1985 Corvette

Well this sucks, the connection is just far enough out of reach where you can't get your finger on the clip to release the connector to pull it out so parts have to go flying off the car to get to it. I know this has been covered before but just checking to see if there are any tips for getting to this bracket? The FSM states "(1) raise vehicle (2) 2 oil pan bolts" holding the bracket so that it can be lowered down to disconnect the connector to replace the O2. What the FSM fails to mention is one of the oil pan bolts holding the bracket on is conveniently blocked by a frame support which I found out has five fasteners holding it in place. I got four off, including the motor mount nut and realized there's one tucked away in a nice spot on the frame and I can't seem to get anything in there to loosen it. How hard was it to leave an access hole in the reinforcement to slip a socket through to loosen the pan bolt?

If anyone has any tips on this please post away. I thought I saw a post about removing the inner wheel wells and at this point I'm totally fine with that. That route looks like I could slip in some needle nose pliers to release the plastic bit holding the connection to the bracket. The driver side was a five minute job including taking time to sip a beer. I'm on day two of straight failure accessing this connector. Finally found something I hate more than torx fasteners. Dumb location for this connector.

1985 Corvette

Alright I made this post and five minutes later I was able to get to the final bolt to loosen it so the reinforcement could swing down. I got access to the pan bolts to remove but the goddamn bracket refuses to pull down. Looking at it from the topside, there's one plastic fastener holding the O2 connector to the bracket that is catching on the engine cradle. I'm very tempted to just pull as hard as I can and break it so I can get it to come down. There's just enough room for the connector to exist next to the block, not enough room to pull the connector in to clear the cradle. This stuff was definitely made to only go together once and never some apart again.

mhobtr

I gave up trying to get that SOB loose. That bracket would not come out and now I wake up at night wondering what I tore up trying to get it out.

I ended up cutting the wires at the sensor and installing a new connector for the new sensor to plug into. Those Delphi connectors are readily available and crimp tools are not expensive.

I also have a pin release tool which allows me to remove the plastic connector and then use a box end wrench on the sensor.

1985 Corvette

That's actually not a bad idea but I managed to get the bracket down. Unfortunately, it involved taking a piece of angled aluminum bent just right that I snaked into the engine bay. I just used the edge of it to cut off the plastic fastener. The moment I got rid of the back piece, everything slid right down (still with a small amount of force pulling on it) so I could change out the wiring. As far as it going back up on the bracket....I don't see how it can even happen space is so tight, so for the time being I pushed it back into its area without the bracket and back in the frame reinforcement piece went. The metal of the bracket is so thin anything it bumps into bends it, so the connector is cocked at a different angle and gets snagged trying to push it back into place. I've got the tools for doing what you did so if this ends up going bad again, I'll go that route. What a nightmare.

81c3

All you need is a long flat blade screw driver... pull lightly on the harness while inserting the screw driver and lightly twisting... I just did this when doing the headers. Its actually very easy to get off... back on not so easy.

SO I see you got it done... good deal.... I was able to get my arm down between the ac pressure hose and upper right hand radiator hose enough to reach in there and fool with it. Ultimately, I was able to push the connector back on by using a heavy pry bar kind of wedged in enough to be able to take the pressure of me pushing the connector on from the other side. The tin heat shield remains in place. The only thing that I couldn't get back in was the little barbed ***** that fits in the tin heat shield.

1985 Corvette

Not a bad strategy but yep I got it taken care of. The old O2s were powdery white. Unfortunately, replacing the O2s was not the magic fix I was hoping for. She fired right up and idled fine but after I blipped the throttle a few times it started hunting for idle again in the garage and died on me. Cranks back up and idles just fine until moderately on the gas and then off it. Talking with Marc now about sending in the chip for calibration correction to attempt to address the issue. On to the next item on the very long troubleshooting list for stall condition.

Might purchase a bore scope tomorrow to snake into the valley to check if the secondaries are eliminated/tied open.

Z51JEFF

The hardest part in all this is getting the tab on the connector to release,everything else was -easier- and I use that term very loosely. I used I long thin flat blade screwdriver to release the tab then I used a blob of dumb dumb on the end of the screwdriver to get the plug started in the connector then pushed it in. Dumb dumb is black sticky goop used in the auto industry,got it at the auto paint store.

1985 Corvette

You and 81c3 had the best idea, I couldn't get it with arm's reach and the Florida heat was cooking me in the garage, I didn't even take a second to try that. I ran straight for the FSM but learned my lesson sometimes the better solutions come from those who thought it out a little better.

1985 Corvette

Oh and totally random but can anyone who knows a mod, or is a mod over on the registry, please look up user "1991 Corvette ZR-1" and enable the generic features a poster would have. I've had a profile over there for a bit but still not access to post or create a thread. I already bugged poor Demps over there via pm.

Z51JEFF