eastwoodgeek

OK, now this is going to sound REALLY stupid. I can't seem to get the rear 02 sensor unhooked. I was able to locate it, and get is loose enough to twist, but I can't see the connector to unhook it. I can feel it, but without seeing it, it's tough to get the old one unlocked. I can't quite get to it from underneath the truck, and laying on top of the motor, I could touch it, but didn't want to tear anything off to make the issue any worse. Right now we have a P0420 code, and the truck seems to run fine, but I'll swap the sensor if I can't figure out how. It's easier for me to think I'm just overlooking something easy, than it is that Ford made this so difficult. Since I can't seem to find anyone else having the same issue, I tend to believe the problem is with me. My questions is "What's the best way to get to the sensor to unhook it?" Do I need to remove the CAT or what? That may be problematic, but we'll give 'er a shot if need be.
Take it easy on me folks, this is my son-in-laws truck and he's 400 miles away. I'm helping him every few weekends with stuff, including this BTW, this is a great truck. Pretty clean, '96 5.0, 2WD long bed. 144K miles, No smoke or smells, just a little rust around the wheel wells.
Thx for any help.

wde3477

If you're going to change the sensor anyways, perhaps just cut the wire. Or if the lead is that long, you could get the 5 or 6 rotations of twist needed to get the sensor out. Then you can maybe pull the connector up where you can lay some eyes on it.

Shouldn't need to remove the cat or anything drastic. It may just be in a bad location.

eastwoodgeek

Thx for the info. It's definitely in a strange location. I could easily turn it, but the wire kept me from getting the last few turns. I didn't want to cut it off without seeing the connector because I was afraid it might make the truck run lousy if I couldn't get the new one on. I'm headed back there in a few weeks for a longer stay, and will take my wire cutters (-;
I also take one of those nifty mechanics mirrors. If anyone else has any ideas I'll use them as well, and post the procedure once I'm done.