Well, I have found myself with a set of headers, ones that I never dreamed I'd have...
Brought it on myself, basically. My kid, who put online-obtained headers on his Celica GT-S and loves them, kept asking me (about the Boxster), "So Dad, when you gonna slap some headers on that thing?" To which I'd reply, "When you get me some," assuming, naturally (with his economic status, typical for a 24 year old---he's not yet exactly "financially affluent") that'd never happen. Well...it happened. For my birthday, he, his gf, and his younger brother went in together and got me some (presumably) ebay headers.
Though I had reservations (CEL woes, etc), I ultimately thought What the Heck...let's "slap them on." They do seem to be pretty well made.
This is what they look like (these are both the same one---the passenger-side one is already in place):
Now I've heard horror stories about engines catching on fire if the power steering fluid line gets too close and melts down. I'd rather that didn't happen, so I looked at them, in place and also looked at the old one, in place, and it looks like the new ones will only be maybe 1/2 to 1" closer to the PS line when compared to the distance from the OEM cat. Looks like it'll be about 3 fingers from the new piping.
I got some reflective thermal protectant material:
If you can't tell, it is sewn into a tubular form, so I can: (1) cut out the stitching and wrap it around the PS tubing, and somehow hold the cut edges of the material together, or (2) disconnect the line (shown here, below), so as to be able to slide the material on without cutting it (the reflective material, that is):
To orient you, the exhaust opening (#4 cylinder) is to the left (with some towel stuffed in it) and the PS line (w/ the metallic cap at the end) is to the right; the plug-in for the primary (upstream) 02 sensor line is in the middle/right, next to the PS line.
Any recommendations as to which route makes more sense, and how to do it? Ie, for (1) What's a good way to reconnect the material, once cut? I am thinking about using some small hose clamps around the material and the hose, but have wondered if they'd get really hot, transferring the heat to the reflective material and (possibly) somehow subvert the protective nature of that material?
For (2), I have no idea how the hose attaches and how difficult it is to remove. I know (thanks to Bentley) that you want to keep the PS fluid off cooling hoses (and presumably anything rubber-ish).
BTW, either way I'm planning on zip-tying (w/ metal zips) the PS line, so it will actually be more than 3 fingers away from it. Maybe double that? If that's the case, is the reflective material even necessary?
Any suggestions welcome.
Also, I've read here about all kinds of 02 sensor-driven CEL issues with headers. I got some of those spark plug defoulers to distance the 02 sensors (the downstream ones) from the exhaust flow, but have no idea if it'll work. Will it work? I guess I can get the ECU reflashed but would prefer, if possible, not to have to bother with that.
Again, any ideas/suggestions/opinions welcome. Thanks in advance.