Another Source for O2 Sensors
Thread Starter
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Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
Guys,
I am surprised none of you commented on my concept for a new Rover Garage Bar Dive Eating Establishment!!! You must have missed it or something.
Anyway, since no one rushed over to do this for me, I got back on it today. I rigged up a set of Walk Boards on each side of the Rover to improve access and avoid looking like I was attempting to mate with the beast. I stacked a column of Belgian blocks at the front corners and back by the doors and laid a 2 by 10 across them to be able to reach it all.
From the excellent pictures and test supplied, I removed all the nuts and a couple of the post and finally manuvered the coil pack out of the way. Undid the MAF air tubes and sat all that aside. I could finally get to the driver's side connector, but had to break that damn plastic holddown device. What a bitch to get to. I sprayed the o2's real good with PB but my 17mm open end just does not want to do the trick. I cannot find the correct O2 wrench locally. Would really love to get a socket down over that nut. I may try undoing the wires from the connector and coming down over them or as a last resort cutting the wires to get the old ones out. They are most likely original so they been there since late 96.
Went ahead and replaced the spark plugs while my son tried to chase down a socket at the local parts places. Damn if he did not buy himself a new sub amp and another sub speaker. Got a ton of removed speakers in the garage already. Him and his BS.
Anyone got a O2 socket they want to mail to me? Seriously.
I am surprised none of you commented on my concept for a new Rover Garage Bar Dive Eating Establishment!!! You must have missed it or something.
Anyway, since no one rushed over to do this for me, I got back on it today. I rigged up a set of Walk Boards on each side of the Rover to improve access and avoid looking like I was attempting to mate with the beast. I stacked a column of Belgian blocks at the front corners and back by the doors and laid a 2 by 10 across them to be able to reach it all.
From the excellent pictures and test supplied, I removed all the nuts and a couple of the post and finally manuvered the coil pack out of the way. Undid the MAF air tubes and sat all that aside. I could finally get to the driver's side connector, but had to break that damn plastic holddown device. What a bitch to get to. I sprayed the o2's real good with PB but my 17mm open end just does not want to do the trick. I cannot find the correct O2 wrench locally. Would really love to get a socket down over that nut. I may try undoing the wires from the connector and coming down over them or as a last resort cutting the wires to get the old ones out. They are most likely original so they been there since late 96.
Went ahead and replaced the spark plugs while my son tried to chase down a socket at the local parts places. Damn if he did not buy himself a new sub amp and another sub speaker. Got a ton of removed speakers in the garage already. Him and his BS.
Anyone got a O2 socket they want to mail to me? Seriously.
Thread Starter
|
Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
I have found that a 17 mm or a 11/16 socket will fit but I cannot find one that has the cutout for the wires.
Options try to slot an existing socket - very difficult.
Cut the wires on the old ones and use a regular socket. If I do that and have a problem, I guess I will be dropping the exhaust out to get it out.
I sprayed lots of PB Blaster on it. Have not tried torch yet.
Any input from anyone?
Options try to slot an existing socket - very difficult.
Cut the wires on the old ones and use a regular socket. If I do that and have a problem, I guess I will be dropping the exhaust out to get it out.
I sprayed lots of PB Blaster on it. Have not tried torch yet.
Any input from anyone?
Thread Starter
|
Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
IT"S DONE!!!!!!
I am happy to report that I completed the O2 swap today. First I called Will Tillery and asked him what the secret is for removing the old ones. He chuckled and told me even experienced Land Rover Mechanics will admit that is no easy task. He said he uses a nut splitter and just pops them apart and wrenches them out. We talked just a minute and both agreed the way to go was to cut the wires on the old ones flush with the probe and proceed. He said Patience is the best approach. And lots of PB Blaster. He also said crank it up let it get warm then shut it off and give it time to cool. Since I had already pulled all the spark plug wires and unbolted the coil pack, I passed on cranking it and went with more PB Blaster. It is a 17 mm wrench for the O2 probe nut.
