TheSamba.com :: View topic - New problem with 1600 DP oil pressure sensor

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:30 am

Ok, so I have a new project/problem. My oil sensor is snapped off almost flush with the block and I am fairly certain that once it snapped off, it got filled with JB weld so it wouldnt leak. Apparently they didnt think it was that important. I think what happened was some one was trying to replace it and it snapped off so instead of taking it out, they just filled the hole. Any thoughts on how to get this this out with out destroying the block??

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:34 am

You should be able to drill right in the center, and then use a pipe easy-out. There is a difference between regular easy-outs and pipe easy-outs.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:38 am

ok, so whats the difference cuz I just picked up a set of easy outs the other night which the largest one should be big enough to grab whats left of the original oil sensor.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 2:01 pm

If you have another warning light switch handy, you can see the size of that thread by comparison there. (if you have a tap/die set, get out the 1/8NPT tap, that's almost exactly the same thread as well). I think I'd start out with an easy-out a little over half that thread's size - you don't want to mess up those threads but need to have to enough to grip with.

One thing about drilling into something that's in an oil gallery like that for your pilot hole, if you end up needing to drill that far, you obviously don't want to get any debris in the oil gallery. cranking the engine over while you drill will pressurize the system and when you "break through" the resulting oil flow should force any debris to go back along the drill bit instead of into the engine. It's also very messy, and having oil over everything may make it so that the easy-out won't grip as well.

What kind of easy out did you get? I like the ones that are a reverse spiral and not those square shaft styles that you pound in.

Another thing I used to like to use as a first step in drilling out busted off fasteners, was my set of reverse-rotation drill bits. I found that sometimes the combination of drilling vibration, the relief of the pressure as the hole is drilled and the reverse torque would combine together and when you got to the end of the the hole, and the drill bit would want to "jam", it would pop the busted off threads loose and unscrew them, with the broken fastener stuck on the end of the drill bit. Didn't happen very often but it was cool when it did.
-Andy

Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:51 pm

Ok, well I figured that it was filled in with JB weld like I said, but it just went from bad to worse. What they apparently did was pull the sensor out and put a bolt in it and then snapped the head off it in the process, to the drilling is a little harder and its in a tight spot. I am using my right angle mini die grinder with a drill bit in it. I used my dremel with a cone shaped grinder thing in it to get it started so the bit wouldnt jump all over the place. I need to go and get a titanium bit to drill this thing out. God only knows how long the bolt goes in there. as much in disgust as I was when I thought it was JB weld in there, looking at tit now I actually wish it was.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:58 pm

With a spiral easy out you won't need to drill all the way through, just deep enough to get a good bite. Be careful though, last thing you want to do is snap the easy-out...