I have pin-pointed an exhaust leak between my t-reactor and the heat exchanger. I felt it by holding my hand near the pipe since all of the heat shielding prevents me from seeing the actual pipe.

1. What is that pipe called?

2. Does anyone have a good one for sell or know where I can get one? (please tell me it is not the headpipe that Mazdatrix is selling for $1200.

3. I've read a few threads about the RB conversion but it seems most of those guys didn't need to care about emissions. Can I replace the 1980 exhaust system with a header and cat and pass emissions? Is it easy?

I'm leaning towards replacing the muffler with what looks like oem in the Victoria British catalog and hopefully finding a inexpensive replacement for the reactor to exchanger pipe.

4. Does anyone have experience with a Victoria British muffler and air-pipe unit?

 

Are any of you 79-80 owners still using original exhaust setup? If so, where do you get your parts?

 

I ripped all of my original exhaust off and replaced with a Racing Beat header and presilencer. I priced the stock exhaust and it was WAY too much money. I don't have to worry about emissions in KS though.
I don't really remember, but I thought that the pipe that came off the thermal reactor was one piece with the heat exchanger?
I have a Monza muffler from Victoria British, most of the guys here on the site bad mouth them pretty badly. It may not last, but I have had it for a year now with no problems. VB has fairly good stuff, but watch out for the shipping costs.
As far as headers and emissions, I don't know. If you have a visual test then the answer is a definitive NO. With just the gas analysis MAYBE. Ask the RB guys or Mazdatrix. They will know for sure.
hanman

 

have it and trying to rid myself of it.

 

I've heard from a respected Mazda rotary mechanic that a RB exhaust with a high flow Bönez cat and good air pump would pass an emissions test. I plan on finding out in the next 6 months. I also plan on installing an MSD ignition which should also help too. You can find the Bönez cat here: http://www.rx7.com/cgi-local/1catalog.cgi?cat=4&part=1

Good luck!

 

Unfortunately, that cat is listed for only 81 and up. Does anyone have an opinion of how to use this set-up (RB headers w/ bonezcat, plus whatever else?) on the SA and is sure it fits without much problem?

 

I've attached a pic from under my car of the section where I felt the leak coming from. I felt gas escaping at the joint between the two pieces of shielding at the top of that fold (the line) running down the center of the pipe in the picture.

Also is there possibly asbestos in that braided insulation?

There are definitely two bolts that attach this pipe section to the inlet in of the heat exchanger. So, unless those bolts somehow are just for holding the shielding on, I think I can replace pipe between the t-reactor and the exchanger. I'll add a picture later to be sure along with a pic of the whole car. http://www.innovent.net/RX-7/RX-7%20pics.htm

 

I don't know how they've got the switching valve set up or what year rex it came from, but the Ari and Chris of RP in Garland, TX know how to do this. I chunked the thermal reactor from my '80 and had a custom RP header put in its place. It feeds a generic honeycomb-matrix (ie. high flow, no need for Random Tech prices...$86 from my muffler guy...) 3-way catalytic converter. The air pump is still on the car. The air is channeled to the switching valve which feeds the cat until 3000 RPM where it vents it to the air cleaner. It easily passed emissions and still does. Cats don't last long, though...