What are the benefits of removing the catalytic converter? And I guess replacing it with a straight pipe. I'm not a fan of loud exhaust so hopefully this would not increase the volume output of the exhaust. I was just curious as to what the benefit would. be if it would be one less piece that would build carbon, break down, etc. Thanks!

 

Take it down, sell it for scrap(its over $500 if it has both honeycombs inside), replace with a dual resonated midpipe. Removes headaches of clogged cats and changes slightly the sound.

 

If it's a good cat, DON'T scrap it.
Some members could use a good OEM cat.

 

Also it will smell. The cat cleans up the exhaust, so without the cat you're getting unburnt fuel in your exhaust. Some people don't mind, some can't stand it. Next time your car is cold, have someone start it while you stand behind and take a good whiff of the exhaust. That's what it will smell like all the time.

But it's a good idea to at least take it down to inspect it, make sure it's not clogged now.

 

It will definitely increase exhaust noise and shoot flame under certain conditions.
Rotary Engine & Catalytic Converter = Lose-lose situation.

Remove cat. Keep it for future if it's in good condition.

 

It's a win for your health, though. As long as you are not tracking and your engine is healthy, I actually don't see why a stock cat could be damaged in a short period of time. The oil might get it eventually, but it will probably take a good while.

I actually have to turn on recirculate on my Camaro and my friend's Mazda6 I am borrowing in the morning when I back out of the driveway as well. Apparently, these direct-injection gas engines dump a lot of fuel in the exhaust to light them up more quickly. If you have a friend with a car with DI engine, the cold start exhaust smell will also be decently accurate as to what a rotary will smell like all the time without a cat.

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'm going to take Loki's advice and get it inspected. My car is a bit strong on the fumes and that could be because one of the wires is broken on one of my solenoids. I have 3 new solenoids but I have not had the time yet to get under there and take off the intake to put them on and replace the wire.

 

i took Lokis advice. I took down the cat, and its in great condition. I think the fumes im getting are from one of the bad solenoids (you know, the bottom third one with the wire broken off, lol) i purchased all 3 solenoids, all 3 harnesses and the NGK kit of plugs, wires and coilpacks. Going to make a day of it on vacation next week. Still got the odd occasional scraping sound coming from the right rear passenger wheel since I put my sub box in, and its worse with 2 folks in the car ( i painted the inside well as well as marked the fender rim) so i know the tires not coming in contact with anything. May be like one member said, check your shocks/struts and springs. Still have to find my wheel offset on these 18s being run on Falcon 235 40 18s. And most importantly, run a compression check, which my neighbor gratefully has the equipment to do. Overall guys, i love this car and enjoy reading the many threads you knowledgeable folks provide.

 

Cool that's good news.
Is your neighbors compression tester for regular engines or for a rotary? A regular one can be used in a pinch, but you need a rotary tester to be sure about the results.

What do you mean by "strong on fumes"? If it's running rich that could be a symptom.

 

i believe its a regular tester loki. Will find out. And whenever i start her in the morning, i get the strong smell of exhaust for about 5 minutes until i drive it. Sound from wheel well is still a mystery, but ill get her resolved for sure.

 

Ah ok. Yeah cold, rich rotaries stink. As long as it's not continuing to smell once warmed up.

 

It could be a bad front O2 sensor. My car currently running very rich and I've traced it to that sensor being faulty. Worth investigating.

 

Cold any car stinks. Takes time for the cat to start working.

 

Replaced the 3 solenoids today, plugs, coils and wires. I swear the car fires up faster. What a relief! On another topic i had up, i also found the source. Of the grinding/scraping in the rear end. Took a wheel off and found out the offset for my aftermarket 18x8s is 50mm. Good news. However, i kept the 16 inch lugs on, so that was a problem. Replaced them. Also, the inner hub for the aftermarket 18s I have was about 5mm too big for my car. Took forever to find them, but i found a set of rings to fill the gap. Finally, for whatever reason the rear suspension under a load of 2 ppl or more was the cause of the grinding. Metal hitting metal. Put half inch spacers on and have not heard so much as a squeak.

 

Ignition system is everything in this car. Its worth keeping it always in good shape. Your engine will thank you. Glad you were able to sort your problem out.