Dealership - Stuck o2 Sensor

Iamchris

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I spent a good 2 hours messing with an o2 sensor today, I tried everything I had... PB blaster, torch, hammer... The nut is worse for my attempt but I stopped.

You think a Ford dealership would be willing to loosen them up for me, or do you think they wont touch it unless I have them replaced there?

I'd call them but they aren't open today. I don't really want to take it to a local shop, I trust them less than Ford.
 

DHG1078

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You will probably end up paying for a half hours worth of labor, but I don't see why they wouldn't. Give them a call and ask.
 

MG0h3

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Damn thats crazy a torch wouldn't loosen it enough. You can order a pretty slick tool that is designed for removing large stripped fasteners. Its got kindof a helical cut in it and you hammer it on.
 

BRNG ITT

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If you can find some Marvel Mystery Oil or Kroil, give that a try if the dealership won't help out.
 

mgh471

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Like the other said, large pipe wrench. I used one on a chevy like that, it tore it all to pieces but it came out. then chase the threads out a little.
 

roy_1031

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Kroil is badass. We used to have it when I was a tech but Ive never seen it at local parts stores.

We use it at work all the time. "The oil that creeps". I've seen it sold at hardware stores around here. Not like lowes or HD but like dedicated hardware fastener stores.


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Iamchris

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I called Ford today... the rep needed to talk to the service manager to see if they would take the car and said it would be two weeks out even then. He wanted to look at my account there to decide if I was a "loyal customer"... I have bought multiple cars there and I have been at that dealership through 3 name changes over 15 years. He wanted 125$ when he called back and said they would do it... I politely declined since it was already done...

I went to a local shop that is reputable, I hadn't thought of them because I only ever had tires done there. Turns out they do everything... 50$, and they had to torch them out and re-tap the holes because they were fused together.
 

DHG1078

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He wanted 125$ when he called back and said they would do it... I politely declined since it was already done...

That sounds like a diagnostic fee. They likely would have charged more on top of that.
 

helloWorld

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When I had my '13 5.0, I had to replace both upstream widebands. I ordered them online (to avoid the dealership price gouging) and attempted to get them done myself. I couldn't do it so I gave the new oxygen sensors and my car to my local Ford dealership and ~ $100 labor charge later, the new sensors were in.

I had asked to have both of the old ones back but they could only give me one back as whatever they did to get the other one out completely sheared the sensor in half.
 

Iamchris

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When I had my '13 5.0, I had to replace both upstream widebands. I ordered them online (to avoid the dealership price gouging) and attempted to get them done myself. I couldn't do it so I gave the new oxygen sensors and my car to my local Ford dealership and ~ $100 labor charge later, the new sensors were in.

I had asked to have both of the old ones back but they could only give me one back as whatever they did to get the other one out completely sheared the sensor in half.
Fortunate for you.
This dealership was actually decent until it became "Prime Ford". It has gone down since then. I was getting our daily drivers serviced there regularly but stopped recently. They have repeatedly made errors, leaving a sensor unplugged on my wife's car that left us calling for a tow. They said she needed new brake pads so I changed them myself, when I got them off I checked them against new pads and they were literally 60% life remaining. Meanwhile the pads in my car ran so low I found out when they were almost grinding and they never said anything to me.
It is hit or miss I suppose. I have another dealership near me I am planning to change over to in the future.
 

Sn8kebitten

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I'm having this problem with my '94 Z28. Seems the passenger side o2 has never been changed and I've done everything I can think of. Torch, o2 socket, cut the wire and broke the sensor down enough to get an actual socket/ratchet on it with a breaker bar on that and nothing. Just rounds it off more and more. Guess I'm going to have to replace the manifold lol
 

roy_1031

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I'm having this problem with my '94 Z28. Seems the passenger side o2 has never been changed and I've done everything I can think of. Torch, o2 socket, cut the wire and broke the sensor down enough to get an actual socket/ratchet on it with a breaker bar on that and nothing. Just rounds it off more and more. Guess I'm going to have to replace the manifold lol

Put an 18" pipe wrench on it after letting it soak over night with some form of penetrating oil. Not WD-40.


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RedVenom48

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I see this a lot on front wheel drive Lexus V6s. Over time from all the heat cycles the metals just all fuse together.

We do what we can, but if I have to spend extra time to essentially destroy the sensor and threads and have to retap and clean the parts, Im charging for my labor. MOST places, if they are good, will internal the time I spent fixing the threads, but thats usually if the job has been sold and are replacing the sensor as part of a fix. Just coming in cold off the street and not knowing what condition the job is in, a quote of 1 hour of labor is fair.

Especially being in a cold weather rust state, 1 hour at $135 is extremely reasonable for dealer work. All the possible corrosion if the car has been in service for a few years really can make a relatively easy job a nightmare. My expectation would be that the bad sensor would be removed and the threads retapped and anti seize applied. Sometimes, theres really no saving the threads as the metal is just plain bad.

Gods, Im so grateful to not live in a rust state
 

bigmoose

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Fortunate for you.
This dealership was actually decent until it became "Prime Ford". It has gone down since then. I was getting our daily drivers serviced there regularly but stopped recently. They have repeatedly made errors, leaving a sensor unplugged on my wife's car that left us calling for a tow. They said she needed new brake pads so I changed them myself, when I got them off I checked them against new pads and they were literally 60% life remaining. Meanwhile the pads in my car ran so low I found out when they were almost grinding and they never said anything to me.
It is hit or miss I suppose. I have another dealership near me I am planning to change over to in the future.
Prime ford is terrible!

I tried to buy a Cobra from there years ago and they were the sleeziest sales team I've ever dealt with.

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