Replacing O2 sensor... super fun!

[rock0134]

Well DSMLink told me that my front o2 sensor was shot. It had probably never been replaced before I had the car. But it's amazing how the damn o2 bung is engineered to be just close enough to the downpipe bolt that you can't get a socket on the fucking thing.

After breaking the tip of the o2 sensor off and realizing that the socket was not going to work, not nearly enough room for a wrench in there of course, I had an idea to drop the downpipe off to see if the little extra wiggle room that would give the bolt would be enough to get it out and away from the o2 bung so that I could get a socket on it..... of course it didn't work.

So now I have a busted off o2 sensor stuck in the housing, a downpipe hanging there, I took both heat shields off for better access and after realizing that I had redone the whole intake, intercoolerpipes, and exhaust and made it look new and shiny... I realized that rusted piece of shit o2 housing needs to go.

So since the downpipe is hanging already and the gasket would probable need to be replaced, and the stuck pos o2 sensor in that rusted housing, I decided to just buy the 82 dollar external dump off of ebay.

It comes with new gaskets anyways. I get the nice chrome, loud external dump, and I don't have to bust my knuckles anymore trying to figure out how to get that mother out.

Ahh I am pissed I spent an hour and a half trying to get the thing out, but I guess i'm doing the right thing by replacing the housing with a better flowing one....

Just thought I'd share how pissed I am at the stupid location they put the o2 bung at... why not put it half an inch higher so that you can get a socket on it???

[Black99GST]

if it was designed user/mechanic friendly, then WHAT would D.S.M. stand for!?!?!



right now, all i know, is my car isnt a "Dimond Star Motor"... more like "Dumb Stupid Mitsubishi"

none the less, i feel ya paul... try doing MY T-belt over night, after about 2 hours of "raging pissed of motor mount stud getting outing" then finding out 1 hour later from then, you were given the wrong waterpump... so you sit around for another 4-5 hours untill mitsubishi opens... then THEY WONT TAKE IT BACK! after arguing with the "manager" of the parts Department, you get what you came for... go home, and break off a timing tensioner bolt... IN THE BLOCK... fuck with that, untill you get it out, then! THEN! put it all together, and find your exhaust cam off by ONE F-ing tooth... so you pull it appart again, and now and forever more, when you first start my car, my P/S + ALT + A/C belts SQUEEL so loud for the first 30 seconds or so then finally shut up... yeah... Dumb Stupid Mitsubishi!!!!

[rock0134]

Holy shit man, that sucks... I am going to hold off on the timing belt until next spring most likely, I've dumped way too much money into the car in the last few months.

Good news is I am gonna have the o2 dump housing like you have. Then when I have that put back in next weekend with a working o2 sensor, I will put in the 850's and the fuel pump. Hopefully then, finally, I can have a decent setup and be good to start tuning it!!!

[Black99GST]

Originally Posted by rock0134

Holy shit man, that sucks... I am going to hold off on the timing belt until next spring most likely, I've dumped way too much money into the car in the last few months.

Good news is I am gonna have the o2 dump housing like you have. Then when I have that put back in next weekend with a working o2 sensor, I will put in the 850's and the fuel pump. Hopefully then, finally, I can have a decent setup and be good to start tuning it!!!

money doesnt say away from my car very much either ...

[JoeShmoe]

Originally Posted by Black99GST

none the less, i feel ya paul... try doing MY T-belt over night, after about 2 hours of "raging pissed of motor mount stud getting outing" then finding out 1 hour later from then, you were given the wrong waterpump... so you sit around for another 4-5 hours untill mitsubishi opens... then THEY WONT TAKE IT BACK! after arguing with the "manager" of the parts Department, you get what you came for... go home, and break off a timing tensioner bolt... IN THE BLOCK... fuck with that, untill you get it out, then! THEN! put it all together, and find your exhaust cam off by ONE F-ing tooth... so you pull it appart again, and now and forever more, when you first start my car, my P/S + ALT + A/C belts SQUEEL so loud for the first 30 seconds or so then finally shut up... yeah... Dumb Stupid Mitsubishi!!!!

ROFL, That jsut made my day, thanks. But seriously, imports have such small spaces to work in that even the smallest thing you have to fix requires pain, sweat, and usually bleeding knuckles. Good times...

[scottsee]

I remember the first time I tried changing the Front O2. That thing was a fucking nightmare. I ended up drilling the thing out, getting metal shavings in my eye and having to have the Optomitrist scrape it out of my eye. Not fun.

As for the Tbelt. I just had Hyundai do mine, 20% cheaper parts from the 92 sonata and $100 less labor.. Cost me like $230 or somthing for pullys, belts and labor..

[rock0134]

another thing is, a guy on the dsmlink forum looked at my log and noticed that the boost was coming on full super slow and suggested that the wg flapper was stuck open a little. I checked it since I have the o2 housing off and it was open quite a bit.

So I shimmed the actuatro flange off of the compressor housing with 3 washers and now it's tight as hell. I can't wait to see if boost will hit a lot earlier, he said when he did it, it felt like a whole new car....

[Black99GST]

Originally Posted by rock0134

another thing is, a guy on the dsmlink forum looked at my log and noticed that the boost was coming on full super slow and suggested that the wg flapper was stuck open a little. I checked it since I have the o2 housing off and it was open quite a bit.

So I shimmed the actuatro flange off of the compressor housing with 3 washers and now it's tight as hell. I can't wait to see if boost will hit a lot earlier, he said when he did it, it felt like a whole new car....

paul, let me get a pic of what you did to the actuator... i'm having a problem getting my w/g to close after full boost... lol this sounds like it could fix my problem... pm me, or just post it here!