Planning on installing my headers this weekend and wondered the same thing - looks a whole lot easier to do if I drop the H pipe but that air tube will be a problem since it's over the top side of the trans mount and would need to be cut.
Does this tube actually get all that hot? In one sense you would figure yeah because it's connected to the cats. At the same time, it's constantly getting air pumped through it flowing towards the cats so in a sense it's being cooled by that downflowing air.
I've heard of re-connecting it with tubing before. Guess the big question is will regular heater hose work or is silicone, high temp or whatever needed for it to actually last?