OP
The Official Jeep Wrangler TJ Oxygen (O2) Sensor Thread
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Me neither. I've never been a fan of "mechanic in a can". At best you're just prolonging the inevitable.
At over 160,000 miles and no idea when if ever the O2 sensors were last changed, it's best to just change them. It was on the "to do" list anyways.
OP
Agreed. They are cheap enough that there should really be no excuse not to just replace them.
Not like my old BMW, where it had 4 O2 sensors, and each one was $120 a pop!
TJ_Jake
Member
I agree. I have an M3 (Mazda 3 not a BMW ) abd the sensors on it were expensive too. The NGK Bank 2 downstream (Sahara 2001 TJ 4.0) is about 45 bucks so it's a no brainer. BUT this one is STUBBORN. Ran it good til it was nice and warm. Heated it up with a Map Torch. Used the ox sensor wrench. Thought I was moving it and I began to ball the nut. I've sprayed it with WD40 and every day (past 3 days, I try to move it but it doesn't budge. This Jeep has been around since 2001 could almost make this is sensor as old. Any suggestions? Ready to take a Dremel and cut it off and then drill it out? Thoughts? Thank you Chris!
OP
Try some Kroil! Not PB Blaster... Kroil. That might just do it if you let it sit overnight.
TJ_Jake
Member
Mine has "Aero Kroil" on the can.
I've got a Plan B should the nut on the sensor starts to act like it's rounding off. Cut the wire and use a 6pt impact socket and go to 1/2" drive.
TJ_Jake
Member
So 1/2 drive breaker bar. Kroil doesn’t seem readily available. Deep Creep sea foam is. One other thing. Wasn’t leaving map torch on it long enough to get it red hot. Is that possible? It’s a portable yellow can torch to be clear.
The 1/2 stuff is for when nothing else is getting the job done. I've got a 1/2 drive flex head rachet with a longish handle that I use on my Farmall quite often. But first, I'm gonna try the 3/8 stuff. I don't want to unnecessarily break things. At least the things I might want to re-use and not have to order new ones. Things like an exhaust manifold.
I got lucky on the Kroil. I inherited the shop from my late Father in Law and found 2 new spray cans of it in a wall locker. It works great on rusted up farm equipment parts that have been outside for decades and frozen governor linkage.
According to FedEx tracking, my new sensors should be here tomorrow (along with some other goodies I ordered). The 02 sensor sockets showed up today. I ordered two different ones. One standard socket looking one and a shorter one with offset for the rachet attachment. I figured that in tight places, one of the two should work.
I got lucky on the Kroil. I inherited the shop from my late Father in Law and found 2 new spray cans of it in a wall locker. It works great on rusted up farm equipment parts that have been outside for decades and frozen governor linkage.
According to FedEx tracking, my new sensors should be here tomorrow (along with some other goodies I ordered). The 02 sensor sockets showed up today. I ordered two different ones. One standard socket looking one and a shorter one with offset for the rachet attachment. I figured that in tight places, one of the two should work.
TJ_Jake
Member
TJ_Jake
Member
Well that torch allowed me to get 75 percent of the sensor out. It’s basically a stubborn nut now waiting for a pipe wrench. In other news, I did replace the rear drum cylinder. Pressure is good and it’s nice to have an e brake that’s more than a suggestion. Not sure if I’m “winning” yet... Dad asked me if I wanted the Jeep washed and detailed as a Christmas present. I had a shocking vision of four beautifully detailed wheels surrounding a fresh pile of rust capped off by a piece of canvas from being scrubbed to death so I politely said no thank you, Dad.
OP
TJ_Jake
Member
Yeah, I’m leaning towards the muffler shop a block away from work. Blessed to have that convenience. Funny, I always have thought the Jeep so much easier to wrench than the Mazda. But to be fair, the Mazda has less rust than my Jeep. I’m convinced that ox sensor was rolled in wet clay for sadistic fun before it was installed. Funny thing is the CEL is no longer on....
You got it scared (for now)
I did round 2 of the soaking the sensors in Kroil. In other words, it was too chilly out there to do much, so I just did a quick excursion under the Jeep and sprayed them down again.
I'm more worried about mucking about and breaking the bung loose. It's pretty rusty in there in spots.
TJ_Jake
Member
I’m with you there. Wondering if the ox sensor I’m replacing got cross threaded. I’m going to maybe try one more time before going to the muffler shop.
I started on the one I was worried about breaking something, the front downstream. After a bit I got it changed out and got brave, so I went on to the rear downstream. The wiring connector behind the engine (whoever decided to put it there, needs a beat down) gave me fits, fits and more fits. I damn near lost my religion over it. Finally got it apart and quickly realized that I'm gonna have to drop the front driveshaft just to get my big ratchet on it. I'm thinking that if I just undo the 8mm/5/16" bolts from the differential pinion, I should be able to swing it out of my way. I think the guy that designed the connector location behind the engine, must have decided on those tiny headed bolts on the u-joint saddles. If I ever run into him, we're gonna have a "difficult" discussion behind the barn.
Anyway it was about supper time by then, so I called it an evening. Think I'm just going to keep the Jeep in my shop for a few days. Got some other things I want to do to it as well, and the weather is supposed to get wet for a couple of days.
Anyway it was about supper time by then, so I called it an evening. Think I'm just going to keep the Jeep in my shop for a few days. Got some other things I want to do to it as well, and the weather is supposed to get wet for a couple of days.
TJ_Jake
Member
Well, this is not working out as planned. Imagine that on a Jeep. Got the one (Front/Downstream) that had the code and the two up stream ones changed out. The Rear/Downstream one has refused to budge and started rounding off so I quit on it as it hadn't quit working. Went for a test drive to the next town over to pick up a pizza for supper and got a CEL on the way back. Ran the code reader, and it's the rear/downstream O2 sensor.
I don't have a torch or access to one. And the only nearby muffler shop closed down years ago and the garage in town. I'm thinking that if I can get it up high enough that I can get better leverage, run the engine for a few minutes to get the thing good and hot, I might could get lucky with it. The other option will be as Chris said above to cut the thing off and weld a new bung on (if I can find just the bung) I do have a cheap welding box and know how to use it.
I don't have a torch or access to one. And the only nearby muffler shop closed down years ago and the garage in town. I'm thinking that if I can get it up high enough that I can get better leverage, run the engine for a few minutes to get the thing good and hot, I might could get lucky with it. The other option will be as Chris said above to cut the thing off and weld a new bung on (if I can find just the bung) I do have a cheap welding box and know how to use it.