Jump to content
IGNORED

oxygen sensor


jan.b

Recommended Posts

Hello, I would appreciate any help with this. After getting a new muffler from ebay. I staintune, I began to take the old one off. How do you get that oxygen sensor off? Do I have to take of the frame? Can the oxygen sensor be reused? Should I use antiseise compound when reinstalling? Thanks again for any and all help.

Link to comment

If you can't get it off by the usual means of heat and lotsa force, there is a unique special wrench the fits over the sensor if your working geometry is adverse.

 

There are many mysteries related to the O2 sensor and chemicals. For example, some kinds of silicone glue will contaminate it and render it broken. Some special precautions even for soldering the wires. I don't know the inner secrets, just wanted to alert you.

 

When it is out, there are a few propane torch tests you can easily do. Again, the Web and experts here can help more.

 

The sensors do go bad. The wideband sensors used in the PCIII are said to have one-year life expectancies. Bad.

 

Funny, I've never read what the stock ECU does if the O2 sensor goes AWOL. I think it simply remains map-driven (rather than, say, go into limp-home mode). If you have no cat converter, that would be honky-dory as far as I am concerned and corresponds to my own observations (see URL below). But I hope others know more than I do.

Link to comment
The wideband sensors used in the PCIII are said to have one-year life expectancies.

Said by who? Wideband sensors don't have a significantly different life expectancy than standard sensors.

Link to comment
The wideband sensors used in the PCIII are said to have one-year life expectancies.

Said by who? Wideband sensors don't have a significantly different life expectancy than standard sensors.

 

Said who to your opinion?

 

About lifetimes, I only know what I read here and there. That's why I took care to present my thought modestly... "are said to have....". On the other hand, shucks, that is what I've read. A quite detailed if not quite definitive discussion of wideband lifetime is at:

 

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/172913-wide-band-air-fuel-o2-gauge-options.html

Link to comment
No, not quite definitive. But sorry, I didn't mean to be so abrupt.

 

Thanks for that response.

 

What I vaguely gather is, we have to distinguish between (1) breaking and falling off the bike and landing by the side of the road (I am exaggerating here) versus (2) something more incremental like getting the calibration distorted and/or slowing of response.

 

So maybe there's no big functional breakdown in a year, but on the other hand, do you know the joke about the watch that loses a minute a day? (Punchline: I'd rather have a watch that is totally stopped because at least it is correct twice a day.)

Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday
Hello, I would appreciate any help with this. After getting a new muffler from ebay. I staintune, I began to take the old one off. How do you get that oxygen sensor off? Do I have to take of the frame? Can the oxygen sensor be reused? Should I use antiseise compound when reinstalling? Thanks again for any and all help.

 

The connector is buried underneath the fuel tank, above the alternator. There's a slight chance that the cable is long enough to allow you to unscrew the sensor from the exhaust without having to access that connector; give it a shot. If not, you'll have to pull the gas tank to get at the connector.

 

Sensor can be reused; it should be good for at least 100,000 miles.

 

Anti-seize will make it easier to remove next time. Use sparingly; put a bit into the valleys of the threads, and avoid gigantic globs that flow down onto the sensor head.

Link to comment

If anti-seize compound isn't suppled with the sensor (sometimes it is) and you want to use some it's a good idea to ensure that the packaging specifies that it is O2 sensor-safe, as the tiniest amount of contaminant can damage a sensor. And definitely avoid gigantic globs that flow down onto the sensor head. :grin:

Link to comment

Heat the boss red with an oxy/ acetylene torch. It will screw right out and the heat won't hurt it a bit.

 

You can test it with a propane torch.

 

Volt meter on ground of case and + on the sensor wire.

 

Using the propane torch,heat the element with a good blue flame. Turn the flame to yellow by holding your fingers over the vent holes. The volt meter should go up to a volt give or take.

 

It works for me. An oscilloscope will tell you how its working when the bike is running.

 

Generally they work or don't. There is a heating circuit in there too. The response can get slow if the sensor gets coated with burned oil. You would see that.

 

David

Link to comment

Jan, to answer your question.. No you don’t have to take the frame off..

 

If you unclip the 02 wire so it has most of it’s wire length exposed you can unscrew the sensor from the exhaust system without unplugging it from the upper connector.. That will put a LOT of twists in the wire so be careful you have enough wire exposed to allow that.. Once removed pay attention that you don’t untwist the wire (tape it to something on the bike so it doesn’t untwist).. If you allow it to untwist it will end up being twisted the other way when installed in the new exhaust..

 

Do use some anti seize (high nickel content) to re-install it in the new exhaust system or it will near impossible to remove from that system in the future..

 

That thing (the 02) will probably be tight so try to break it loose before unbolting the original exhaust system.. You can TRY a large 7/8” open end wrench but if it shows signs of slipping either use a 7/8” line wench or unplug the upper connector & slide a 7/8” box end wrench down over the wire.. Sometimes riding the bike to heat the exhaust can make breaking it loose a little easier..

 

With the above being said the PROPER way to remove that 02 sensor is to un plug the upper connector & not twist the wire to remove.. You can probably access the upper connector by just lifting the rear of the gas tank (not totally removing it)..

 

 

Twisty

 

Link to comment

... and the special wrench. It is kind of like a big, deep socket but with a slot so it fits over the sensor cable. Not fiercely expensive but then I've been too cheap to buy one, yet.

 

Yes, Twisty1 is right about carefully twisting the cable instead of needing to tilt the gas tank, etc. to undo the connector. And I'd like to further second his good advice about counting the twists you when you bolt stuff back together, so the cable lays right.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...