lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

Ok so before I post up pictures I want you to know when and how this might of occured. Im not sure if most of you are familiar with a thread I had before about a large rattle, coming from the exhaust system (converter)... well I fixed that.

Now this one is a bit different and it appears to be on the header which could explain a wweeeee bit lack of performance. (leak). As i was driving home last night on the freeway... this ******* truck was in my way and being a jerk. So i change gear to pass the dude, going at about 60-70mph in third gear for about 10 seconds or less and then a quarter mile later my exit is up. I get to the street lights, and once my light hits green to turn (get out the freeway) All of a sudden my car sounds very DEEP, and lacking power (acceleration). I thought it was just temporary. As i get to the next stop, my car begins to idle all fucked up and nasty... between 350 - to its regular idle. Sounding like its going to die and keep the gas on the pedal to about 900rpm. Once i get home I thought it was a vacuum hose that was unplugged (previous incident) so i check the hoses and they all checked out. nothing was loose. I get on my knees and back and check the exhaust and i started kicking it, and shoving it around and then... i noticed that something was loose. it was the same pipe that had caused me the loud rattle before.... except this time it was broken/snapped off before the converter and had a large hole and air was coming out of it like crazy.

Anyways it was late and i couldnt do much so I decided to take it to a local muffler repair shop the next morning (today). I showed the dude what was broken or snapped.... he said he'd take care of it. well, he did, except he seperated the two pipes and covered the hole. as i paid up and drove away... i didnt notice a fix. it was still loud and deep, and lacked performance. so my question is this (and hopefully images clear things up a bit).

Were the two pipes supposed to be seperated? Or snapped back together like they were? what is the thin pipe for? Now i dont know what this thin pipe is for, but i know it must be the culprit to this slow speed, acceleration, or not enough juice (feels weak).

here are the pictures of the pipes, and current condition. Please input as much possible im going to go there after work, and i want to get it fixed asap.3

heres a link to a photobucket album. where the images are uploaded and for you to view.

MY ALBUM
http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r150/my86seven/

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

now i know my story is longer than hell, but just click the link and see if those 2 pipes should be connected or not

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

What two pipes? All I see is the split air pipe, which connects to the main cat as it should.

cbrinega

The small pipe is the "split air" pipe that feeds the catalytic converter O2 to burn up excess fuel. It looks correctly setup.

The only time I've had any symptoms like you describe is when I blew an exhaust gasket at my exhaust manifold's output. You should make sure the gaskets are good and the exhaust bolts are tight.

I suppose you could have a partially clogged exhaust, but I don't think that would cause a deep sound.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Agree with Cb..you broke the split air tube that Opens your Aux ports.That would give you a bit of Slower acceleration(stupid way of sayin it!)..Now since you were doin a little "spirited " driving you could have got a little Chunk of catalytic floatin around and causin a Power loss..Suggestion.Drop the catalytic,take a look inside,see if it's blocked.If it is Hollow it out!..(or replace it's up to you).and get the split air tube fixed/It runs From the catalytic to right behind the Passenger side of the engine.It is attached there at the firewall.

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

i see, well aaron... this is what i was talking about...



should those 2 peices be connected together, or be seperated like that? Rather than having it like this | | is it suppose to be like this K ? cause thats the way it was before. They weren't parallel to each other. As you can see the dude welded it shut (header).. i dont know this so im just wondering. thats whyi came here.

also, a clogged converter. How does it clog??? please explain.

Rathmar

iTrader: (8)

The split air pipe looks correct now, I'd imagine that beforeit was welded to the side of the pipe there and then broke off.

Converters clog from the byproducts of a rotary engine, and clog especially fast due to the oil injection.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

The split air pipe in the pictures you have is connected properly to the main cat. The split air pipe does not connect to the two precats in stock configuration.

If any of those cats are not "rotary approved" aftermarket cats or stock, they they are likely clogged or melted.

spot_skater

The split air pipe and exhaust should not be connected together, except at their respective flanges.

And the cats will get destroyed easier due to the oil injection. Oil and coolant in converters just don't mix. They destroy the substrate material, melt it down and cause it to clog, I think.

