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Driver's side O2 sensor replacement DIY hints.
As mentioned elsewhere, the passenger side O2 sensor is accessible from the bottom with hands and from the top, but the driver's side is another story.
If you get a long (12'-14" flat blade screwdriver with as narrow, thin a blade as you can find ( I ground down mine, a cheap Harbor Freight item) AND a long (12" again) needle nose plier with the offset (90 degree) tips, the job is much easier. My apologizes for no pictures.... Put the front on ramps, remove the connector first by inserting the screwdriver tip between the black tab ( at about 9 o'clock laying on back with feet out front) and the white female plug that goes to the sensor..shove it in so the black tab moves outwards and tug on the sensor wires somewhat firmly. Mine came off on the first try. Get an O2 sensor socket (cheap and much better than a wrench) and, after spraying the sensor/pipe area with Kroil or PBBlaster with the engine warmed up a bit, loosen a turn or 2. Respray the exposed few threads and tighten/loosen a few times so the carbon build up on the threads exposed to the exhaust get a chance to breakup. Repeat if the sensor binds after a few more loosening turns. Once the crud is lubed and starts to breakup, the sensor will loosen easily. Clean the threads in the hole with a steel brush if you have one or use some carb cleaner and a toothbrush/rag to get the threads in decent shape. Now the long pliers (I tried to insert the plug from the top but I couldn't get the right angle and hand was too big..some of you might have better luck than me plugging it in from the top. I had my aftermarket fuel regulator in the way)...grab the part of the new sensor plug near the part closest to the wires with the "bump" on the plug aimed to the left (driver's fender), not squeezing so hard as to distort the plastic. You can now reach it up (good light source for all this obviously) and insert it far enough into the upper connector so it will stay attached long enough for you to reach in from the top and snap it home. Hope this works for others. My ACE hardware had those long offset pliers BTW..blue handle and handy for other things like squeezing hose clamps in akward area. Last edited by fasteract7; 07-31-2014 at 07:57 PM. |
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