Stripped o2 Sensor Housing, HELP!!

[mattdev]

I only planned on switching sensors. It was a PITA to get out. It did not want to budge and when it finally did it tightened up again. I foolishly just muscled it out. Putting the new one in i realized the extent of the damage. NEARLY ALL THE THREADS IN THE HOUSING ARE GONE!! I can't even catch a thread. HELP!! I can't thread it again can I? I'm in biggg trouble!!! If I could get it to an exhaust shop could they do anything??

Thanx!

 

[IslandTSI]

Just go buy a tap that matched the thread size and reatap new threads into it. Unless you really mangled it in which case you will have to get a new housing. Either go buy a tap or just take it to an exhaust shop.

Any shop would be able to do it for you in like 5 minutes and it should not cost more than $20. Make sure to put anti seize on the new sensor

 

[GSTeclipse]

I would pull off the 02 sensor housing and get a better view of what the problem is ....if it's not stripped to bad just rethread it .....if not Helicoil is going to be the next best thing you can do !

 

[GSTeclipse]

Just go buy a tap that matched the thread size and reatap new threads into it. Unless you really mangled it in which case you will have to get a new housing. Either go buy a tap or just take it to an exhaust shop.

Any shop would be able to do it for you in like 5 minutes and it should not cost more than $20. Make sure to put anti seize on the new sensor

in that area a exhaust shop is not going to be able to do much about it becuase of the limited work space plus the fact that it is (cast) and is made in 1 peice housing , it's not like the exhaust pipe where they just drill a hole and mount the 02 sensor bung and weld it in the pipe ....2 totally diffrent things here !

 

[mattdev]

It's a good $80 buks for a helicoil kit. I could buy a new o2 housing for that much. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to rethread it w/o helicoil. I was thinking, would I be able to slap some jb weld on there and make it hold till I get to the exhaust shop. Wouldn't they have a helicoil kit in their inventory or would they wanna weld a new bung on. That would be a fairly common occurrence I would think.

 

[pooker]

No at those temperatures jb weld will come apart.

 

[IslandTSI]

in that area a exhaust shop is not going to be able to do much about it becuase of the limited work space plus the fact that it is (cast) and is made in 1 peice housing , it's not like the exhaust pipe where they just drill a hole and mount the 02 sensor bung and weld it in the pipe ....2 totally diffrent things here !

Wrong. I told him to do that because I have direct experience with it. I couldent get my last o2 sensor out so I took it to an exhaust shop. The threads were stripped by the time they got it out and it took the guy all of 5 minutes to re tap the housing. And the majority of that was finding the proper size tap.

Please don't just make assumptions and make the guy go through undo work or spend money he does not have to.

 

[mattdev]

I'll check it out. But I need a way to get the car to the shop now, what about High temp rtv just to seal it long enough, I can catch about one thread and it wobbles around in there, I just need something to keep it firm, just until I can get it to the nearest shop. BTW I have the heat shield off so it's pretty exposed.

 

[IslandTSI]

try safety wiring it on. Or if you have access to another vehicle just go to an exhaust shop and see if they will loan you the tap for a fee.

 

[romeen]

However you end up fixing it I would recommend using high temp anti-seize on the threads. This is not the standard anti-seize found in most parts stores which turns powdery in the high heat of a turbo envoirnment. Look for either the copper based or nickel based stuff (even higher temp than the copper). It is more expensive and harder to find but given your circumstances right now I'm sure you would agree that it is a good investment that will pay for itself. Anyone who has ever sheared off a seized turbo bolt, etc will understand how this is money well spent.

 

[mattdev]

Yeah, it would be nice if it hadn't seized on me, ID BE ON THE ROAD. . I've never used helicoil, or tapped threads before so I would prefer the shop do it. You really only have one shot, so I don't wanna screw it up. Though it seems pretty straight forward, but then again, so did changing the o2 sensor...

If anyone has ideas on how to get it to the shop, feel free to post. .

 

[GSTeclipse]

Wrong. Please don't just make assumptions and make the guy go through undo work or spend money he does not have to.

spend money he does not have to ? but spending $20 is fine ? Yeah I am wrong

Let's see a tap set cost less then $20 and then you can keep that tap set for later on down the road !

Helicoil is less then $20 as well

Just more simple to just pull the housing off and doing it your self , then trying to drive the car to a exhaust shop .....throwing exhaust gas on under hood stuff is not good

 

[GSTeclipse]

If anyone has ideas on how to get it to the shop, feel free to post. .