James

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

so i was also told i could have a dead rotor...

now im just getting scared by the minute... I had a problem before, where the add coolant light would come on every so often. Ive taken it to mazdatrix twice and it fixed... a couple of days later (after the visits) the add coolant light came back on... al though this was NOT occuring during last nights sprited driving like mister stated.... both clogged converters or loss of one rotor could cause the loss of half the power?

DAMMIT~!

spot_skater

Yes, they could. If your idle became erratic and you had a very noticable loss of power, there's a chance you might have thrown an apex seal during the spirited driving and blown the motor.

Do a compression test and check it. Anything less than ~90 psi means it's rebuild time.

Good luck.

James

Go48

iTrader: (7)

Yes. Have the compression checked by someone who knows how to do that on a rotary engine. If the compression is reasonable, check out the cat.

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

thanks you guys... n e more input please...

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

Get a piston compression tester. Pull the EGI fuses under the hood. Put the tester in the lower aprk plug hole of each rotor. Hold down the release button while a firend cranks it. If you see 3 even pulses in the 80's plus, your good. If you see 1 high and 2 low pulses, then you have a blown seal and need a rebuild.

Dak

I too would get the compression checked as that sounds very similar to how my car ran when I broke the apex seals on my rear rotor. My car had trouble going any faster than say 65mph and smoked alot. You said you've had it to Mazdatrix before. If you can get it there I'd have them check the compression. If you have a gauge you can check it but it won't be as accurate as what they can do but you could figure out if that may be the problem.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Easiest way to tell if you have a dead rotor:
http://ww.aaroncake.net/rx-7/blown.htm

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

yea but mazdatrix doesnt have another opening until january first 2 weeks...

my car doesnt smoke, i can go well over 70 mph... does that help a little? thanks again

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

the link doesnt work properly...


edit: never mind you were missing a "w"

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

Just stick another "w" at the beginning of the link.
Also, my car could go close to 80 on 1 rotor, but it wook a while to get there. If it just feels totally gutless and slow then theres a good chance its blown.

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

if i may add, i went from 91 octane to 87 once i was told that 91 could be harmful....... does this help??? any ideas?

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

well after reading your site aaron... it helps but to a certain extent, considering i dont have the proper tools i can only do so much. Thanks.

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

Once i got out of work, i decided to pay close attention to every part of the engine, and listen closely under the car (right under those pictures i took). I listened closely, and i heard some ockware noise coming from the cat. (i was a bit relieved might i add). So once the car got to its temp. I drove up the levels, and finally got onto the road.

As i drove, i heard this... rattling yet, deep sound coming from beneath me (cat area). The engine sounded a bit lower than usual, but the noise most definitely from the cat area was surely different. I will see if i can record a sound clip, if not a video clip of the car. Ofcourse it will sound normal through the mic of the camera... its tough to show you by sound. You would have to be either in the car with me, or outside.

Anyways I just thought i would add that to this thread seeing that I noticed something else. I didnt hear that this morning, Who knows i might end up hearing some other **** tomorrow morning. Ill keep you guys posted.

OH one more thing...

Do i have to get a new cat-back system if i replace a clogged, or just in general a converter?

this means new Y pipe, and mufflers. hit me back...

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

What proper tools? Your ears don't work?

lchaidez

iTrader: (4)

lol... well ofcourse they do... but i dont know what to listen for and how to determine what it is. meaning... "if this sound is coming from here and sounds like this... then, it must be a clogged cat" You know?

So, i was calling around for local rotary shops (such as Mazdatrix) but most of them are booked until early next year. I was told there are tests to see which part of the car is the one thats holding me back from accelerating or driving with the speed i had once.

What this about "back pressure" ?? for the "clogged cat" that is if i have it.

Should i run the cat test, or the engine test (compression check?). how long does it usually take?

Oh and by the way... i drove the car this morning to work (i have no choice)... and the added noise (that wasnt there before this incident) is most definitely coming from the cat area. The power loss actually seems amazing if it were to be running on a single rotor. :-P

gear_grinder

iTrader: (4)

check your spark plugs, when i first got mine i ran it hard once and the plugs went all to hell (they were the shity autolite ones).