Okay, so for hte past few days I've been trying to put in two new O2 sensors. Great, going into it, yeah, it's an easy job. However, I absolutely CAN NOT get the O2 sensors out. I know they are the original parts, and being my truck is a 97 they have been sitting in there for a goooood amount of time. I used penetrating oil all over the place and they will not budge, I'm using a 7/8" wrench and all its doing is slipping right off the nut from the amount of force i'm trying to use to get these things to move. What the hell should I do?

 

vise grips?

 

Heat them up, use a torch

 

Use a torch..... get it red hot and it will slide right out.... like butter..

Rocky

 

Okay. I'm pretty frustrated with this job now. lol

Okay, I attempted heating them with my blowtorch, got them smokin hot, wouldn't budge, tried using vise grips, wouldnt budge, took a mallet to the vise grips to try and help that out, they just tore up the nut on the sensor to hell...these things WILL NOT budge...and it's driving me CRAZY!!! And I'm only working on the post-cat one, how in the hell are you supposed to get at the one thats before the cat, its way up there and hteres sure as hell no way my wrench is getting in there, much less my hand!

 

Looks like you will have to remove the pipe and put it on a work bench... or buy a new pipe...

rocky

 

Yup, last resort...

IF you do get them out, make sure you put on some Anti-sieze on the new ones

 

wow that sucks.. i had originals in my 1993 and made those cherry red and came right out with a wrench sorry man looks like you are having a hell of a time...

 

it doesn't help that it gets hot then cold, then hot the cold, over and over for 10 years lol

it may be a lost cause :/ sorry bro.. good luck, dont bust up too many fingers..

 

well if the nuts not too destroyed try getting an actual oxygen sensor socket. With that you should be able to get a ratchet in a position to actually reach it. I've found for the really stobborn ones that running the truck and getting the exhaust good and hot tends to do the trick although you have to be careful not to burn the skin off your arms on the hot pipes. If you get something that will actually hold onto the nut properly then you should be able to apply enough force to get it off even if you have to use a cheater pipe on the wrench.

 

I agree with TireIron...it sounds like you've pretty much obliterated the He77 out of the sensor...you can try a deep socket or pinch the crap out of the sensor with vice-grips...making it flat-like...

But, I would try to get the exact same size socket (or maybe even slightly smaller) on the hex portion...wear a glove and do it while it's hot...

 

Not to sound like a cop-out, but you might want to consider taking it to a shop and have them do it. I finally gave up after two hours with a breaker bar and rounding the nut. Local guy only charged me $35 to do it. Saved me a lot of grief and more busted knuckles.

 

idk about you, but mine came right out.

 

well, heres what im thinkin too. I've never replaced the cat, last time I did exhaust it was cat-back, so it's time to replace that anyways, and its rusted to hell as it is, and that rattling noise im getting im sure is from the cat from what i've read around here. SO, being that I want to do that I can just put the new O2 sensors in the new cat, but my question is, how easy is the cat to do, I did the muffler/tailpipe myself, that was pretty easy, but being that the cat goes further up into the body, how hard is it to get to the upper end to unbolt it, etc., what steps do i have to take other than bolting the new one on (just put in the new gasket?)

Thanks for all your help everyone,
Dave

 

Now I'm dreading changing mine. 10 yrs old and never changed before and because I posted this I'll probably get a check enging light on my home from work today for the sensors.

 

the rattling is the heat shield on the outside, i got a huge hose clamp and put it around mine.

 

I'm with TireIron as well. Get a 02 sensor socket(there deeper than deep well sockets) with a 1/2" drive and use that. I bought one and it saved my butt on my grandma's 02 Taurus. Just unplug the sensor from the ECU harness, cut the wiring that goes TO the sensor, not the ECU harness and try that. Also just suggesting, give the sensors a good bath in PB Blaster and let soak overnight. If those don't work, I would also say take it too a pro have them do it or you can do it yourself. -Mike-

 

Not really, ive replaced 3 cats on different cars within 2 months because the inside comes apart and makes noises...

Most of the time i HOPE for a heat shield so i can rip it off and pull the car out.. but cats are $$$$$$$

 

can someone give me a step-by-step on replacing the catalytic converter on the 2.3l?

 

Leftie loosy, righty tighty?

 

Guess it just bolts on then. lol thanks, sorry for the newb question

 

can you get a breaker bar on that thing? i did mine a few months ago and the downstream one was fine. the one up near the engine was a joke. i needed a torch, impact, crazy extention set up, and a tap to fix the treads when i was done. thought the same thing going into it, nice and easy, nope...

 

It just depends with the sensors. I cover them in rust penetrant first and then take an oxygen sensor socket to them. If that doesn't work you can always break off the top of the sensor and put a socket over the remaining nut. I've never had to do anything else.