ncmn

okay, after a winter of saving i bought the r/b performance exhaust.

to date, i have the air pump/belt off, cats off, muffler off, connecting pipe off.

can't figure out the best way to get the manifold shield off. what's it bolted to? do i need to keep it? is simply bending and ripping it out a good idea? if i do that, is there a good place to find a replacement -junkyard or...?

and once i get to the manifold itself, will it simply be a case of brute strength for removal and header install? my mechanic friend says to go inside-outside bolt method. r/b instructions emphasize lower bolts FIRST. difference? and silicone sealant -again my friend says silicone sealant isn't necessary with new gaskets. opinions? what type of sealant is preferred here? where can i find it?

also what is the best/cheapest place to find new rubber mounting thingys and accessories?

i assembled the system in the basement to see what it would look like. damn heavy, looks good, though i'm not sure how long the header and presilencer will stay stainless steel shiny...surprised to think that the complete system will stay off the pavement...

other miscellaneous: looked inside the precats/cat. only the second converter seems to have anything inside. the other two look hollow. is this normal? i thought that all three would have some kind of material inside.

sorry if the post is not technical enough. aside from oil changes and other simple stuff, this is the first car i ever worked on so heavily. just going by info on web, my shop manual and haynes.

thanks to all who take the time to read and answer. i'll let everyone know how things move along.

norman ng

moremazda

iTrader: (4)

Yes you won't be reusing it any way, unless you wnat to hide the header.

Not really, there are only four bolts holding the manifold to the engine, hence the four holes on the header. You should start with nuts on the bottom for removal and hand tighten all nuts before finally tightening them down on the install. Do not use any silicone sealant. It wiil just burn off. As long as you use the new gaskets you will be fine.

Dealership!

Compare it the stock system!!

When done installing it wipe it down with absolutly clean towels, no cleaners at all. Should stay shiney for a while.

The precats are usually eaten alive by the heat of a rotory.

Ryan

gamble302

mine would be shiny if i cleaned it, been on for over 6 months now, but its too hard to squeeze under my car since its got the ST springs. i find the biggest pita of workin on my car is getting the damn thing in the air enough for me to get under it.

yayarx7

the rubber Exhaust hangers are very similar to the universal type I saw in the local parts store. I will use them from now on.

ncmn

greetings,

after further investigation, i've seen several comments about the heat through the floor, burning engine wires, etc, if i remove the heat shield. how likely is this?

also, in looking at the haynes and the shop manual, it looks like the best way to get to the shield/exhaust manifold (particularly those stupid bolts!) is to first take off the carburetor-intake manifold. is this the best way?

thanks,
norman ng

adssoccer

im not speaking from experience with exhaust, but i did happen to take the upper intake manifold off of mine this winter, and it was a big pain in the @$$. note that i haven't done any exhaust work, nor do i have a carbed car, but my experience with the intake manifold was not pleasant, and i would say to avoid taking it off if possible. just my opinion

yayarx7

with my cars they all loose the heat sheild about the time they loose the cat. I have never had any problems.

If you still have the cat you might want to keep some of the shielding.

smile444

Yeah,

Youre not going to need the heat sheild. Tear that crap off. Vice grips and twisting do wonders. Once that is gone, go get the bottom bolts off, and then the top bolts. I believe you'll need the 13mm wrench. I just did this yesterday.

You do not need to take the carb off to get the thermal reactor off.

Good luck.

suprfast7

rip the crap off dont worry about wires just rip them out with the rats nest and block everything off and have a way cleaner looking motor. Also get rid of the A/C or any unneccesary things like that.
thats how a 1st gen should be

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

I dont have heat shields, I didnt use sealant, and I have no problems . Unfortunatly, my header didnt stay shiney AT ALL. My pre-silencer is still pretty shiney though . Afer the first little while of running the header was all nasty and dingy looking. I didnt wipe mine down though, so that may be part of it. I wonder if I wiped it down now if it would matter...Hmmm...

~T.J.

Wankelguy

The thermal reactor heatshields can be retained to make a new header heat shield, as well as a lower location for the carb pre-heater hose, not sure about the later models, though. I left just the forward piece of heat shielding under the car as I have no cats.

Northern 7

iTrader: (3)

IMO, Wankelguy has it right, especially if you are in a colder climate ( I did the same thing). The preheater hose is a must if you are running your car in temp's anywhere near zero degree's. I had the hose slip off in the fall one year and the carb was forever warming up. If you're in warmer climates, it probably isn't that necessary