Hi. I bought a new oil pressure sender from our good buddy Ray Crowe and am trying to install it. Having trouble figuring out how to get at it... Any tips on removal?
None of my existing sockets or wrenches fit. I have a large adjustable wrench but it's too bulky.
Went to Lowes to look for a socket but they were out of a bunch of sizes.
Figured I'd ask and before spending hours driving around looking for a socket that might or might not work. Haven't turned a wrench in a while and am rusty...
Thanks!

 

There is a smaller fitting on the inside. It is 17mm, you can get to it with a wrench.

 

Take care not to over-tighten it.

 

I had to use pliers(the ones that you adjust the opening level)
didnt have socket size
so now i either messed it up or it came like that since its used but it doesnt read pressure at idle sometimes

 

No personal experience with changing it while the engine is in the car, but as I recall I never put a wrench on that outer, larger hex head. IIRC I only used the inner one and an open-end wrench. Again IIRC it was a tapered thread so once broken loose it should spin out pretty easy. I thinking I used a little Teflon tape on the threads.

But maybe it’s different changing it while the engine’s in the car. I figured that larger outer hex-head was just for assembly and fragile.

 

I've R&R'd mine several times in the car to clean the orifice with carb-cleaner, which in my case was mostly blocked and the cause of flaky oil pressure readings. Small wrench on the small hex, IIRC, is what I used, but it's been quite a while, so I may have removed the rubber cover and used one of my large sockets or a large pliers on that large hex - I don't remember which I used.

 

Mine has been replaced twice with the engine in the car. It might be a little easier to reach from the top when the oil filter is off the engine during an oil change. (I have not tried reaching it from underneath the car.) I need to replace mine again. Space is tight, but if you are patient there is room enough.

Last time I used a small adjustable wrench (Crescent wrench) on the smaller, inside fitting. A short open end wrench would work too. I would avoid wrenching on the larger, outer hex.

 

Your best bet is to use a stubby 17mm combo wrench (https://www.sears.com/craftsman-prof...p-00944118000P) to access it from underneath the car. It'll be a bitch to remove. Have plenty of patience.

 

The view from underneath is challenging, especially if you don't have the car on a lift:

 

Forgot to say - I did it from the top. IIRC, it wasn't particularly difficult.

 

I'll buy and try a stubby 17. Didn't think to try loosening from that end.
It has been a bitch to get a wrench on with enough space around the wrench to actually move it to loosen it.

Thanks. Keep the recommendations coming if you have done this before.

 

I've removed it from the top, it helps to take off the intake elbow and throttle body, disconnect the little spade-style connector nearby (that's the coolant gauge sender), and maybe disconnect some of the spark plug wires to get them out of the way. 17mm sounds right, I used the open-end of a regular-sized combo wrench.

 

Maybe a crows foot 17mm would work well also.

 

This is what I use https://shop.snapon.com/product/Low-...rench/LTAM1719

 

Thanks fellas

The car is on jack stands and intake elbow is already off since I'm in the process of replacing the o-ring on the oil filler neck and some other maintenance.

 

When I installed a new one (engine is out on engine stand) I separated the two parts so I could torque the adapter to the engine with a torque wrench. Then I held it with an open wrench so I could install the sensor onto it without over-torqueing

 

Noted
The torque spec is 8-11 ft/lbs according the FSM PDF that was posted earlier. I don't have a torque wrench that goes that low so I'm going old school.

 

I don't trust myself with low torque bolts/nuts so I got me a 20 - 240 in/lbs small torque wrench. Too many 10mm broken

 

In that case it should be a breeze. If you don't have a suitable torque wrench, it should be almost as tight as a spark plug.

 

Spark plugs are 20 lb/ft or a bit more iirc...

 

20 would be pretty tight.
The 1994 service manual give the torque specs of 8 - 11 ft-lbf for the oil pressure sensor and 9.5 - 13 ft-lbf for the spark plugs.