Crank Position Sensor

[pitzel]

Just a note for everyone.  Crank position sensors can fail in such a way that they still provide a signal on a scope (ie: ~0.7V AC RMS) during cranking.  But be cracked internally and have high (but not infinite) resistance (ie: 9M ohms for mine versus the ~500-900 ohms that is normal). 

 

Fortunately mine was removable with a few minutes of spinning it in the bore.  The new ones have much beefier external plastic, and a metal collar (the plastic collar on the factory original part broke on mine during extraction). 

 

No warning signs of this failure whatsoever.  Went to start it, no start.  Fortunately in my driveway on a nice day as I have to make a 2000 mile trip this weekend. 

[Heartbeat1991]

You're lucky it came out that easy.  I've used long drywall screws to pull them out on a couple manuals, but on the couple automatics I've done, I had to drop the pan.

[Galaxie500XL]

The last one I did, I used a long flat-bladed screwdriver to GENTLY put a little outward pressure between the lip of the sensor and the block while rotating the sensor back and forth by hand.

[pitzel]

You're lucky it came out that easy.  I've used long drywall screws to pull them out on a couple manuals, but on the couple automatics I've done, I had to drop the pan.

 

Yeah I read all the horror stories online.  Couldn't see it at all, had to do it entirely by feel (and verified with a multimeter, at the ICM/coilpack, that I had disconnected the right thing!). 

 

Not sure how I would've gotten even a drywall screw in back there.  Or a screwdriver to pry with.  I had the engine rocked forward, but nothing else.   

 

Personally I credit the lack of carbon in the area, that apparently makes removal difficult, to my use of synthetic oil.