How do I remove a stuck O2 sensor

[panek]

I can not get the oxygen sensor after the main cat off. I have tried multiple applications of penetrating oil/liquid wrench without any luck. I have the cat off the car and put the cat in my vise, and using an extension bar on my socket to increase the torque to the point that I tore my vise off my work bench. I reattached the vise to the bench with stronger bolts and now I am lifting the bench off the floor. The sensor doesn't appear to be rusted nor does it appear to be cross threaded. Any suggestions on a way to loosen the oxygen sensor would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Panek

[gluefish]

Heat the body around the O2 Sensor to cherry red with a MAPP gas torch.

[22XY]

It is cross-threaded, IIRC.

[aaronjb]

We had similar problems trying to get an O2 sensor out of a manifold at one of the gutting meets - the only conclusion we could come to was that it was cross threaded (by Toyota on initial assembly, the manifold was only a few thousand miles old).

We gave up since I was lifting the manifold off the ground even though it had two people and a long pole holding it down.

S'what happens when you assemble things with an air wrench with little regard for threading things correctly..

[HgSpyder]

One thread per topic please. Removed other thread.

[gluefish]

Originally posted by aaronjb
We had similar problems trying to get an O2 sensor out of a manifold at one of the gutting meets - the only conclusion we could come to was that it was cross threaded (by Toyota on initial assembly, the manifold was only a few thousand miles old).

We gave up since I was lifting the manifold off the ground even though it had two people and a long pole holding it down.

S'what happens when you assemble things with an air wrench with little regard for threading things correctly..

An air wrench got it on; couldn't an air wrench get it off?

[aaronjb]

Originally posted by gluefish
An air wrench got it on; couldn't an air wrench get it off?

Unlikely where we were working - while we did have air tools, they put out nowhere near the kind of torque that a commercial industrial setup can (we only had a small compressor, for a start)

[dustylax]

if its on there so bad a torch cant get it off after making it red hot, or its cross threaded so badly, i would drill it out and put a new one in there, but make sure its off the car so no metal shavings get into the motor. If you dont like that option then you can cut it off and weld on a new bung. thats more money and more work if you ask me tho.

[bmann]

I had this problem once on a different car. I ended up taking it to a tire shop where they have, like, real tools and stuff. They took it out cheaply.

[southerneditor]

I second the suggestion of taking the cat to a shop. For some tasks, you need exactly the right tool. There's a certain satisfaction to doing everything yourself, yet a shop might zip that sensor right out of there and charge you a couple bucks. A bargain.

[FriendOfSpyder]

Originally posted by bmann
I had this problem once on a different car. I ended up taking it to a tire shop where they have, like, real tools and stuff. They took it out cheaply.

So, like, what are you using to work on your spyder! Plastic.. lol

The issue is not that they put it on with the impact gun, so it must come off with one... They could have x-threaded it on with the gun and not even have known. Or they could have known and just hammered the thing home! In those cases you will have a tough time taking it out. Now that i think about it, when we removed my cousins stock cat O2 it x-threaded itself on the way out with hand tools!!!

[panek]

Guys,

Thanks for the helpful hints. I ended up taking it to my regular garage and they tried there air tools plus heating without any luck. I just ordered a used sensor from TMRST.

Panek

[Artful]

BFH

[dustylax]

BFH ? Big Fudgin Hastle ? your Best Friends Hairy ? Better Find Hammer ?

[Artful]

Originally posted by dustylax
BFH ? Big Fudgin Hastle ? your Best Friends Hairy ? Better Find Hammer ?

Big Fah-King Hammer 8)

See Also:

BFS - Big Fah-King Screwdriver
BFR - Big Fah-King Rock

All three are required tools for automotive modification.

[dustylax]

ahh the good old hammer aproach...when all else fails get pissed off and start whaling away w/the largest hammer you can find.


but seriously, you found yourself a new o2 but how do you plan to get out the old one, drill it out or cut the whole thing off and weld on a new one ?

[panek]

I going to leave the old o2 sensor in the old stock cat and mid pipe. I am installing my hass stage 2 kit and will just use the new o2 sensor in the kit and if I ever need to go back to stock I can install the midpipe with the stuck O2 sensor. If the o2 old sensor doesn't work anymore I will burn that bridge when I get to it.

[randerson]

When I replaced my manifold with a Che header I found one O2 sensor to be badly crossthreaded. It wouldn't move until I actually tried tightening it. It actually tightened a full turn. I then just kept loosening and tighting, adding more and more penetrating oil and making a little more progress each time. It finally came out.

[Darkday]

Originally posted by southerneditor
I second the suggestion of taking the cat to a shop. For some tasks, you need exactly the right tool. There's a certain satisfaction to doing everything yourself, yet a shop might zip that sensor right out of there and charge you a couple bucks. A bargain.

OR they might just blow you off. Me and my friend were trying to get his cat off his stealth and it was completely covered corrosion. I didn't have a clue where my torch was so the next day we called a muffler place where the guy said he wasn't going to help us with our project. He then said we could bring it in so he could look at it and being the only place in town we had to go there. THEN a couple days later we went to see about the possibility of a custom exhaust. My friend had a copy of another custom exhaust that he wanted to copy with 3" piping and the guy proceeded to tell us that he had done tons of cars like it and 3" piping wouldn't work. (Oh by the way theres about 5 3000gts/stealths in the area at most). Right so we finally convince him to do the 3" piping and we ask about bringing in some tips off the internet (he wanted $90 a tip!) heres what he said "Well I don't take my hamburger to Mcdonalds and have them make it why would you bring in your own tip ?" With that we walked out and are going to drive an hour to a different place.