I can't do it - simply cannot do it

How in the heck do you get to the O2 sensors on a 2000 Ranger??
Can't reach from above
Can't appear to get to it from below - maybe if I had a lift it would be possible but I certainly don't have one of those.
Can't even seem to get to it from the wheel well.

For those who have replaced their sensors - how did you get to it??

I mean, do I have to take the fender off to do this?

 

I am in the exact same boat as you. I don't know what those "engineers" were thinking when they designed those O2 locations. I haven't replaced mine yet for the same problem you are having. The passenger side can be accessed between the fender well and frame. For more room, I may have to take out the fender well. The real challenge will be the driver side. (You did know there were 2 precat and 1 aftercat didn't you?) Remove the shift cable (A/T) and you should get a open end wrench on it. Heating it with the "blue wrench" will help also. Paying to have it done is an option also.

 

Yeah I knew about the driver side one - it's even harder to access if that can be believed. didn't know about the one after the CAT though.

In either case sounds like removing the fender or the well is the only option here.
So how does the well come out? I notice the bolts here and there, but that can't be the only thing holding it in? I was going to try removing the felt covering the suspension arm - but even that looked iffy, plus I'd have to buy those stupid plastic trim retainers.

It does look like a crow's foot will be a necessity, there's no way a box wrench will have that kind of leverage.

 

I scoped it out this morning, best I could.

based on what I could see, the wheel well will have to come out. I'm not even sure that a lift would help in this instance. I tried to take the felt covering the suspension - only to find that the wheel well is pretty flimsy and would likely break in the process.
So based on that, to replace the O2 sensors on the exhaust headers the wheel wells will have to be removed, which I think would also require the removal of the fender, bumper, headlight bezel assembly, possibly even the brake line!

I think in this once instance, there's no way I'll do this myself - this is a dealer only job.

What the heck is wrong with Ford? You shouldn't have to remove an entire corner of the vehicle in order to reach a critical engine component.

If there's another way to reach it I'm all ears - trap door in the cabin??

 

Why should it be our headache?? I think the mechanic would have a few shortcuts up his sleeve. Might be cheaper in the long run.

I was thinking about removing the Y pipe and getting at 'em that way. But the more I looked at it, stuff was way toooo rusty to mess with. Probably first twist off an exhaust manifold bolt. Then break off a bolt in the head getting the exhaust manifold off. It would be like opening up a can of worms. Maybe by the amount of replies this thread has received that no one has changed an O2 sensor. I think they trade their trucks first!!

 

I was reading around the web and amazingly enough given the difficulty that I'm having there isn't much out there on how to get to it. Removing it is child's play compared to actually reaching it. It astonishes me that there's nothing out there on this, I have a hard time believing we're the only two shade tree mechanics that have attempted to do this.

On a lark I did pull up the interior mats. There is a rubber oval plug in the floor about where it sits - this might in fact be it but I didn't go the extra mile and yank the plug on the off chance that it would tear or otherwise not go back in. I'm on my way out to run errands, I think I'll take a look at this when I get back - not that it guarentees I'll get access to the O2 sensor plug which I haven't even SEEN yet.

 

I would bet money that the rubber plug is to access the cab mount bolt. NOT the o2 sensor

 

FWIW, I looked at my '04 shop manual and they said:
The manual also shows the use of a special O2 sensor socket.
They seem to think it's pretty simple....

 

I don't have the shop manual just yet - can't justify the 150 bucks. Sounds like it's just as useful as the Chiltons is - not very.

I have the Haynes and Chilton manuals and both of them make it seem so simple too.
I quote
"Raise vehicle on jackstands. Disconnect sensor plug (shows a picture of the plug jammed in between the oil pan and the exhaust pipe). Using oxygen sensor socket or open ended wrench remove sensor."

Well gee, it sounds so simple - why didn't I think of that?

From the sounds of it, my original strategy of removing the fender was on target. The wheel well liner won't come out without removing the fender and that entails more work than I'm willing to undergo. I tried this morning to remove the liner - it wouldn't budge with the fender in place.

I still contend that it simply isn't a job for a home mechanic due to the need for a lift. Ordinary jackstands wouldn't give you sufficient clearance to position your body for the leverage required to break loose the sensor. Remember also that you have to do this when the exhaust is at least 120 degrees - preferably more. Any cooler and you risk stripping out the exhaust manifold.

I simply can't imagine a worse design than this one. The sensors are about 60 bucks each. So one goes bad - you take it down the dealer and have them replace the set. So even with just parts it's 180 bucks. But now you have time to factor in - removing the fender takes about 30 minutes, plus 30 to put back on. So now we're at a minimum of 2 hours labor, plus 180 in parts. For Christ's sake Ford!

 

I would just drop the y-pipe. Soak the bolts good with PB catalyst, let it soak in, then use an impact socket to break the bolts loose. Don't have an impact socket? Leave the job to a pro.