The thread posted by Jeremy "replacing the THERMAL REACTOR, boom" had a few people vexed about the use and intention of a thermal reactor, so here it is, right out of the Haynes book.

The engine driven pump supplies air into the exhaust to burn carbon MONOXIDE into carbon DIOXIDE, and complete the combustion of hydro carbons. This is done in the "Thermal Reactor", a chamber where the exhaust manifold normally is. To prevent the reactor getting too hot it is double skinned, and has a cooling air supply. For conditions when there are insufficient unburned products coming from the engine to sustain combustion in the reactor, the trailing spark plugs are cut so that more unburned gases will be available.
Because of the long thin shape of the combustion chamber, there is a large surface area in relation to its volume. So combustion is cool, giving few oxides of nitrogen. However the combustion is also incomplete, so there are large amounts of partly burned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The exhaust is hot enough for the combustion of these to continue after exhaust into the thermal reactor, which is supplied air form the air pump. (think about it, for fire to occur, you need heat, {exhaust} oxygen {air pump} and fuel source{hydro carbons and carbon monoxide})
Because of the combustion characteristics, the octane requirements of the engine are very low. Therefore lead free fuel should be used. -Haynes Mazda RX-7 Rotary 1979-1985 All models covered page 65

 

Yeah basically its a catalytic exhaust manifold

 

let me sum that up. mazda attached a very large, heavy brick/oven to the sideof your engine so that you could save hippies from killing themselves over your car. then they called it a thermal reactor so you believe that it is actually there as a power enhancement, like you have a nuclear plant strapped to the side of your rotary. but don't remove the hp robbing airpump or the reactor overheats and has catastrophic meltdown, poisoning everything within a 10 mile radius with radiation.

 

Yeah, exactly. Removing the air pump will make it a thermal-nuclear reactor. You will have chernobyl on the other side of your firewall while your going down the freeway, or around the track.

 

when I heard thermal reactor i though nuclear power station, i then realized it was just a really really really crappy exhaust manifold that wieghed to much... bring on the headers. As for the hippies, the more the better... who needs orange cones when you got a line of hippies to turn through.. jsut amke sure it ain't wet ;->

cheers'

 

Hmm, my airpump was already disconnected when
I bought the car back in March. Drove it ~80-90 miles
home with no problems and now drive it once or twice
a week to keep everything moving and charged while I save money to get it inspected, registered, and insured here in MO. Haven't noticed that it is hurting anything and the reactor area doesn't seem to get all that hot. Sounds like I have an exhaust leak somewhere but haven't found any holes and heard another 7 the other day which sounded just like mine I did notice a rust hold directly across from the reactor above where the stearing linkage mounts on the frame(?) Looks like I'll have to find a good welding shop to get that fixed.

 

well, the pump is there more for "combusting" the hydrocarbons. it will be tough to overheat the cast iron thermal nuclear reactor but then again breaking it down just gives you more of an excuse for a header.

autoxing through hippies, ahahahaha, that would be fun........did i say that out loud?