Hootymo Posted July 10, 2003 Report Posted July 10, 2003 well i am royally pissed off now, and am convinced i have screwed my grand prix over completely. i was changing the crank position sensor due to a no start condition and got the screw out just fine, but the sensor would not come out without a little help so i was banging it out with a screwdriver lodged in the crack with a hammer and the end of the sensor broke off and the rest of it is stuck inside the hole in the engine! i have no idea how i can get it out, i am so scared this is the end of my car :-( someone please shed some light on this and help me out, i cant lose my car now i havent even had it for a week! thanks. Quote
Robby1870 Posted July 10, 2003 Report Posted July 10, 2003 Part of the sensor is metal right?? If it is, get a magnet and try and pull it out. Actually, my best advice is to just wait and try tomorrow with a clear mind. Usually, once I get pissed at the car, I have a hard time working on it. Just relax and take your time with. Gettin mad is only make it worse. It will come out, just be easy with it. Robby Quote
Hootymo Posted July 10, 2003 Author Report Posted July 10, 2003 i tried the magnet, its in there too tight. any other suggestions? i really am stumped at this one and i cant lose my grand prix just because of something stupid like this... :-( please help. thanks! Quote
god910 Posted July 10, 2003 Report Posted July 10, 2003 I am going to tell you something you don't wanna hear, but it works. Spin the motor and keep tapping on the rest of the sensor, it will eventually fall into the block, you then get to take the pan off etc. to remove it. I don't know about anyone else, but of the 3 I have done, 1 went okay. SO... When it was time to replace my own, I called every shop in town trying to find a sucker to miss-quote me and booyah, one fella said $20. He was thinking of 93+ (mines a 92) that are on the crank on the front of the motor. (Flying magnet) He said no problems came right out. (I made him show me the part thinking it might be in the oil pan) Good luck w/ it. Quote
Hootymo Posted July 10, 2003 Author Report Posted July 10, 2003 can i push it into the block myself just by tapping it in there without spinning the motor? if not, how can i spin the motor? and it will just drop right into the oil pan so all i gotta do is take the oil pan off? it sounds like a plan to me, but i need just that little bit more info. thanks a lot! Quote
Hootymo Posted July 11, 2003 Author Report Posted July 11, 2003 help please... i gotta get this thing out. does the hole it fits into go straight into the block or is something in the way, because i cant seem to get the broken part to go all the way into the block, it doesnt seem to want to move. what do i do? im desperate... please help. thanks! Quote
Hootymo Posted July 11, 2003 Author Report Posted July 11, 2003 ok i got another idea, if i get a drill in there and try drilling the shit out of the thing will it at least get it to go the rest of the way into the block or come out? or will that damage something? i am desperate here... Quote
Brian P Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 holy shit hang on here. I hope you didnt do anything yet. I need to know if the metal prongs broke off with the rest of the sensor (2 prongs that contact the wires) if they DIDNT then you're in luck: Grab vise grips and clamp down on the prongs. Clamp FIRM but try not to bend them. Then hold the vise grips gently and pull them away from the block without bending the prongs. Go straight out and the sensor magnet should release. If you ask how I know, it's because Ive been there before!!! I did this while being stranded 300 miles away from home Quote
Brian P Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 I am going to tell you something you don't wanna hear, but it works. Spin the motor and keep tapping on the rest of the sensor, it will eventually fall into the block, you then get to take the pan off etc. to remove it. I don't know about anyone else, but of the 3 I have done, 1 went okay. SO... When it was time to replace my own, I called every shop in town trying to find a sucker to miss-quote me and booyah, one fella said $20. He was thinking of 93+ (mines a 92) that are on the crank on the front of the motor. (Flying magnet) He said no problems came right out. (I made him show me the part thinking it might be in the oil pan) Good luck w/ it. getting the oil pan out of a W-body with an auto transmission involves a lot more work than ever imagined. he'd be better off leaving the piece of sensor in there IF that was the only option! Quote
Robby1870 Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 yeah, dont you have to pull the motor to take the oil pan off?? Robby Quote
Brian P Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 either that or you'd need to disconnect the lower tranny mount and lower it down some, as well as something involving lowering the subframe. IOW dont do it.... Quote
