Knock Sensor Replacement - Long

[montypython]

My Check Engine light has been on for the past 3 months or so, and when I was able to finally read the code (on a 96 you can't do it with the connector down by the drivers feet), it showed a faulty knock sensor. So I decided to change both since you're supposed to do them in pairs.
I don't have the service manual so I went into it blind except for doing a search of previous posts.
They are both securely hidden under the inlet manifold. I read that folks have done this procedure by just swinging the alternator out of the way, but IMHO the alternator has to come off.
The front one is easy to spot, but the rear one took me about half an hour just to find it. They have got to be joking, I thought with a couple of olde English expletives thrown in.
Figuring that practice makes perfect, I tackled the "easy" one first. Did it in about half an hour.
To change the back one you first have to remove both the plastic inlet manifold covers so that the small gap between the left and right manifold gives you an access/sight hole through which you can shout and scream at the freakin' knock sensor.
From the front of the engine, even with relatively small hands, I was able to reach in and just get two finger tips on the sensor.
Using a 12mm socket attached to a two way swivel joint and extra long extension through the previously mentioned hole I was able to loosen the bolt enough that I could very carefully and painfully reach in from the front and release it from the sensor. I had visions of dropping it and loosing it forever somewhere in the engine compartment.
Now you have to disconnect the connector. Thats exactly what the instructions say. "Disconnect the connector". First you have to FIND the connector. You can see that the wire disappears toward the rear rear of the engine but I couldn't see where it re-appeared on the other side. After moving away a bunch of other wires and groping around awhile I located it and finally got the connector free.
Since I couldn't reach the sensor from the front any more - it had moved further to the rear with all the tugging on the wire - I used a length of fairly strong wire with a hook bent on the end to pull it back within reach and finally get it out.
By this time my right hand looked like a slab of raw meat, so I decided to call it a day, have a good nights sleep and prepare myself mentally for the installation of the new sensor, cause I knew it wasn't going to get any easier.
"Installation is the reverse order of dismantling". So I connected the connector first, and then used the same length of wire I had used the day before to pull the sensor back to it's eventual mounting place.
I used one of those long reach magnet thingy's to lower the bolt through the hole between the manifolds while I reach in from the front to guide the bolt into the hole in the sensor. So far so good.
Getting the bolt started into the threaded hole was probably the most painful of all the steps. Even after a nights rest my right slab of meat had not had enough time to come close to healing.
The sensor had to be manouvered and held firmly perfectly aligned over the bolt hole while the long extension, swivel and socket was turned slowly by hand from above.
Picture me part kneeling and part standing with my right hand wedged under the inlet manifold while I turned the extension with my left hand. After about 302 attempts, the bolt finally caught on the threads and I was home free. The shouts of joy were clearly heard from on end of the town to the other.
The whole operation took about 8 hours, but if I had to do it again, I could probably cut that down to 7 hours and 52 minutes.
End result is no more Check Engine light, and the car is a lot smoother and responsive - or is it just imagination
Who cares, I'm a happy man

I don't make any apology for the length of the post, I deserved the venting time.

[drivemusicnow]

Way to go!!... sounds like you could use some smaller hands ... i'm sure i'll eventually be doing this, either on mine or my moms... sounds like a pain in the.... slab of raw meat good job though..., maybe i'll have you do mine instead

[Trevor]

I would not be silly to put this info in the How Too section as it could be of real benefit to anyone contemplating this job. No manual gives this sort of information.

A worthwhile post for sure.

[svx_commuter]

Rubber gloves save hands and tape wrapped around the swivel joint and socket and bolt may allow it be turned into the place it belongs and that is easy for me to say as I have not done this replacement YET. I enjoyed reading your post as writting is entertaining.