O2 sensor change, How to reach plugs?

[rickf]

I am getting ready to change out the front O2 sensors on my 06 5 speed and for the life of my I can't see how to reach the plugs on these things short of dropping the exhaust. Actually, I can't see how to get a wrench or socket on the passenger side without dropping the system. Is that what needs to be done? I did a search on here but nothing came up on actual removal. Looks like I can remove the drivers wheel house and get to that one but the passenger side..................?

 

[07gts197]

Try reaching the plugs from the top of the trans, it might be a little easier.

As far as getting to the passenger side sensor I dont remember having a problem with that one.

 

[golkhl]

To unplug the passenger side, it helps to remove the battery and tray. As for removing the passenger side O2 sensor, I have always dropped the mid pipe. For the drivers side sensor, I changed mine when I had the trans out, as I could never find a way to do it short of removing the exhaust manifold.

 

[rickf]

Duplicate

 

[rickf]

Try reaching the plugs from the top of the trans, it might be a little easier.

As far as getting to the passenger side sensor I dont remember having a problem with that one.

Tried from the top and opened up a nice gash on the back of my hand on something while trying to jam it down there. was only barely able to touch the plug and no way was I going to be able to unplug it.

To unplug the passenger side, it helps to remove the battery and tray. As for removing the passenger side O2 sensor, I have always dropped the mid pipe. For the drivers side sensor, I changed mine when I had the trans out, as I could never find a way to do it short of removing the exhaust manifold.

I was looking at the battery tray, you pretty much verify what I was thinking. No way am I dropping the transmission to change the sensor. I have a bad converter that needs to be replaced so the exhaust has to come down anyway. I wanted to get the sensors done first and compare data logs apples to apples but I guess it will be close enough. I just don't want to wipe out another converter. Don't know what happened to the original.

 

[SLIKSKILZ]

Diddo. Best just to pull out the mid pipe. You still have to remove battery tray to unplug it unless you got some skinny arms. 7/8" size o2 socket or wrench for o2 sensor. Not too much work.

 

[rickf]

Battery tray out and all sensors unplugged except drivers front. Not a freakin' clue how I am going to get to that one! Even once I get the pipe out, If I can get those nuts off, I am still not sure I can get to it.

 

[rocky61201]

Easiest to take the h-pipe off and then you need something like this for the drivers side front sensor. Put your 12 or 18in 3/8 extension in it and your socket wrench goes on the other end. Then work it from underneath the car. Be careful with the exhaust manifold bolts for the h-pipe. If you are high mileage they can snap. And they are a bitch to drill out or extract. Spray em down with PB blaster and let it soak for a few minutes and go slowly. They can break just as easy as the damn spark plugs.

 

[golkhl]

PB Blaster is a must! Broke off one of the studs on the drivers side manifold, even with the trans out it was a nightmare to get to and repair.

 

[rickf]

Used to use PB, Now I use Kroil. Works even better than PB. Smells a lot better too. I will try again in the AM, If they still resist then the torch comes out they get the heat treatment. I have never had one not come off once heated, it is just so damn tight up there to get the torch in there on the nut!

 

[rickf]

Well, got all the nuts off the manifold to pipe connections but the inside on the passenger side. That one rounded the nut. NOW I have to try to split the nut. If it was not so damn tight I could cut the nut off the stud with a torch without hurting the stud but there simply is not enough room for a torch in there. Worse comes to worse I guess I will have to use a exhaust pipe cutter and cut the pipe ahead of the converter and then drop the manifold. At that point I will put in new studs whether I get the nut off or not. I am not real crazy about the manifold to head nuts either.

 

[rocky61201]

Disconnect the h-pipe from the mid -pipes. Then loosen those the transmission cross member bolts all the way to the last couple of threads. That will drop the angle of the engine/transmission and give you more room to work with. Or support the trans with a jack and just remove the cross member bolts and lower it. Then you should be able to get a dremel tool with small cut off wheel in there. And make sure you got a large stack of those cut off wheels and wear eye protection. It takes at least a dozen of those little bastards breaking and flying off at 100mph to get thru one rounded off nut.

Yea, all that shit you're going thru happened to me too.

 

[rickf]

Disconnect the h-pipe from the mid -pipes. Then loosen those the transmission cross member bolts all the way to the last couple of threads. That will drop the angle of the engine/transmission and give you more room to work with. Or support the trans with a jack and just remove the cross member bolts and lower it. Then you should be able to get a dremel tool with small cut off wheel in there. And make sure you got a large stack of those cut off wheels and wear eye protection. It takes at least a dozen of those little bastards breaking and flying off at 100mph to get thru one rounded off nut.