I cut the wires on the passenger side. My 17mm 1/2 inch drive impact socket fit nicely and with a little gentle persuasion, it finally released. I was sitting in the wheel well with the front tire off, vehicle jacked up and the inner fender wall was the one I had used tin snips on previously, so I merely folded it out of the way and worked over the frame. Quite easy that way.
The electrical connectors on top of the transmission tunnel are a bitch to get to, I had to break the tab that holds them in place like others had also said they did.
After finishing the passenger's side I moved to the driver's side, pulled that tire, used my tin snips on that fender wall as well and rolled the inner wall out of the way to gain better access to that sensor. The way the sensor is oriented toward the frame prevented the socket from going on. So I was forced to resort to a long 17 mm wrench. The open end did not give enough grab to break the thing loose. So I slipped the box end over the tip of the sensor and down on the nut part. I was able to break it loose, turn it slightly, reposition the wrench and turn a little more, and repeat. Finally the old ones were out, the new ones in and then reattaching the coil packs and hooking the wires back up. The top of the coil pack frame is stamped with the plug numbers so reattaching the wires correctly was a breeze.
I had also removed the air intake tubes and MAF to gain better access. New plugs (the two dollar Champion coppers) were installed yesterday. So after reassembling I said a quick prayer and turned the key. It fired right up after a few seconds revved a little bit and settled right down to a steady 750 rpm's. A little smoke was present as the PB burned off the exhaust.
I finished my beer, put my redheaded grandson Buck in the back seat and took off for a test drive. Put in some 93 octane Sunoco and headed to Advance Auto to reset the CEL.
Now it runs better than it ever has, plenty of power, smooth acceleration. Climbed the steepest hills around on the way home with no hesitation or stumbling at all. Prior to the sensor change it struggled climbing hills.
The old O2's were most likely the original with 115K on them. They were totally carboned up even thought the new ODB tester said they checked good. Looking at them, I am amazed it ran at all.
Bottom line is if you have a DI that does not have fresh O2 sensors in it, I would strongly advocate a change to new ones. I wish I had done mine back when I put new y-pipe gaskets in. It would have been easier and I would have saved a fortune on gas.
I have never checked my MPG on my Discovery. I will if I can ever afford to fill the gas tank again. Until then I am happy that I finally got it done. Very happy.
It was a challenging task, but I learned a good bit doing it and now feel that much more confident with MY Discovery. I actually feel I finally accomplished something worthwile on it. Thanks go to all of those who provided helpful inputand encouragement, especially for the excellent pictures provided by our new friend from Phillie and also to Mr. WILL TILLERY, THE ROVER GUY, for both an excellent deal on two good used sensors, quick shipping, a great price AND his advice when I called back asking him how he gets them out.
If you are doing it for the first time, allow yourself plenty of time to work your way thru it, have plenty of PB Blaster on hand, have cold beer, and do not forget to pray to the Rover Gods.
I now understand why a mechanic would want hundreds of dollars to do this tasks.
Thank God I finished it finally. Love the way the Rover Runs Now!
I am happy to report that I completed the O2 swap today. First I called Will Tillery and asked him what the secret is for removing the old ones. He chuckled and told me even experienced Land Rover Mechanics will admit that is no easy task. He said he uses a nut splitter and just pops them apart and wrenches them out. We talked just a minute and both agreed the way to go was to cut the wires on the old ones flush with the probe and proceed. He said Patience is the best approach. And lots of PB Blaster. He also said crank it up let it get warm then shut it off and give it time to cool. Since I had already pulled all the spark plug wires and unbolted the coil pack, I passed on cranking it and went with more PB Blaster. It is a 17 mm wrench for the O2 probe nut.
I cut the wires on the passenger side. My 17mm 1/2 inch drive impact socket fit nicely and with a little gentle persuasion, it finally released. I was sitting in the wheel well with the front tire off, vehicle jacked up and the inner fender wall was the one I had used tin snips on previously, so I merely folded it out of the way and worked over the frame. Quite easy that way.
