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I was reinstalling my heads and went to put the temperature sensor in the front/bottom of driver's side head. I was torquing to spec (15ft lb) and it broke off inside the head. Any suggestions?
Grind an ez out down until the taper is the right size and back it out. This shouldn't be too hard, but the fattest EZ out at HF that you can find and shorten it up until it grabs what's left in the head
you could drill it, but then you get brass in the cooling system
Stop with the "easy" out . go to Napa auto parts and get a few LEFT HAND DRILL BITS and somehow drill the sensor out. when it is lose enough to come out and you catch the bit as it goes through it will back out of the hole. If you break that easy out off you will never get it out
You won't break off an easy out in that brass unless you're really careless with it. I'd recommend a nice fat EZ out (left hand) and gently tighten it into the sender, which will "loosen" it out of the head. There is no more retaining torque on the brass inside the head so it should really just spin right out.
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
Originally Posted by nsogiba
You won't break off an easy out in that brass unless you're really careless with it. I'd recommend a nice fat EZ out (left hand) and gently tighten it into the sender, which will "loosen" it out of the head. There is no more retaining torque on the brass inside the head so it should really just spin right out.
Try the Ez-out first before you try drilling. The problem with a brass sleeve like that is that the Ez-out wants to press outward and actually lock the sleeve into the head. Ez-outs work better if there is some thickness on the sleeve, so as to not expand outward as you turn the Ez-out. If its not in there tight, you may get lucky. Left handed drills are the next option, but you may mess up the threads. Just be careful or you may have to find a tap to clean out the threads. If the sensor has a washer,, then its a straight pipe thread. No washer then its a tapered pipe thread. Looks to be either 3/8 or 1/2 inch. If you have at least a propane torch, heat up the aluminum head in that area as hot as you can get it. This will expand the aluminum a bit. It may help to loosen the brass sleeve just a touch.
There's no pressure on those threads. Have you tried just using a scribe or little screwdriver or needlenose pliers to spin it out?
Good idea too - insert small needle nose pliers into the broken thread, expand the jaws so they bite into the brass, then slowly spin. It can't hurt anything at all to try.
I was reinstalling my heads and went to put the temperature sensor in the front/bottom of driver's side head. I was torquing to spec (15ft lb) and it broke off inside the head. Any suggestions?
If u dont have the prprobly torque wrench this is what happens. Torque wrench on low torque specs is just absolutely ridiculous. I can take it beat me up.. Everybody suggestion are on the money.
Last edited by helga203; Sep 14, 2021 at 10:08 AM.
Stop with the "easy" out . go to Napa auto parts and get a few LEFT HAND DRILL BITS and somehow drill the sensor out. when it is lose enough to come out and you catch the bit as it goes through it will back out of the hole. If you break that easy out off you will never get it out
I agree 100%!!! As a retired toolmaker, I admit I do use 'some, and as few as possible', HF tools. Easy outs would NOT be something I'd trust from HF!!! Hell, even good brand name easy outs can break. A Lefty drill will, hopefully, hook the remainder of the sensor and thread it right out. I don't recommend anyone grinding on a heat treated, hardened steel tool. Unless you know what you're doing, you can quickly make a hardened tool soft (annealed), and sometimes make a brittle tool even more brittle......
Last edited by grinder11; Sep 15, 2021 at 10:32 AM.
Temp sensor broke in head-what now?
I have never had a problem using one
. Everybody suggestion are on the money.