Yea, all that shit you're going thru happened to me too.

I cannot believe I did not think of that! Thanks Rocky. I have a fresh container of the cutoffs I just got.

 

[07 Boss]

No way am I dropping the transmission to change the sensor. I have a bad converter that needs to be replaced so the exhaust has to come down anyway.

Uhhhh.... don't you have to drop the tranny to replace the converter? I know I had to pull mine when I put my converter in.

 

[rickf]

Catalytic converters, sorry. Exhaust system.

 

[SLIKSKILZ]

Have you tried an easy out style socket tool? It's basically a set of sockets with spirals inside of them. You put it on over the nut and turn right, then left to catch the nut and remove it. The right size will work. I've used them on lots of rounded nuts and bolts. Cheap and easy. Turn that bad boy til the nut loosens or the stud snaps if you have to. You're replacing it anyway.

 

[rickf]

Got the exhaust off, without breaking the studs! I was waiting for a complete set of impact sockets with a swivel to come in and they got here today. Very gently with my gun turned way down and back and forth I finally got the last nut off. Now I find that the down stream O2 sensors are NOT coming out of the converters without galling the threads. This jobs just gets better and better. So have to order two more sensors. I still have not gotten the sensor out of the drivers manifold. Been soaking and soaking in PB and Kroil. Will try tomorrow. I hope I don't need heat because I don't see how I can get the torch down to it. And the nuts holding the manifold to the head are worse than the ones holding the pipes on! Got to love a rust belt car, even though this car looks like it was not driven in salt.

 

[rickf]

View attachment 60442Easiest to take the h-pipe off and then you need something like this for the drivers side front sensor. Put your 12 or 18in 3/8 extension in it and your socket wrench goes on the other end. Then work it from underneath the car. Be careful with the exhaust manifold bolts for the h-pipe. If you are high mileage they can snap. And they are a bitch to drill out or extract. Spray em down with PB blaster and let it soak for a few minutes and go slowly. They can break just as easy as the damn spark plugs.

Rocky, All I can say is you must have been real lucky to get that tool to work! Working from under the car with the cross member out and going up and down as far as I possibly could I could only access that tool from two spots. You can forget the 3/8 drive! I was leaning HARD on a 24" long 1/2" drive breaker bar! hat tool may work fine on a sensor that was put in with anti seize 20K miles ago but not the factory sensors with no anti seize with 96K.

I tried heating the one side of the manifold I could access red hot and nothing. Tried the special socket from the top with a impact universal, nothing. Finally ended up cutting the wires off of the sensor and jacking the engine up until the tranny hit the floor put a deep 6 point impact socket on the sensor with an impact swivel on that and a short extension. There was too much angle to get the gun on it so I was able to get the big breaker bar on it and lean on it. Just when I figured it was going to strip it moved a hair. went back and forth a bit and soaked it some more and it finally came out. I am going to frame that bastard!!!

If the exhaust manifold nuts to the head were not so rusty I would have just pulled the manifold off of the head, it would have been much faster. I just did not want to deal with a broken steel stud in an aluminum head.

Oh, The downstream sensors did not come out either, the galled the threads so I had to buy new downstreams also. I freakin' hate emissions states!!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions and help with this one, now I get to put it all back together. Special thanks to Rocky for waking me up about dropping the rear of the engine, I have had to do that with other cars in the past but just totally went blank in it. Retirement does strange things to the brain.

The bad thing about it is I am laying under there looking at the transmission with no exhaust or crossmember and thinking.................. There is 96K on this clutch and there is NOTHING between the trans and the ground right now!! Except I am out of money and my back is screaming!

 

[golkhl]

I did a clutch install on my 08 Bullitt this summer, on my back, by myself, with the car on jack stands. What a nightmare! If you have it apart now, I say go for it. You can pick up an Exedy clutch kit, or even a stock replacement Luk clutch, for not too much $.

 

[rickf]

You just said it, a nightmare. I am in the same exact situation. jackstands on a busted up garage floor and by myself. PLUS, I am 63 years old with a very bad back on which I just had surgery. Not ready for the by myself clutch job. Plus I don't have a tranny jack but I could get one of them at Horror freight.