god910 Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 getting the oil pan out of a W-body with an auto transmission involves a lot more work than ever imagined That's why I told him something he didn't want to hear, but he can't leave the end of the sensor in there if he wants to replace it. I myself have been there before, and that's why I choose not to break it. Under any and all circumstances. Quote
Brian P Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 Mine failed as a result of age and heat causing essentially the whole sensor to crack all over and become brittle. Any part of the sensor that I got a grip on broke into pieces. My only hope were those prongs remaining (everything broke around it so I had about an inch to clamp onto) and luck was by my side when the whole sensor slid out. Quote
Hootymo Posted July 11, 2003 Author Report Posted July 11, 2003 the prongs are not there, its just like a piece of plastic that is left in the block. i have tried tapping on it and it doesnt seem to budge at all. i guess im gonna have to try to drill it out or blow it out with compressed air. if those fail... i guess im screwed. Quote
Slade901 Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 Would a bolt extractor work on this case? The bolt extract is reversed thread and when turned counter-clockwise with a drill then the drill bit (extractor) will go in deeper while it is turned counter-clockwise (loosening). The drill bit (extractor) be used should be much smaller diameter than the hole (diameter) of the item you are trying to remove (that way you don't destroy the treads of the hole). Bolt extractor can be purchased at a local autoparts store. Quote
patgizz Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 its not a threaded hole. i think you might be able to get a drill in there and push really hard and hope to get the bit stuck in the sensor, and then pull on the drill and pop it out.be careful not to damage the hole bore or you will be SOL Quote
Hootymo Posted July 11, 2003 Author Report Posted July 11, 2003 that sounds cool... it may work. its not a bolt im trying to remove though, but its pretty much the same thing. im just concerned about getting a drill bit to drill into the thing, cuz i guess its got metal in it and i dunno if it will drill through the metal. i guess i will just have to try and see. thanks a lot! any other suggestions are much needed... thanks. Quote
Brian P Posted July 11, 2003 Report Posted July 11, 2003 the prongs are not there, its just like a piece of plastic that is left in the block. i have tried tapping on it and it doesnt seem to budge at all. i guess im gonna have to try to drill it out or blow it out with compressed air. if those fail... i guess im screwed. Since the prongs are gone, did the center piece of metal come out with it? If so, you should be able to thread a long screw in there, then pull the screw out with the remaining sensor. If the metal is still in there, then see if you can grab it with anything. If not then drill a small hole and insert a screw and try pulling it. Let us know what happens. Quote
Hootymo Posted July 12, 2003 Author Report Posted July 12, 2003 well this thing is being a total bitch and half. i got the majority of the sensor out by drilling the living shit out of it, but there is still some stuck in there! somehow its in there, i have no idea how its being held there so tight but i am gonna have to go at it again tomorrow and see if i can get the rest of it out. ill keep you updated, and thanks for the help! Quote
Brian P Posted July 12, 2003 Report Posted July 12, 2003 I bet the magnet is still holding tight. Can you get a small mirror so you can see exactly whats left? Quote
Hootymo Posted July 12, 2003 Author Report Posted July 12, 2003 theres seriously like nothing left... think of a crescent moon, one thats like barely there up in the sky. thats all thats left of this thing. its just like sticking in there! Quote
patgizz Posted July 13, 2003 Report Posted July 13, 2003 can you make any kind of hook and try and pull it out? maybe some picks? Quote
Slade901 Posted July 13, 2003 Report Posted July 13, 2003 Can you try using a long nose plier? or the 90degree angled long nose plier? Quote
Hootymo Posted July 14, 2003 Author Report Posted July 14, 2003 well i got a drill bit long enough to get it out, and it finally fell out. so i installed the new one and all went well there, but of course the car still wont start! i pulled a code from the ECM and the only one was 43, so i am gonna see what that is. I tested each coil, the ICM, and the crank sensor. whats left that could cause a no start condition?? i am getting spark from the wires and the fuel pump is working... what is left??? im clueless... Quote
Hootymo Posted July 14, 2003 Author Report Posted July 14, 2003 well i just read up on a code 43 and it says that my knock sensor is not right. i know that, cuz when i was back there messing with the crank sensor i noticed a sensor back there that was not connected and it looked like the wires had been cut or something. i know no knock sensor causes a little detonation but will it also cause the car not to start??? i dunno what else to do... all systems seem to be working fine, i am stumped! please help. thanks. Quote
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