1997 3.3L Dodge Caravan: How do you change the O2 sensor before the cat

[Fizer70]

As the thread states, I have a '97 Dodge Caravan with the 3.3L V6. I'm geting the check engine light that corresponds to the O2 sensors. I was going to change both of them while I was at it. The rear O2 sensor looks easy to change. The front O2 sensor is in a remote location that I can't reach (on the exhaust manifold just behind the middle spark plug wire on the rear head).

How do you guys change it? It looks to far to reach it from below and to cluttered and far to reach it from the front. I can get to it without a problem if I removed the intake manifold, but I'm trying to avoid that for now.

Any tips?

[Fizer70]

any ideas?

[lakeman]

I managed to get mine from the top. There is a special socket with the side cut out for O2 sensors. It wasn't easy !

[seniorbigs]

I've put them on the lift, remove the four bolts holding the ex pipe to the manifold. Lowering the pipe gives you more room. It isn't fun!