Driver side O2 Sensor change

[KornFlakeZ]

So my drivers side O2 sensor is dead and i need to replace it. Problem is that is SOOO CRAMPED there. Anyone have a good writeup on how to remove the driver's side o2 sensor?

[Shoey2]

i was just doing this same job last week on my TT. i already had the plenum off to reseal the valve covers and fuel system, so i had a bit of extra room. i would say be prepared to have to warm it with a proper shop sized acetalyne torch. i had mine soaking for three days in good pentrating fluid and it still was stuck. i had to heat the threaded area of the pipe and them use a squirt bottle of water on the sensor to get the sensor to crack loose when it got shocked cold again. if you try this make sure it has a precise sprayer on it so you dont cool the downpipe to quick and crack it. just enough that it steams off around the threads. then i used a open walled offset O2 sensor tool from work and a long 1/2 inch extention with a swivel in the end going to the O2 socket. then a 2 foot breaker bar. id reccomend a regual 1/2 ratchet tho for the home version. basically walk it back and forth with medium force. i dont reccomend manhandling it and trying to force it because even an impact quality O2 sensor socket with the open side is going to flex and the corners will round off. trust me, i narrowly avoided it myself. this is one of those take your time jobs. this is not the threaded hole you probably least want to strip on the car. your car is N/A though so you might have a bit more room then i did. for the 90 dollar cost for each sensor i say just do both with bosch replacements and not worry about it ever again.

rinse and repeat with drinking breaks at appropriate intervals.

[KornFlakeZ]

Ive been going at it for 3 hours now with no luck. Ive been spraying it with pb blaster and letting it soak in. i also warmed up the car and going at it with a long wrench and the biggest hammer that i could find that fits in there and it still doesn't budge. I was thinking about removing the brake master cylinder and the brake booster just so i could have more clearance. I already have one of those bosch replacements and tomorrow i should get the other one. 67 bucks at autozone vs the 90+ for the oem ones at the dealership. Anything else you would recommend?

[Shoey2]

get the torch out before it gets stripped.
use the water bottle idea i posted before.

[zcar93na]

I've seen a guy remove an oil galley plug that was seized by heating it cherry red with a torch and then stuck wax on it. The wax liquifies and runs in the threads and acts like a lubricant so it doesn't bind up. It's pretty cramped on the driver side, but it's just food for thought in case nothing else works. My O2's weren't hard to get out, but I did have the engine on a stand and plenty of room to work with. Good luck!

[t.mcginley.jr]

I got mine off by heating it with a regular propane torch and spraying with pb-blaster so that it would soak into the threads. Just spraying it without heat isn't nearly as effective. Then I used a box wrench to loosen it. You just need 1/4 turn to break it and then it comes out easy

[NolimitZ32]

If you have an offset socket try getting at it from under the car and the back/bottom side of the socket, you'll have the fulcrum closer to the sensor itself and would be able to put more force on it.

[KornFlakeZ]

Well... my father managed to remove the sensors. Turns out i already had broken the seal when i gave up on it so my father just used a wrench and removed the sensor easily LOL. Next day when i came home from work my father also removed the passenger side sensor. Looks like they were never changed since the car left the factory in 1990. I asked my father how he removed them and he just replied: "Leverage... and lots of it!" lol. Cant beat 30+ years of experience in removing rusty bolts and parts. Im just glad i can get more than 5 MPG out of the Z now!

[NolimitZ32]

Yeah man, I'm twice my dad's size and I have spent many years watching him work, when I just started messing with cars he would take any bolt or nut off in minutes that I would fight for hours or days. Thanks god for mechanically inclined fathers ey?

[nissanfreak12]

Yeah man, I'm twice my dad's size and I have spent many years watching him work, when I just started messing with cars he would take any bolt or nut off in minutes that I would fight for hours or days. Thanks god for mechanically inclined fathers ey?

Amen to that.

[t.mcginley.jr]

Yeah man, I'm twice my dad's size and I have spent many years watching him work, when I just started messing with cars he would take any bolt or nut off in minutes that I would fight for hours or days. Thanks god for mechanically inclined fathers ey?

Amen x2 lol

[KornFlakeZ]

Yeah man, I'm twice my dad's size and I have spent many years watching him work, when I just started messing with cars he would take any bolt or nut off in minutes that I would fight for hours or days. Thanks god for mechanically inclined fathers ey?

Amen x3

Cant even remember all the times my old man removed bolts that made me rip my hair out out of pure frustration.

[haddox19]

If you have an offset socket try getting at it from under the car and the back/bottom side of the socket, you'll have the fulcrum closer to the sensor itself and would be able to put more force on it.

Have you removed the drivers side O2 from below before? I can get access to a lift to do it. After half attempting it from the top, I am convinced to try and go from underneath. Does this require dropping the exhaust?

PS. The O2 sensor nut stripped from corrosion on the passenger side. I soaked it in pb blaster and attempted to clean the threads. While cleaning the threads the whole nut came loose and I just replaced it. I intend to replace both pieces (o2 sensor nut and o2 sensor) on the other side if possible and use plenty anti-sieze.