The electrical connectors on top of the transmission tunnel are a bitch to get to, I had to break the tab that holds them in place like others had also said they did.
After finishing the passenger's side I moved to the driver's side, pulled that tire, used my tin snips on that fender wall as well and rolled the inner wall out of the way to gain better access to that sensor. The way the sensor is oriented toward the frame prevented the socket from going on. So I was forced to resort to a long 17 mm wrench. The open end did not give enough grab to break the thing loose. So I slipped the box end over the tip of the sensor and down on the nut part. I was able to break it loose, turn it slightly, reposition the wrench and turn a little more, and repeat. Finally the old ones were out, the new ones in and then reattaching the coil packs and hooking the wires back up. The top of the coil pack frame is stamped with the plug numbers so reattaching the wires correctly was a breeze.
I had also removed the air intake tubes and MAF to gain better access. New plugs (the two dollar Champion coppers) were installed yesterday. So after reassembling I said a quick prayer and turned the key. It fired right up after a few seconds revved a little bit and settled right down to a steady 750 rpm's. A little smoke was present as the PB burned off the exhaust.
I finished my beer, put my redheaded grandson Buck in the back seat and took off for a test drive. Put in some 93 octane Sunoco and headed to Advance Auto to reset the CEL.
Now it runs better than it ever has, plenty of power, smooth acceleration. Climbed the steepest hills around on the way home with no hesitation or stumbling at all. Prior to the sensor change it struggled climbing hills.
The old O2's were most likely the original with 115K on them. They were totally carboned up even thought the new ODB tester said they checked good. Looking at them, I am amazed it ran at all.
Bottom line is if you have a DI that does not have fresh O2 sensors in it, I would strongly advocate a change to new ones. I wish I had done mine back when I put new y-pipe gaskets in. It would have been easier and I would have saved a fortune on gas.
I have never checked my MPG on my Discovery. I will if I can ever afford to fill the gas tank again. Until then I am happy that I finally got it done. Very happy.
It was a challenging task, but I learned a good bit doing it and now feel that much more confident with MY Discovery. I actually feel I finally accomplished something worthwile on it. Thanks go to all of those who provided helpful inputand encouragement, especially for the excellent pictures provided by our new friend from Phillie and also to Mr. WILL TILLERY, THE ROVER GUY, for both an excellent deal on two good used sensors, quick shipping, a great price AND his advice when I called back asking him how he gets them out.
If you are doing it for the first time, allow yourself plenty of time to work your way thru it, have plenty of PB Blaster on hand, have cold beer, and do not forget to pray to the Rover Gods.
I now understand why a mechanic would want hundreds of dollars to do this tasks.
Thank God I finished it finally. Love the way the Rover Runs Now!
Overlanding
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Morgantown, WV
Are they any better for its price? At 86k 2 of mine are bad so I'm gonna replace all 4 since they look original. How about those NGK universal sensors, the ones you have to splice/solder the wires onto the OEM cable?
I found some heated NGKs for ~$30 but they have different wire connectors for a different car, I figure just cut the 4 wires and splice it to mine. Advance autoparts is offering %15 over $100 and a $50 mail-in coupon for your next purchase, using this for an O2 on my wife's car.
I found some heated NGKs for ~$30 but they have different wire connectors for a different car, I figure just cut the 4 wires and splice it to mine. Advance autoparts is offering %15 over $100 and a $50 mail-in coupon for your next purchase, using this for an O2 on my wife's car.
Thread Starter
|
Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
According to Spike and others, the rears only tell you if the cats are bad, they do not affect the ECU output, So I only worried about the fronts. I see no reason to change the rears. The rears are much more accessable however.
I would advise that you start spraying PB Blaster on them about 3 days before you plan to change them, spray it on good a couple of times a day. Allow it to penetrate well and work it's majic.
