O2 sensor won't budge.

[FlexdXJ]

You can LOL all you want, but that attention to detail is exactly what got me into the 5%. Not by winging it, or producing products with huge amounts of relevant details missing (and not even knowing it)

After 4 days of getting under the XJ to soak the O2 with PB, I drove for about 30 minutes and got home and immed. sprayed the O2 with more PB and tried to remove it while hot with a longer 1/2" drive socket with adapter.
Wouldn't move. Done with this crap. Taking it to the mechanic and paying him $300 like he deserves to replace this thing.

I agree this thread is a great lesson to all n00bs. N00bs, XJ's are nothing like Hondas, and require industrial grade set of tools and professional ASE experience to work on. Oil filter adapter? Hope you have an angle grinder and bench vice to make your own tools. Shocks? Hope you have an air compressor to chisel out welds. O2 sensor? Hope you have a blowtorch. Oh, and PB Blaster doesn't do jack. It's snake oil. Save your money. The thread also serves to remind veteran gearheads just how challenging auto mechanics is. Don't agree? Well maybe you can think about why 99% of people can't even open their hood and change an air filter, and why mechanics make $150 in 12 mins.

Dude, seriously? I have Muscular Dystrophy and while I can't do huge jobs on my jeep. I can do quite a bit. I've had the front carrier out a couple times, lifted it, had the dash apart,changed the valve cover gasket, installed hitches and all kinds of chit.......its not hard to learn how to do this stuff. Put your purse down and crank on the stupid sensor and get it out of there!

 

[FlexdXJ]

Sorry, but kicking a wrench sounds like a nice way to tear off your exhaust or break off the O2 if the wrench partially slips off before you kick it. No thanks.
Did you keep the wrench from falling off with one foot, while kicking with the other?

Pretty sure that steel is a lot tougher than your ass....

 

[kastein]

Kastien's offer was just useless internet posturing.
You really think he's going to drive 6 hours roundtrip to change an O2 sensor?
That would cost me $1500 at the suggested hourly rate. No thanks.
Besides, I don't like arrogant people who insult people on internet forums just b/c they can't just look at an engine car and already know how take it apart b/c it's soooo easy.

it wasn't. And that's with free driving time, it's a 4 hour round trip drive. I used to do it weekly when I was making 6 figures in NYC, in my ratty MJ with a pile of spare parts and my toolbag in the back. Basically, I don't want to drive down only to have you be a troll who sent me into the ghetto and then have no money to cover the gas I used.

I was going to offer for way less but realized I'd rather be poor than dealing with that for anything less.

As for arrogant, I don't know what to say here, apparently I'm arrogant? I didn't know shit about the XJ/MJ when I bought mine, the difference is I dove in headfirst and learned, without making a million threads on the subject, in fact I only found when I ran into something I couldn't figure out how to get parts for. I only signed up to read a howto PDF and then decided I might as well start helping people in exchange for the info I'd gotten.

Use your five percenter brain and figure this out. If you're worth paying that much, you must have one in there somewhere. So stop trolling and go work on the damn jeep.

As far as "useless internet posturing" is concerned, since when have I ever done that? Last time I did any "useless internet posturing" I then provided a video showing how I did the "hard, experts only" job you claimed took an hour and a half in under 5 minutes.

 

[bimmerjeeper]

Great, you dove in head first and figured it out. You're a natural. Did it ever occur to you that not everyone is? Have you ever stopped to think how many businesses can actually charge $250 for 12 mins. of work? Did you ever stop to think why people ditch a 100k car that is running perfectly well and spend $30,000 for a new one? And then take a $20,000 depreciation hit after 5 years, and do it all over again? Even when they can't even afford it? Trust me, if it was as simple as "duh, just go to the junkyard and get new motor and install it on your lunch hour", do you really think people would be writing a check for $500 a month to drive a new car (which rivals their mortgage payment in some parts of the country) during the greatest recession in almost a century?

