Date:         Fri, 16 May 2014 16:44:42 -0400
Reply-To:     Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Getting the O2 sensor loose?
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEu+vmLuD8x-kBTDDVJjBgO9Zr5t_MpVM7sddX8vv2NEptA@mail.gmail.com>
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Are you sure it needs replacing?  Have you monitored its performance with a
meter?
  I recently replaced one that had gone more than 200K miles.  It had been
getting a little tired over the past year or so, but I had not been able to
get it out with any normal approaches.  Since the cat recently
disintegrated, I no longer cared whether it got banged around and I wanted
to get it out just to prove I could do it.  I was buying a new cat anyway.
   The hex had rusted away enough that it was no longer 22 mm; even 21 mm
slipped.  I destroyed most of the external part of the sensor and finally
heated the bung around it red hot with a real torch and turned it with a
pipe wrench.  It went about a half turn before things cooled down too much
and I had to repeat the proccess twice more.  The biggest problen was
holding the cat firmly enough.

Have fun,
Larry A.



On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 10:26 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>    Is there any special tricks that will help with this?  Mine is due for a
> change soon and the last time it was really an ordeal..Should I run the van
> to heat things up first, or soak it with PB Blaster cold or what?
>