Just take the 02 housing off it's only 6 bolts .....2/19mm and 4/14mm and take it to them if you don't feel like doing it cause you are worried about messing somthing up .....But watch them on how they do it so you will know how to next time

 

[IslandTSI]

spend money he does not have to ? but spending $20 is fine ? Yeah I am wrong

Let's see a tap set cost less then $20 and then you can keep that tap set for later on down the road !

Helicoil is less then $20 as well

Just more simple to just pull the housing off and doing it your self , then trying to drive the car to a exhaust shop .....throwing exhaust gas on under hood stuff is not good

I never said that. I was referring to all the stuff you said that was pure conjecture and was totally wrong like not being able to tap it on the car. Like I said, if you don't know the answer dont give improper information, it just makes things worse

 

[GSTeclipse]

I never said that. I was referring to all the stuff you said that was pure conjecture and was totally wrong like not being able to tap it on the car. Like I said, if you don't know the answer dont give improper information, it just makes things worse

you never said what ?

What don't I know ?

I have told him what 2 or 3 answers so your saying my answers are wrong and it can not be done that way ?

 

[mattdev]

So the saga continues...
I went to the exhaust shop w/ the o2 housing. He (or I) couldn't figure out how cast iron managed to strip. He said you really can't tap (or helicoil) cast iron, and if you can it will probably break at least one bit, which is all the bits he has for that size. He recommended the following: get a new/replacement one, or move it to my downpipe.

I would wrather get a new one.I'm thinking: get a replacement for cheap, or get a stainless (or mild) steel 2.5" housing for $130 shipped. If I get a 2.5" will it bolt up to my stock downpipe and turbo and attach smoothly, this is the one I'm thinking: http://www.punishment-racing.com/recirculatedo2housings.html
I only have time to order once, as I have a plane to catch in LA in 10 days, so I don't have a ton of time to re order parts or anything...

 

[StR8sPo0Ln]

This would be the perfect opportunity, for you to upgrade your O2 housing. Since you stripped out the stock one,it would be more beneficial for you, to get something with more flow.

 

[mattdev]

That's what I've been thinking but I guess the main question is: Will the one I linked to ^^^ fit stock turbo and downpipe, or is it flanged differently?

 

[IslandTSI]

It will attach to the stock turbo but it will be a pita with the stock downpipe and the 2.5 outlet will be majorly restricted and cause turbulance.

And they can be tapped. I've seen it donw

 

[GSTeclipse]

So the saga continues...
I went to the exhaust shop w/ the o2 housing. He (or I) couldn't figure out how cast iron managed to strip. He said you really can't tap (or helicoil) cast iron, and if you can it will probably break at least one bit, which is all the bits he has for that size. He recommended the following: get a new/replacement one, or move it to my downpipe.

The guy you took it to is a IDIOT ....they can be tapped or Helicoiled

So now just take it off just like I said above, and take it to a Machine Shop and they will be able to do it sense the exhaust place was waste in the 1st place

 

[kenamond]

Depending on how long you can wait, just get a used 2g O2 housing. I found these in the classifieds in a minute of searching:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=58569&cat=7 (BO)
http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=58499&cat=7 ($40)
http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=58266&cat=7 ($35 shipped with O2 sensor)
http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=58166&cat=7 (BO)
http://www.dsmtuners.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=58074&cat=7 ($40)

Look around. They're cheap.

 

[mattdev]

Well, I thought that guy was an a** hole (but wasn't going to argue w/ him)... I'll look into machine shops tomorrow to get it on the road, but I just ordered that 2.5" housing since I'm eventually doing an exhaust. I'm not too worried about that. I'm just pissed that a simple 2 hour job just turned into a week long ordeal. But I'll check out machine shops tomorrow...

 

[kenamond]

Well, I thought that guy was an a** hole (but wasn't going to argue w/ him)... I'll look into machine shops tomorrow to get it on the road, but I just ordered that 2.5" housing since I'm eventually doing an exhaust. I'm not too worried about that. I'm just pissed that a simple 2 hour job just turned into a week long ordeal. But I'll check out machine shops tomorrow...

Chit happens. I dropped a zip tie into my block when installing my boost gauge (had the VC off to fix a leak and the zip tie fell between the rags). Didn't plan on pulling the exhaust, transfer case, bearing bracket and oil pan.

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Found my destroyed T25 thrust bearing pieces in the pan, though. The penny was just for size reference.

 

[DSM's 4 life]

spend money he does not have to ? but spending $20 is fine ? Yeah I am wrong

Let's see a tap set cost less then $20 and then you can keep that tap set for later on down the road !

Helicoil is less then $20 as well

Just more simple to just pull the housing off and doing it your self , then trying to drive the car to a exhaust shop .....throwing exhaust gas on under hood stuff is not good

What size is this tap?