Looks like I'm the guinea pig on this one. For those of you considering these headers here's how the install is going.
Got the headers on Wednesday, sandblasted with aluminum oxide in prep for the ColorGuard from techline.com on Thursday. Mini Detail Paint Gun arrived on Friday. Took them to work on Saturday and let the head of our paint shop shoot them with aluminum colored ColorGuard.
I went ahead and had him shoot my cold air intake pipes at the same time (what can keep heat in can keep it out I figured).
Here's how the headers look on eBay and that's how they looked when they arrived.


They sure are pretty, all nice and chrome looking. Here's how they looked when I bought it all home from painting.


Not quite as pretty but the still look sharp. I got (1) 4oz. can of ColorGuard and it did it all, even still have somewhere between 1/4 to 1/3 of a can left. Sweet, at $28 (incl. s&h) for the 4oz. Neither the paintshop manager or I thought it would go that far. A little really does go a long ways with this stuff. Cool, more left for the next project.

Here you can see what the stock headers look like.



So far the only real problem I can see is that the stock sensor location is on the stock headers just above the flange. On the new ones it is down the pipe about 16" from the factory location. As many of you have already found out Honda doesn't leave any EXTRA wire for relocating things.



I have the new headers on but that is as far as I got before it got too dark out to see what I'm doing so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to test fit the rest and find out if I can make the sensor wires reach that far or not. If not I'll have to try and find a matching sensor that has a longer wire. As for the other sensor it will reach without any problem.

If any of you know of a model that has a longer sensor wire please post it since I really doubt that I can make it reach the new location. Either way I'll find out tomorrow and let you all know.

 

Sweet, keep us posted man and good luck with extending those wires.

 

yeah.. looking awesome thanks for the writeup man we really appreciate it!

 

Man what a job. But it was worth it, at least in my opinion. Had to reroute some wires and cut a couple clips holding the wires and unclip some clips that were holding the wires. Had to use (4) 3/8" socket extensions and a hammer to knock 1 of them out it was the only way to get to it (could have done it with 3 but had the 4 connected already so just lined it up and a couple taps it was out).

Here's one where I had to push the clip out with needlenose pliers it's right at the tip of my finger (sorry for the bird but cramped area), this would be under the stock air filter box. the wires go to the sensor on the right. Unplugged it and rerouted it behind and under the bracket. This alone gave me a couple inches of slack. Just above my fingers on the left you can see a breather line that is also clipped to the wires a little farther back on the left. Cut that clip with wire cutters.


At the end of the extensions the little green clip can be seen if you look real close. Just a couple light taps on it with a hammer knocked it out.


Near where the upper sensor connector is if you follow the wire it splits and the other wires that run down lead to another sensor I unplugged it and about 6" above where the wires split the wires run between a bracket and the block I pulled them up and ran them over the bracket instead. This gave me about 1" to 1.5" more wire.

Here is a pic showing the clip that holds the upper sensor wire so you know how it comes out of the retaining clip. It's the yellow wire.


The support bracket that secures the stock headers at the flange is shown here along with the gap that makes it impossible to use it with the new ones.


Couldn't get pics of the other clip but it's up by where you pull the wires up and over the bracket as stated earlier. When you start tugging on the wires you'll find it. It's holding the wires to another set of wires or a vacuum line forgot which. I did NOT cut the top clip next to the squeeze type hose clamp since it keeps the clamp from cutting into the wires.

All this being said I loosely installed everything then started tightening with the headers themselves. Then the flange. Once they were tight I was able to barely get the sensor connected. After it was connected it could be wiggled side to side about 1" total. Not much play at all. Then I tightened the rest of the pipe and was done except for the clean up and the write up.

Tools needed:
Floor Jack and creeper or a lift (a lift sure would have been nice)
Rachet (socket set) 3/8"
(1) 3/8" short extension
(3) 3/8" long extensions
12mm standard socket
14mm standard and deep sockets
Also standard and deep sockets for the 3 NEW nuts and bolts you'll have to buy (I used 10-1.50-40mm grade 10 but 30mm would have worked so I needed 15mm sockets)
10mm open or box end wrench
3/8" breaker bar and something for additional leverage that's what the red pipe is.
Needlenose pliers
Wire cutters
Vise Grips, or the correct size open end wrench for the sensors
Patience, a little creative thinking and being a little nuts helps

Here is a pic of the tools I used.


Here are the parts that are left after the job is done. As you can see the 3 bolts on the pipe are actually studs that's why I had to buy 3 new nuts and bolts.


The stock header has the nuts built in for the heat shield the new header does not (I don't think it would fit anyway). This is another good reason to coat the new header with a "TBC" Thermal Barrier Coating such as ColorGuard or SatinBlack from techline.com for the DIYers.

Or have them ceramic coated for those that want it professionally done. It would run probably $100 to $500 to have it done from what I've heard and seen.

Here are a couple pics of the finished job.



That's it so is everyone ready to start tearing their new car apart ?

