So I replaced the RH O2 sensor, bugger of a job. Started car ECUtalk says RH sensor excellent but LH Sensor read out stuck at .35 needle steady. Strange it didn't show that before, only RHS needed replacement. So I attach the 22mm crows feet to the LHS O2 sensor after soaking it in Inox for 3-4 days and today as I try to remove the sensor, slip and the crows foot spanner rounded off the head of the sensor. Which means I now have to remove the LH dump Pipe to get access to remove the sensor. On inspection top bolts at the flange seem to be ok to get to except the one in line with the sensor and the one on the underside as the underside bend is very close to nut head and as for space you all know the story. SFA, Sweet Fanny Adams. What is the quickest and easiest way to remove the dump pipe? Pull motor? Drop rear of gearbox etc and try and get up in there to remove nuts and bolts at flange of dumps and turbo?
Probably easier to knock the top off the sensor and use a decent socket and breaker bar. Might need to give it a tap with a hammer to get it over the rounded off bit. But should work. And way better than removing the dumps.
passenger's side should be easier than driver's, have you taken the battery out so you have access from the top? The bottom nut on the inside of the bend needs to be left until last as you need to pull the dump off to finish removing it. You should be able to get it with ring/open ender spanners, might need a couple different shapes to make it easier. I've only done 5-bolt dumps but I don't think the positioning is too different. Taking the gearbox off certainly helps but shouldn't be necessary.
Agree with Chrispy - go for the O2 and forget the dumps! You should be able to get in there and get it off using some force Of course, some tools can really make life much easier such as hex remover sockets (Super Cheap auto for about $25) Dumps can be done with everything in situ but again the right tools can be the difference - But this should not be necessary as the O2 is the best way to go Goodluck JC
I'm a tad annoyed as I used the correct tool to try and remove the O2 sensor. A crows foot spanner and it rounded off the hex on the O2 sensor and opened the jaws on the Snap On tool. I generally have good quality tools and plenty of them. This puppy is stuck in there really tight. Hex head socket, is this the one that grabs buggered heads?
You can buy socket that grips nuts/bolts where the hexs have been rounded off. Any good tool store should have them or get one in for you.
Thanks for the input, I had another go at it today and after soaking in WD, Inox etc again and digging deep into the tool kit to find the appropriate tool, I got the O2 sensor to move a fraction. That was enough and I knew that if I kept working at it it would eventually come out. Had to use a tube socket tapped over the sensor and with lots of patience out it came. Replaced the sensor after running a 18x 1.5 bottoming tap into the sensor thread and now have two new ones. Started the car up checking the ECUTalk and all is good. Now just have to get the aerial working.
Good result in the end. When I did mine I just couldn't move one of them even after a week of Inox. Took it to a workshop and they got it, but it also took the thread out of the pipe. They had to drop the down pipe and weld in a new bung from memory.
