knock sensor rusting?
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: USA
knock sensor rusting?
I was reading on the Care Car Section that if you wash your engine that often the knock sensor will get wet and rust and become inoperable.
Does anyone know if you would get a DIC message telling you it went out
Also, where is the knock sensor located and what does it look like so if I did wash the engine with engine cleaner I could cover it up?
Thanks
Does anyone know if you would get a DIC message telling you it went out
Also, where is the knock sensor located and what does it look like so if I did wash the engine with engine cleaner I could cover it up?
Thanks
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '04
There are 2 of them below the intake manifold, GM issued a service bulletin a few years ago stating for the techs to use RTV to build a dam around the opening of the knock sensor to help keep water out.
BTW - if it fills with water you'll get a "check engine" light when the sensor fails.
BTW - if it fills with water you'll get a "check engine" light when the sensor fails.
Tech Contributor
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There are 2 of them below the intake manifold, GM issued a service bulletin a few years ago stating for the techs to use RTV to build a dam around the opening of the knock sensor to help keep water out.
BTW - if it fills with water you'll get a "check engine" light when the sensor fails.
BTW - if it fills with water you'll get a "check engine" light when the sensor fails.
Bill
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '04
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Race Director
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St. Jude Donor '03
Pictured here...you can see mine have already been RTV'd:
Le Mans Master
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So, I guess water can get to these? I am used to the old 454's where the intake manifold had gaskets on all sides, but I guess since these new designs use O-rings there is actually a small gap between the intake and heads when torqued down and no front or rear seals - is that right?
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
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So, I guess water can get to these? I am used to the old 454's where the intake manifold had gaskets on all sides, but I guess since these new designs use O-rings there is actually a small gap between the intake and heads when torqued down and no front or rear seals - is that right?
Last edited by IFLUBYU; Apr 12, 2007 at 12:10 AM.
Le Mans Master
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From: Midland TX
yep, on certain years there is also a coolant tube that runs in that space between the intake and valley cover. Took mine out when I did the bypass, and did the RTV on the knock sensors. If I remember correctly the TSB targeted the rear knock sensor specifically and you were supposed to rotate it until the wire faced forward, then rtv all the way around. Memory has been known to be faulty before, worth to double check. The yellow clips you see on the knock sensor lines would have clipped to the coolant tube.
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Le Mans Master
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From: USA
I asked a guy here in San Diego about changing these out and was told they aren't too bad but putting the intake manifold back on correctly is tricky. Have you found this to be true?
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '04
Nothing tricky about installing the intake manifold just make sure you clean all of the dirt and debris before you set it in place.
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '04
The valley cover bolts to the block only and uses a metal gasket with a rubber seal on it, most of the time this can be reused when the cover is removed and reinstalled.
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Le Mans Master
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Tech Contributor
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St. Jude Donor '08
Why are you removing the metal valve valley plate from the block??? You can remove the two rubber plugs and the sensors that are in the well just unscrew from the plate. There is no need to remove the valve valley plate unless you just want to.
BC
BC
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '04
You don't need to remove the valley cover to change the knock sensors, in fact if you want to remove the valley cover then you would remove the knock sensors first.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
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From: USA
Just need to remove the intake manifold then replace the knock sensors and put manifold back on and I'm good to go