As for the sound and performance.
The sound seems to be a deeper "Thhhrrrrrruuuuuumm" I don't know how else to describe it. Besides I still have the stock muffler on it.
It seems to have more power thru out the RPM's and seems to have more HP, wish I had access to a Dyno. It could just be the fact I been driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee for the last few days while working on it but I don't think so.

Hope that answers any questions you had.

 

can you get a pic of them looking fron the top of the engine, like as if you had popped the hood and were looking down

 

You can't really see them looking straight down at the engine, there are too many things in the way as you can see in this pic.


But if you look from the passengers side you can see them very clearly as shown in this pic.

 

post some soundclips so that w can hear the thruuum...hehe..looks nice though.

 

tagged, very interesting

 

I been trying to think of a way to do a sound clip, I kinda doubt that it would be noticable over the cold air intake. I don't have a portable video recorder or a tape recorder for that matter. I'll give it some thought, maybe I can pull off making one with my Archos MP3 player if I can find my microphones.

I wrote the eBay auction seller about the install problems and he is going to contact OBX and refer them to this thread for the write up so they can see the problems. Hopefully they will make the needed corrections for the sensor and the support bracket.

I'll let everyone know what he finds out as soon as I know.

 

waiting for hp numbers. Hopefully you can dyno soon.

 

I'm wondering how this will compare to the soon to be released T1R Header. Hopefully the T1R won't have the minor fitment problem the OBX did.

The price is right on the OBX however and I would love to see some actual dyno numbers.

 

Yeah, very nice price for these headers.. I just wounder if they actually do anything.. as for the T1R things always seem abit pricey.. but I hear they are worth it.

 

They sure do look different. Let me see if I can get the pics to display, last time I tried it didn't work so I went with the links. Here are some pics along with a tape measure.


There we go. You're right it is a lot closer to the flange on yours.

Yes I put holes on my cover too. I liked your idea claymore. The Rodsulate arrived today so I'll be putting it on once I get some hose clamps that will fit right. Here's the engine compartment.



It's getting there.

If I can find a place to have it put on a Dyno, noone seems to know of one but at least one other person at work would like to Dyno something of theirs, they didn't say what just that they would like to find one too.
Now my check engine light is on and everything is connected.

 

Prices for dyno testing;

Subject to change.
$240.00 for the first six hours, this is the minimum. (Includes three hours setup and tear down time).
$30.00 per additional hour. (includes tear down time).

Ouch, not at those prices. I'll keep looking but that is out of my budget just to see it printed out.

 

you weighed the parts ?

I think that's can be interesting.

 

First, yes I painted the buse box cover too. And no I didn't weigh the parts but the stock header is very light and the metal is very thin. The new one weighs considerably more and has much better construction in my opinion.

The new delima. My check engine light came on the day I first drove it with the new header which was yesterday. Today I took it by the Honda dealership and they pulled the codes up (think he said 420, I should have paid more attention). The O2 sensor was what it was reading.
Below you see a picture of the old exhaust and the new one side by side.

On the top is the new one. The large part is just a chamber it is NOT a catalytic converter.
On the bottom is the old one. The large part IS a catalytic converter.


This means I'll have to get a o2 sensor emulator/simulator to keep the check engine light from staying on. I have just finished telling the seller about this and haven't received a reply yet.

The service writer said some cars have 2 converters but the service manual for the 05 Jazz never says what it is between the converter and the muffler as shown in the following picture.



BY THE WAY THANK YOU TO WHOMEVER FIXED THE PICTURE LINKS SO THEY WOULD DISPLAY
I was going to try and fix that today.

 

For the cel, you have tried a celfix or a o2 sim ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-U...5458QQtcZphoto

 

Nice find on the CEL Fix / o2 simulator!

 

Since the car has 2 sensors one an actual o2 sensor, and one a Cat monitor, would two of those simulators work to get the computer to operate fuel systems properly? Or is there a cat monitor simulator out there? (Secondary o2 simulator) out there?

 

DAMN!!! All the local dyno shops here charge $40-$60 for 3-4 pulls on the dyno. No tuning of course, just runs with a wideband. You sure they werent charging you for tuning? You dont need that.

Dont buy that. Go to a auto parts store and buy a spark plug non-fouler
There are different sizes. Everyone uses these. My guess is its going to be the same as the MazdaSpeed Protege/Protege, Evo, tC owners.

"Help! Spark plug non fouler. Part 42002" Around $4 from an auto store. Comes with 2. You MUST drill the middle out with a 1/2in drill bit. Put the drilled defouler in between the o2 bung and the o2 sensor. Then thread and tighten in the bung.

Basically all the defouler is doing is adding a gap between the exhaust flow and the o2. This makes less air pass by the sensor making it think the cat is there and bottle necking the exhaust gases.

Im not sure if you will need to add both defoulers on BOTH sensors or just one? I think on my friends RSX-S we only added one. The one furthest from the motor, basically the one after where the cat would be.