Also, was the XJ your first car? If not, then your statements are intentionally misleading. As you know, a vast majority if past knowledge carries over to a new car. So, maybe you should have said, when you got your XJ, you already had 20 years of auto experience, and dove in head first. Big difference. For a beginner, it can take an hour just to remove the door panel. Particularly, if he is trying to learn in isolation. I will be willing to bet you a large sum of money that the majority of these forum braggarts had someone personally show them half these procedures they claim are so mindless and simple. And, they asked plenty of questions ask when they were stuck. Now, they just pretend they looked at a problem and knew how to solve it just by looking at it. All hypocrites. I'd love to know how many people here simply bought a toolset and figured everything out without asking a single person for any help whatsoever.

 

[kastein]

Yes, it was my first car.

And I'm 26. So no, I don't have 20 years of experience in working on cars. I was 22 when I bought it and had only done oil changes and helped my dad bleed the brakes on his car previously.

 

[Ecomike]

Since I am not a welder, I usually take welding or torch work to a pro, muffler shop. They are dirt cheap in Texas. While I have probably been lucky, I have never had to go to extremes beyond using PB blaster or sister products, to get a rusty threaded part loose.

But if I had one as bad Bimmer claims to have, I would be trying what I know best, chemistry (chemical engineer with 40 years in snake oil chemistry know how, practice, formulation..).

A lot of guys here use CLR on their heater cores (which I don't recommend, I think vinegar is safer..), but in a pinch I would think a CLR soak of the threads to eat the rust out might work very well. It is a great formula for dissolving rust and other crude (there maybe more than rust in those threads, like calcium and magnesium from road salts, carbon, plus the rust). In fact it might help with future rust work on that jeep, as it seems to have a serious case of rust from the pictures!!!

http://www.jelmar.com/msds/2012/CLR_Calcium_Lime_Rust_MSDS.pdf

 

[scottmcneal]

I DON'T WANT TO AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME. :rattle:

 

[Ecomike]

Pretty sure that steel is a lot tougher than your ass....

Have you looked at the rust on his jeep? He may be right, there may be two very rusted, small, now thin, easy to break bolts left on the donut flange area holding the exhaust to the E-manifold, just ready to give way on his exhaust. If it was my jeep I would have had the entire exhaust replaced at a muffler shop. And a flex section added to the OEM section to keep it from breaking the E-header in the future, in prep for pulling the E-manifold to fix any cracks in it next.

 

[kastein]

Those bolts usually don't break, they generally just rust to the point that a socket won't fit them. That's why you brace yourself against the exhaust with one hand while using the wrench with the other so that you aren't putting any significant force on the exhaust system itself.

I like 5-90's hoseclamp on the socket idea, going to have to remember that one.

 

[Ecomike]

Yes, it was my first car.

And I'm 26. So no, I don't have 20 years of experience in working on cars. I was 22 when I bought it and had only done oil changes and helped my dad bleed the brakes on his car previously.

You have come long way fast!!!!:cheers:

 

[Ecomike]

Those bolts usually don't break, they generally just rust to the point that a socket won't fit them. That's why you brace yourself against the exhaust with one hand while using the wrench with the other so that you aren't putting any significant force on the exhaust system itself.

I like 5-90's hoseclamp on the socket idea, going to have to remember that one.

The last 1 out of three I worked on busted one of the two studs with little effort, and the two others were thin enough to snap, but PB blaster saved me the grief. I had to drill one out of from the exhaust header, that required removing the E-header.

 

[bimmerjeeper]

Have you looked at the rust on his jeep? He may be right, there may be two very rusted, small, now thin, easy to break bolts left on the donut flange area holding the exhaust to the E-manifold, just ready to give way on his exhaust. If it was my jeep I would have had the entire exhaust replaced at a muffler shop. And a flex section added to the OEM section to keep it from breaking the E-header in the future, in prep for pulling the E-manifold to fix any cracks in it next.

