

You dont want any colllld air going up in there after youve shut the car down... think what having your situation does to valves on a piston car