Mark_II_Mark
12-29-2009, 02:17 PM
For those of you out there who know the correct end of the wrench to grab, here's another little tidbit that you may find of some help & that you won't find anywhere else. Everyone else, "AT EASE & SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM"!
If your oil pressure sending unit has never been replaced (it'll still be Continental Bile Green in color) you'll find that it has pretty much welded itself into its engine port & will require an imaginative remedy. That's why Allah made Architects.
Start by removing the oil pump, oil filter, oil pan sump transfer tube & the resistor attached to the sending unit. Then continually soak the exposed threads of the sending unit with Tri-Flow, quite possibly the best spray lubricant made by man (remember, WD40 is ONLY for hand cleaning & girlie-men) for at least a couple of days. Then obtain from Harbor Freight a 9/16" SAE "Stubby" combo box/open end wrench. You'll also need a narrow ratcheting tie down strap or a very small come-along (I don't know what you Yankees call 'em).
Once you've done all of the above, get under your car, place the open end portion of the "Stubby" wrench on the 4-sided portion of the sending unit, place the tie-down's "S" hook thru the box end portion of the wrench, threading the tie-down strap itself vertically down & under the suspension tie rod and then horizontally towards the front bumper. Run this strap thru the ratcheting mechanism, the other end of which is secured to the front bumper or frame.
So what you should have now is a slightly taut horizontal portion of straping & the ratcheting mechanism which then turns 90 degrees under the tie rod & goes up vertically & attaches to the "Stubby" wrench. SLOWLY start to ratched the mechanism & within just a few strokes, as long as the wrench remains where it should be, the sending unit will pop loose & begin to turn CCW or to the left (remember "Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey").
For some strange reason, probably just more piss-poor FoMoCo design, engineering & autoworker's union installation, my original sending unit was screwed almost completely into the block with maybe 4 threads left showing. When you install your new sending unit, wrap the threads with some teflon tape & screw it back into the block just a little more than hand tight. Do it this way & it'll never cause you or the next 4 owners an installation problem again...
If your oil pressure sending unit has never been replaced (it'll still be Continental Bile Green in color) you'll find that it has pretty much welded itself into its engine port & will require an imaginative remedy. That's why Allah made Architects.
Start by removing the oil pump, oil filter, oil pan sump transfer tube & the resistor attached to the sending unit. Then continually soak the exposed threads of the sending unit with Tri-Flow, quite possibly the best spray lubricant made by man (remember, WD40 is ONLY for hand cleaning & girlie-men) for at least a couple of days. Then obtain from Harbor Freight a 9/16" SAE "Stubby" combo box/open end wrench. You'll also need a narrow ratcheting tie down strap or a very small come-along (I don't know what you Yankees call 'em).
Once you've done all of the above, get under your car, place the open end portion of the "Stubby" wrench on the 4-sided portion of the sending unit, place the tie-down's "S" hook thru the box end portion of the wrench, threading the tie-down strap itself vertically down & under the suspension tie rod and then horizontally towards the front bumper. Run this strap thru the ratcheting mechanism, the other end of which is secured to the front bumper or frame.
So what you should have now is a slightly taut horizontal portion of straping & the ratcheting mechanism which then turns 90 degrees under the tie rod & goes up vertically & attaches to the "Stubby" wrench. SLOWLY start to ratched the mechanism & within just a few strokes, as long as the wrench remains where it should be, the sending unit will pop loose & begin to turn CCW or to the left (remember "Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey").
For some strange reason, probably just more piss-poor FoMoCo design, engineering & autoworker's union installation, my original sending unit was screwed almost completely into the block with maybe 4 threads left showing. When you install your new sending unit, wrap the threads with some teflon tape & screw it back into the block just a little more than hand tight. Do it this way & it'll never cause you or the next 4 owners an installation problem again...