When I got the XJ, I had a professional replace the rotted muffer and cat. He didn't seem to think the pipes needed to be replaced.

The dealer has already told me the exhaust manifold is cracked, but I have no idea where. The XJ currently gets 8mpg so I am assuming it's the cracked exhaust or the O2, or a combination of both. Increasingly, I am realizing the XJ is beyond my skill level, and I might be better off with something easier for regular people to work on. But, if I keep the XJ, I will have a professional replace the exhaust manifold. If the O2 sensor is soooo easy, there is no hope in hell I would be able to do something that is actually considered medium to difficult on these forums. Plus, I think it's a safe assumption that every single bolt I'd need to turn is already rusted solid. What takes 2 hours for a forum braggart takes would probably take a few weeks in real life, assuming you even had the tools to pull it off.

Not going to bother with rust remover for the O2 sensor. Enough people have said they needed a torch to get the O2 out, and that is simply next level stuff that is not within my reach. I tried all the other things to no avail, including 4 days of PB Blaster. So, off to the mechanic it goes, and I will start planning and researching the next projects on the XJ. Clockspring, front shocks, and a tune up. Rear shocks I've decided is only for a professional, as I don't have air compressors and stuff like that. After that I will research just how realistic attempting the radiator is with the tranny line hacksaw nightmares many posters seem to experience.

 

[kastein]

What takes 2 hours for a forum braggart takes would probably take a few weeks in real life, assuming you even had the tools to pull it off.

LOL

troll.

 

[Original_MudButt]

LOL

troll.

QFTT

 

[Ecomike]

When I got the XJ, I had a professional replace the rotted muffer and cat. He didn't seem to think the pipes needed to be replaced.

The dealer has already told me the exhaust manifold is cracked, but I have no idea where. The XJ currently gets 8mpg so I am assuming it's the cracked exhaust or the O2, or a combination of both. Increasingly, I am realizing the XJ is beyond my skill level, and I might be better off with something easier for regular people to work on. But, if I keep the XJ, I will have a professional replace the exhaust manifold. If the O2 sensor is soooo easy, there is no hope in hell I would be able to do something that is actually considered medium to difficult on these forums. Plus, I think it's a safe assumption that every single bolt I'd need to turn is already rusted solid. What takes 2 hours for a forum braggart takes would probably take a few weeks in real life, assuming you even had the tools to pull it off.

Cracked exhaust manifolds at the joint welds seem to be a way of life for XJs from what I have read. I think the problem is the lack of flexibility in the pipe between the manifold and the cat converters. A little wiggle room in the engine mounts and the jeep makes itself some flex room by breaking the manifold joint welds. There is an aftermarket flex joint, accordion shaped I plan to get installed on mine in the future.

The fun part is when a stud bolt (manifold, thermostat....) breaks in the block or head and you get to build a custom rig to drill out the stud remains!!!

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

He's right though, none of us are normal.

 

[Ecomike]

Recommended reading for bimmer:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1077336&highlight=repair+hardest

 

[Ecomike]

He's right though, none of us are normal.

LOL, INDEED!!!!

 

[88trailcrawler]

"B.J.",

Your in the top 5%. Stop f'ng around trying to make an XJ into a winter commuter. Go get a new X5 and drive to work. I think your daily earnings and responsibilities justify a more reliable option.

If I had a nickle for every guy who drives a BMW and told me about how successful he is, I would be in the top 5%.

If your interested in a jeep project (you are clearly NOT cut out for it) pick up a hardly used LJ or a new JK. There is plenty to mod/learn about and you should have nice new nuts and bolts to work with.

You do realize that the problems you are experiencing are OLD CAR issues NOT XJ issues.

To claim XJ's require expertise, then come here and bash the guys who have been successful working on XJ's makes no sense what so ever.

I tried, I really tried not to feed this thread, this is just so ridiculous, it really needs to stop.

 

[FlexdXJ]

Speaking of Bimmer's I want an e30....