Help with removing the oil pressure sensor off the front of the engine

["Turbo-T"]

Ok....some dickhead that should never be let 20 feet near a car engine, installed the oil pressure sender in a manner that it is going to take an act of God to remove it from the brass block.

Apparently when this dickhead installed this sensor, the dickhead also used a sealer on the threads. I have tried using heat on the block, I have tried turning on both the sensor and the block using a wrench on each, but the threads to the sensor are fused in there for life.

As of right now the 3/4 hex fitting around the VDO oil psi sensor is stripped.

I want to remove this sensor without damaging it. Can I undo the boss that the oil filter screws onto from the block? It looks like maybe if I remove the piece the oil filter screws onto, maybe it will give me a little more room to work.

Or am I going to have to destroy the sensor with a hacksaw trying to saw it off?

Here are some pics. There is an L brass fitting that is screwed into the factory brass sitting. The factory brass fitting does move in the block. The L brass block has both the sensor and the factory oil psi sensor in it.

Please advise. it just irks me what some idiots do when putting together a car.

Thanks in advance.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Ok well it looks like taking just the oil filter boss off is going to be more work than I thought. Guess I'm stuck with this. If anyone has any ideas how I can get this sensor off, short of pulling the engine and hack sawing it off, I'm all ears.

 

[pacecarta]

doesnt look stripped to me
rotate the tee fitting clockwise and youll be able to get a better grab on the oil sender

and you're going to need a wrench on the tee

 

["Turbo-T"]

Ok I meant to say "rounded off" and this is a before pic.

I had an 18 mm wrench on the tee and a 3/5 on the sensor, rounded the sensor off.

Only thing I didn't do was get it cherry red hot, might be too late now but is that how hot it has to be to get the sealer to break free to get it out?

 

[MSDGN]

I would remove the stock sensor first...remove the oil feed line from the brass piece then remove the brass piece with the aftermarket sender attached...once you get that off you can put it in a vise and try to get the sender removed...worse case you might have to get a new brass piece and sender...you don't need to pull the motor for that

 

[MSDGN]

Sorry I looked at the pic...I had forgotten how that looks with the brass adapter on there...what I said won't work...nevermind...

 

[ek02]

I would take the factory sender off, then heat the brass block with an actylene torch or a propane torch. Put a pipe plug where the factory sender was to prevent an oil fire. You don't need to get it red. If there is locktite on the threads, it will melt it, and you will be able to turn the sender. You will most likely destroy the sender if you grab it with some channel locks if the hex is rounded off. You could also cut the sender threads with a hack saw blade and then buy a new brass fitting after you get the old one out. 90% of the time, heat will let it get free. Good luck.

 

[chris]

Remove the vdo sensor (the big can) and you can unscrew the brass block without removing the smaller round sensor (factory oil pressure switch).

 

["Turbo-T"]

The problem is the VDO sensor (big silver can) is in there tighter than the lips on a virgin Mary. I don't have access to an acetylene torch, I have considered getting a Bernzomatic if you think it would get hot enough.

Hopefully they didn't use sealer to put in the factory switch but I'll bet they did.

 

[Casey Jensen]

Have you tried remove the stock sensor? Does the brass move that is screwed in the block? If you can get the stock sensor out and the fitting will move in the block, then I would sacrifice the rest and start over. If you heat it, I would get it hot and let it cool a little before trying to remove. Brass gets really soft when hot. Don't want you to twist it off. From the school of hard knocks or maybe just my bad luck, is what has happened to me when dealing with brass and iron.