Has anyone ever stripped their o2 sensor?? Help.

[scottsee]

I was trying to get my o2 sensor off my o2 housing today. I could not for the life of me get that damn o2 sensor off. It would not budge. I used a Breaker bar from under my car and all that happend was the Universal 7/8 & 22mm Schucks Autopart o2 sorcket would round off the o2 sensor! I would think it was moving, but all it was doing was chewing metal off the o2 sensor.

So I cut a small part off my heat sheald away under neath the o2 sensor wich allowed me to get it off, unhooked the o2 sensor wire from under the thermistat, and "Some how" got all 4 nuts and bolts off the 02 houisng connecting it to the turbo!. Once off I did everything I could think of to get that o2 sensor off. I put the housing in a vice, used the breaker bar yet again (same result), tryed using a good sized 7/8 wrench and put all 180lb of me on it. All that happend was more rounding of the edges on the sensor. Am I missing somthing here?? Is their some kind of o2 sensor handshake you have to know before it will come out? Even so; It's stripped beyond 22mm or 7/8in sockets ability to get it off. So i need somones help on this one. Whats my options? How do i get it off! Thanks.

I spent 6 hours takeing the housing off, messing with it, and reinstalling it back into place. All for nothing! Really sucked!

 

[MNGSX]

Use the Torch wrench.. The deluxe oxy accetalyne model...

You could also try pounding on one size smaller impact socket and using a impact on it...

If that dont work like if it is too rounded get this.. Cut off what used to be the hex or bolt shaped area just above the 02..


Hey look a hole in the center..

Get a drill and some cutting oil... Drill it out just shy of the threads in the o2... then use a punch to fold what is left of the 02's threads to the center of the hole..

I have pulled huge stubborn bolts that way when the head has sheared off with zero thread damage......

 

[scottsee]

Yayyy. ####.

 

[MNGSX]

Either that or buy a used 2g o2 housing or upgrade to a tubular...

Get that fn o2 out later and sell the housing...

 

[Diplomat]

My old 4G37 used to belong to a woman that lived on the beach. I had to change my sensor shortly after buying the car. I couldn't believe what it took to get that thing free.

PB Blaster + air impact wrench:
Nothing.

Breaker bar + big hairy dude:
Nothing.

Breaker bar + big hairy dude + 4 foot pipe:
Success!

I don't know how we managed to keep from rounding it off.

 

[MNGSX]

You probably never put anything on it but a 6pt flank drive impact socket...

 

[scottsee]

I don't have the patience to take it off my car anytime this week. I think i'm going to bring it to a buddies house who has the right tools (fat ass) to put the right TQ on it. If that dosn't work. I'll saw the o2 sensor down to the bolt area and weld a nut on their.

I havn't been this sore sence waking up the next day after trying to learn how to snowboard on an ice'e day!

 

[MNGSX]

Do you still have a cat?

If not go to vfaq and get the ecu pinout...

swap the pins for the 2nd with those for the front for now.. Its just like moving pins for a 1g in a 2g as far as releasing them from the connector...

Later on get another o2 housing and a o2 sensor... then swap the pins back

 

[hellotbone]

A torch does work wonders if you heat the bung up very good chance it will come loose. We we rebuilt my car there were a few winters on it and alot of suspension stuff was seized heat it with the torch and turn it off very easily. Sometimes its the only way.

 

[Turbo Talon DL]

Bet you'll use some anti-seize compound next time, huh? Nothing ever gets stuck with that stuff, and it wont burn off.

 

[assa 98gsx]

I will use either a vice grip or a flat screw driver with a hammer and tap the bolt till it turns. I think vice grip + hammer should do it.

 

[SethA]

I agree with the torch method. Use a hammer and a punch/chisel to tap it loose maybe. Another last resort trick if it is too rounded off is a pipe wrench.

Good Luck,

Seth

 

[MNGSX]

Well usually if I have'nt snapped a the head off the bolt... and it is stripped I weld a bar to it to turn..

In this case maybe a cheap 7/8 wrench then a big piece of pipe for leverage.

 

[housegsx]

Pipe wrench + breaker bar

 

[MNGSX]

No I mean weld the 7/8 wrench to the sensor and the pipe is the breaker bar.

 

[scottsee]

No I mean weld the 7/8 wrench to the sensor and the pipe is the breaker bar.

$.99 7/8 wrench from Harbor Freight.