94' Q: Oil Sensor Replacement -- Return From the Jungle

[sdkhalsa]

In an earlier posting I inquired as to how to get at the oil sensor. This morning I went in, it was nasty, but the job is finished. Many thanks to q451990 who suggested dropping the sway bar. It takes very little time and pays big dividends. Thanks also to texasoil who suggested using a fine toothed ratchet so as to be able to maneuver in the tight space although I did a variation on his theme. What worked well for me was to get a 1" 12 pt. box wrench and cut it down 5 1/2'' overall length, grinding smooth the place where it was cut. This will just fit it the palm of your hand, and because it is 12 pt. will give you lots of control(texsasoil's idea). The sensor is actually 1 1/16 or 27 mm across the flats, and this is what you would use for a six point or open ended wrench. With a twelve point I found that a 1" box wrench fits very well. I used a standard 1 1/16 combo wrench to break loose the sensor on the first turn. I would recommend against a standard oil sensor socket due to the small working space.

[elwesso]

Very good. Last time I was under there I thought that itd be a lot easier to use a wrench than it would a socket. I heard that people have gone through the runners of the exhaust to get that off.

Do they make stubby wrenches in 1in 12pt? Reason being is not everyone would have the equipment to cut down that thick of steel....

[sdkhalsa]

Very good. Last time I was under there I thought that itd be a lot easier to use a wrench than it would a socket. I heard that people have gone through the runners of the exhaust to get that off.

Do they make stubby wrenches in 1in 12pt? Reason being is not everyone would have the equipment to cut down that thick of steel....

I was not able to find stubby wrenches in that size. All you need is a 4 inch cut off disk for your drill, which can be had cheaply at any hardware store. You also need eye protection and it is probably advisable to wear a decent mask so as not to be inhaling chrome and other metalic dust. One particular advantage to using a box wrench is that it gives you some useful offset.

It was really difficult trying to replace the rubber boot that covers the lead into the sensor, so I simplified matters by cutting it away with wire snips.

Texasoil mentioned in an earlier comment that he had an experience where this sensor had blown on him and in a matter of minutes had dumped all the oil, almost costing him an engine. He thought that it was one of the great weaknesses of the car. It would seem to me that early 90's Q owners would want to add this to the replacement list. Perhaps Q45tech can comment on this point.

[Q451990]

Many thanks to q451990 who suggested dropping the sway bar.

I don't think it was me, but either way I'm glad that helped!

Heath

[maxnix]

Do they make stubby wrenches in 1in 12pt? Reason being is not everyone would have the equipment to cut down that thick of steel....

i believe SnapOn does.

[draivar]

Where exactly is this sensor located and would this be a thing to look for while tracking/looking for leaks and such on all 90-96 G50s?

[mxr662]

On the drivers side look up from the bottem near the motor mount. Mine is easy to spot due to the slow leak of oil.