Trouble getting Primary O2 sensor off of Exhaust

[kilik2]

I have my car at one of the local performance shops getting my turbo back installed and he is unable to get the O2 sensor off of the car. He is using an O2 socket and a torch to warm up the surrounding area to prevent stripping it on the way out. He says he is still having a hard time getting it out and he thinks if he torques it anymore he will strip it. I don't want to buy another 02 sensor as it will run somewhere between 400-450 dollars. If anyone has any tips on how they pulled their O2 sensor that would be great.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Nutari]

I have my car at one of the local performance shops getting my turbo back installed and he is unable to get the O2 sensor off of the car. He is using an O2 socket and a torch to warm up the surrounding area to prevent stripping it on the way out. He says he is still having a hard time getting it out and he thinks if he torques it anymore he will strip it. I don't want to buy another 02 sensor as it will run somewhere between 400-450 dollars. If anyone has any tips on how they pulled their O2 sensor that would be great.
Thanks in advance.

Use alot of wd40. Let it soak. unscrew it a couple of turns, spray more, then torque it back down. Do this a few times, each time bring it up a few more turns.

(2thumbs)

Good luck.

 

[mazdaspeed32007]

i used pb blaster and it worked super. pb blaster is the s*** when it comes to penetration

 

[kilik2]

Well ...no worries they already stripped it while I was waiting on them to work it out of there slowly. I told them to keep it until they got the new sensor installed.(sad2)...don't want to drive around without an o2 sensor at all.
I am paying for the part though..400 big ones. not sure how i feel about this (beer)
I guess I would have broken it myself as they have been messing with it for a couple of hours and I am not that patient. I am beyond pissed though...I took it there so i wouldn't have to worry about waiting and that is exactly what I am going to end up doing.

 

[kilik2]

is the s*** when it comes to penetration

That's what she said...
Sorry couldn't resist.
But yeah..I have already begun the wound healing process.
Edit: by wound healing I mean buying a everything in my sig and getting free (future) dyno pulls from the shop. Woohoo to impulse spending over $1000.

 

[F430TECH]

I second on the PB Blaster it has magnetic particles that help to work it into the crevices...wroks WAY better than WD-40...I had a really stubborn bolt one time I mean RUSTED IN...I soaked in in PB...let it sit overnight...half a turn the next morning and I screwed it out by hand...

 

[PCspeed3]

that sucks man, I have felt your pain in a way, I had to buy a new 2nd O2 sensor. I soaked my first sensor in PB Blaster the night before I did the install and it came out like butter. Dosint really do you any good now, but if sombody sees this thread later on.....good luck

 

[kilik2]

Quick question/update regarding this fiasco. The shop broke the o2 sensor and ordered a new one it didn't arrive on time and now I have ended up waiting 6 days to get my car back. I call the guy yesterday to get a definite price quote and he tells me that it will be about $800. I was so livid that I told him the manager better be there today when I pick the car up. Now am I wrong in assuming that anyone with any sense of customer service skills would not try to **** me in the butt after leaving me without a car for 6 days. I did the math..The part is about 480 so that means he wants 320 for labor for what should have been a 2 hour job (especially for a performance shop) I know their labor rates aren't that high and he must think I am retarded. He made some comment about how he had to take the intercooler off ( I was like hey its 2 or 3 hose clamps and 4 or 5 bolts don't bulls*** me). Now am I wrong that he shouldn't at least cover some of the part that he broke. Its funny I would have been fine if he'd have said 5/600 and I got my car back the day I brought it in but 6 days later is absurd.
What do you guys think I should do?
Also the exhaust is already on there they are just waiting on the o2 sensor to show up. ( or so they say)

 

[john blutarski]

Quick question/update regarding this fiasco. The shop broke the o2 sensor and ordered a new one it didn't arrive on time and now I have ended up waiting 6 days to get my car back. I call the guy yesterday to get a definite price quote and he tells me that it will be about $800. I was so livid that I told him the manager better be there today when I pick the car up. Now am I wrong in assuming that anyone with any sense of customer service skills would not try to **** me in the butt after leaving me without a car for 6 days. I did the math..The part is about 480 so that means he wants 320 for labor for what should have been a 2 hour job (especially for a performance shop) I know their labor rates aren't that high and he must think I am retarded. He made some comment about how he had to take the intercooler off ( I was like hey its 2 or 3 hose clamps and 4 or 5 bolts don't bulls*** me). Now am I wrong that he shouldn't at least cover some of the part that he broke. Its funny I would have been fine if he'd have said 5/600 and I got my car back the day I brought it in but 6 days later is absurd.
What do you guys think I should do?
Also the exhaust is already on there they are just waiting on the o2 sensor to show up. ( or so they say)

I'd tell them that since THEY stripped your sensor and you had to pay for a new one in order to complete the job that they should give you a break on either the labor or the cost of the new sensor. If he'd have taken his time, he probably would've been able to work it out without stripping and making it useless. I'd at least ask for $200 off that $800 butt slamming your getting.

 

[mazdaspeed32007]

i would tell them they have to buy the part for breaking it....it wasnt broken when you brought it in. if a shop broke your windshield installing a new one on accident you wouldnt expect to pay for it right? and as far as the labor goes i wouldnt pay that. it costs less in labor when you get into a accident, get the parts installed, and get the car repainted. i would be soooooooooooooooooooooooooo pissed the **** off. im angry about this right now to be honest. seriously what the **** dude.

 

[kilik2]

Well at least someone feels the same way I do. I won't be using them again, to think this all started because I didn't want to have my car out of commision for more than a day and I didn't have a lift available. Well the only shop left in town is APR and they don't like doing non porsche,audi, vw cars. Looks like I will be doing everything at home from now on.

 

[bykeryder4life]

damn happy i did my dp install myself sounds like a headache. PB blaster FTW! they better have put anti seize on that s*** when they installed it all....

 

[MM BOOST]

PB Blaster FTMFW! My 02 sensors came off and went back on easy as cake. The hardest part I had was the back bolt on one of the heatshields on the backside of the turbo. lol go figure. Everything else was easy. Sorry to hear you got ***** man, thats some s***.

 

[kilik2]

I didn't end up paying the 800 I talked them and their owner down to 500. So I pretty much payed for the part YAY!!!!
Still kinda pissed that he tried to treat me like an idiot. But I have my car back and it sounds like a beast!!!

 

[john blutarski]

its too bad you couldn't just weld the damn stripped O2 sensor to the new DP

 

[Bravnik]

They should pay for the part man AND cover the labor on the O2. They stripped it by not using any type of thread penetration. PB Blaster should be in every shop. Incompetence is NOT your fault and I would explain that to the Manager if I was you. That part is expensive and they should have NEVER tried to muscle it out.

I would be livid. Specially when a friend helped me with mine using a little PB and patience and had zero issues. I'm glad you talked them down, but I still would not have paid for any of it. It's just stupid that a shop does something like that.

 

[Rotus8]

I gotta add my $.02 for PB blaster and o2 sensors. I did an emergency parking-lot triple o2 sensor replacement on my 170Kmile Ford Exploder a couple of weeks ago. Bought the sensors, a sensor socket, and a can of PB. I put the beast up on stands and squirted the PB then went off for a latte. Came back and replaced the sensors. Total time about an hour including the latte. don't do an o2 sensor job without it.

 

[martyxcore]

yep ive always used pb blaster. never on car parts but when i did maintenance at a concrete plant and yea it never failed me. love the stuff and im shocked more people dont know about it. i thought it was a pretty commonplace product.