Oxygen Sensor

[94 Pathy]

OK,

 

I'm @ the point of beating this Pathy!

 

I've been trying & trying to get this darn O2 sensor broke loose so I can replace it. Can't get it to budge. I've prayed it time after time & went out & bought 2 different slotted sockets for it & nothing. I really don't want to pay big bucks for someone to do this, if I can get it done myself. Do I need to take the cross member off to be able to get more movement with the torque wrench? I'm getting irritated with it all. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Dowser]

Your Using a torque wrench to take it off? If so, thats a bad Idea. If you haven't already lubed the hell out of it, another thing you can do is use bee's wax, and melt it on the threads. I know some mechanics do that to get the threads to break loose. Have you tried a longer breaker bar?

[RJSquirrel]

if you have a propane torch, or better yet, one set up for MAPP gas, use it to heat the exhaust pipe near the sensor, not the sensor itself, and then put the socket on the sensor and give it a spin. Before the heat conducts into the sensor, the pipe will expand slightly, and may be enough to break the corrosion layer.

 

If you are using a torque wrench as a breaker bar, you just ruined your torque wrench. Any readings it gives now are worthless. Throw it away, and buy a new one, and get a proper breaker bar.

[Precise1]

^what he said on both accounts.

 

Did you try soaking it with a penetrating oil (PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc)?

Another trick when heating like RJS said is to use one of those cans of compressed air on the sensor/bolt. Hold it upside down and give it a brief spray, you will freeze (or at least cool considerably) whatever it is...

 

B

[adamzan]

What I did was let the truck run for ten minutes so the pipes got hot, came right out with a wrench. Don't burn yourself though.

[Trogdor636]

I had a open end wrench on mine. No need for a slotted socket. It is a bigger size wrench (22MM I believe, someone correct me if I am wrong) so I get you may not have that in your tool box though. I do feel your pain though, mine is on there like Excalibur in a rock, and I still havent been able to break it loose. Doesnt help that one of the previous owners look like they sort of rounded it off. At this point I might have to break down and take it to someone to get the damn thing off. Try a muffler shop, they might not charge as much as a full service shop, and they deal with that kind of thing on a everyday basis.

[Tungsten]

put some more muscle in it

 

on more serious thought

yes it's 22mm for the big sensors (newer years) and if i can recall correctly 17mm for the old sensors

 

if you can get a wrench to stay on there tight you can kick the sensor loose with your foot but be careful not to round off the nut and i have almost done that once

Edited December 20, 2011 by Tungsten

[sewebster]

Take the exhaust pipe off, cut the wires off, put a deep socket on it. Put a big ratchet on it etc.

[Tungsten]

Take the exhaust pipe off, cut the wires off, put a deep socket on it. Put a big ratchet on it etc.

Done it that way too and if that sensor is rusted in there then so are those bolts that hold the pipe in place.

[1994SEV6]

Done it that way too and if that sensor is rusted in there then so are those bolts that hold the pipe in place.

Cut the bolts off with a saw-zall, sand/grind down some of the rust on the exhaust pipe, and use new bolts. Or better yet, get new piping. That's what I did. My exhaust was rusted horribly and I don't even live in a rust state.

[ejin4499]

Cut it off then drill it out. The insides are mostly ceramic and really brittle. If you mess it up real good grind off the old bung and threads weld a new bung in place. You should be able to do all that from under the truck.

Good luck.