I have a 97 Lariat 2wd. Are the sensors difficult to change out on the 2wd's?

 

The main thing is, what engine do you have. If you have the V6, then it should not be quite as bad (I would guess so anyway...the V6 doesnt take up near as much rom as the V8s do). Either of the V8s will be a task on the passenger side, since you are not dealing with any 4wd components in your area on that side anyway. In the driver's side the front driveshaft can kind of get in the way, but its not that big of a deal either way.

 

From my perspective, its a pain. If you pull the inner fender wells and remove the tires/wheels - it is a whole lot easier. YMMV. Good Luck.

 

Mine took about 10 minutes to change. (front o2's - 5.4) It helps to put a drop of WD-40 on the plastic clips. It makes them give up a lot easier.

There's no sense in wasting the money to change the back O2's until they fail. They don't contribute to A/F ratios. They merely monitor catalytic converter efficiency.

 

Did mine on a 97 4.6 4x4 oh.....8 hours ago. It was a piece of cake.

Pop off the electrical connector first. Then heat up the sensor and surrounding area with a torch (could just let the engine do the work for you by running it for a bit too). I would really recommend using heat for this...it makes the steel much less brittle and less likely to snap when its warm. Just pay attention to where you are pointing the torch...your body and the plastic liner (and fuel lines!!) are places to avoid. Then use a 7/8" open end wrench and start cranking. Then thread the new one in, reconnect, and you're done.

I didnt bother removing the wheel or the fender wells. If you put your head anywhere behind the front wheel and lower than the hub the sensor is in plain view and easy to access.

Good luck.

 

Mine weren't stuck at all. The hardest part was removing the clip. The sensors were a piece of cake to unscrew. It helped me a lot to remove the transmission dipstick tube. That's all I removed. It is held on by one bolt.

 

My first tug had a pretty good amount of resistance (I was doing it with everything cold). I probably could have broken it loose, but I figured better safe than sorry, so I torched it. But then again, I torch everything....I'd rather spend 30 seconds torching than hours cursing, drilling, and tapping.

I agree though...the clip was the hardest part. Damn thing snuck off behind the engine once I disconnected it.

 

Thanks for the info guys!!!!