I also pulled the front wheel on the side I was doing, jacked it up like the RAVE says, and sat right in the wheel well area to do the work. I like to see and be able to get both hands in there and align everything really well to break it loose. I also took the liberty of using tin snips on that inner fender wall and follding it out of the way. Upon completion, I merely fold it back into place. Improves access tremendously. I realize some of you would never do that to your Rover. I do not hesitate to do it to mine, after all it is mine. Do as you want to, it's only Rock N Roll.
Both of the connevctors reside on top of the tranny bell housing. I had to force the connector away from where it sits which broke that little retention tab. Could not get it to release, gave up and peeled it away with brute force. To unmate the connectors, I grabbed the body of the one with adjustable pliers, squeezed then slid them apart. Tied a piece of weedwacker string around the connector and used that to fish the new connector into place. When you are screwing in the new sensor, take care not to twist the wires up. Screw it in prior to mating or the wires twist badly.
I did notice that the existing connectors were pretty grimy and one wire had the insulation back a little. If I had any heat shrink on hand I would have covered it better, but I had none on hand. If you are doing yours, I would suggest having heat shrink insulation on hand before you tear it all apart.
The location of the coil pack sucks. A good project would be to relocate it to a more accessable spot. I did not attempt that, I just wanted to finish it up the same day.
I believe it could easily be relocated to the area on the passengers side of the intake on the GEMS version. or with longer posts and a doubled nut arrange ment you could raise it a little.
Mine is back together, new plugs and an oil change completed as well. It has never run smoother. If yours is not smooth or cuts out climbing hills, I would advocate new O2 Sensors.
Take care and take your time doing it, allow extra time for unforseen events.
I would advise that you start spraying PB Blaster on them about 3 days before you plan to change them, spray it on good a couple of times a day. Allow it to penetrate well and work it's majic.
I also pulled the front wheel on the side I was doing, jacked it up like the RAVE says, and sat right in the wheel well area to do the work. I like to see and be able to get both hands in there and align everything really well to break it loose. I also took the liberty of using tin snips on that inner fender wall and follding it out of the way. Upon completion, I merely fold it back into place. Improves access tremendously. I realize some of you would never do that to your Rover. I do not hesitate to do it to mine, after all it is mine. Do as you want to, it's only Rock N Roll.
Both of the connevctors reside on top of the tranny bell housing. I had to force the connector away from where it sits which broke that little retention tab. Could not get it to release, gave up and peeled it away with brute force. To unmate the connectors, I grabbed the body of the one with adjustable pliers, squeezed then slid them apart. Tied a piece of weedwacker string around the connector and used that to fish the new connector into place. When you are screwing in the new sensor, take care not to twist the wires up. Screw it in prior to mating or the wires twist badly.
I did notice that the existing connectors were pretty grimy and one wire had the insulation back a little. If I had any heat shrink on hand I would have covered it better, but I had none on hand. If you are doing yours, I would suggest having heat shrink insulation on hand before you tear it all apart.
The location of the coil pack sucks. A good project would be to relocate it to a more accessable spot. I did not attempt that, I just wanted to finish it up the same day.
I believe it could easily be relocated to the area on the passengers side of the intake on the GEMS version. or with longer posts and a doubled nut arrange ment you could raise it a little.
Mine is back together, new plugs and an oil change completed as well. It has never run smoother. If yours is not smooth or cuts out climbing hills, I would advocate new O2 Sensors.
Take care and take your time doing it, allow extra time for unforseen events.
Thread Starter
|
Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
I ended up cutting the connectors off of my old ones. The old ones were severely blackened. If anyone wants the removed connectors with the pigtails, you could go ahead and build up a new set with the generics, solder the pigtails on and insulate them really well and them have them ready to install. So whoever would like to have them, PM me, and I'll send them your way. I only have one set so the first one to contact me wanting them gets them.
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 8
information
Many have said that sodering effects the voltage and makes them usless. You need to get ones with OEM connectors. You cannot splice them them on LR... FYI... ask spike about this as he knows too well..
Chris
Chris