I've been thinking abouttrying the cranksensor mod and have tried every way I can think of to get up at the sensor from under the truck and can't get my armaround the y pipe to get tothesensor. I get to about the forearm and get stuck, over top or in between theY pipe and the tranny. I've also tried going in from the top and I can get a ratchet with an extension onto one of the bolts, but not the other. Also I can't seem to reach down back there to get touch the bolts with my hand, so I'm not even sure I could get the darn thing back in there if I got it out.

Anybody got any suggestions? How the heck do they change this thing at the dealership? Hold some 14 year old by the ankles in the engine bay?

 

i saw a writeuponce on how it's done on the v8 dakotas, i remember it involved jacking up the truck and taking off the wheel and the plastic fender liner & accessing the back of the motor through the wheel well.

 

i need to do this too

 

Use an end-wrench rather than a ratchet. Time consuming, but that's the way to get to it.

 

what size are the bolts? 14mm correct?

 

I think it was 15mm but I won't swear to it. I'd have to go back out there and get the ratchet back on it. Or check Steve's master nut/bolt list and see if its in there.

 

The easiest method I found to reach the Crankshaft position sensor was as follows:
[ul][*]Pull your air intake off.[*]Cover your throttle body with some shop towels.[*]Take a piece of 1/2 plywood and cut it down to size to fit on top of your engine without laying on the fenders.[*]Lay the plywood on top of the engine.[*]Take a step ladder and climb up it and lay down on the plywood.[*]Use a box end wrench to loosen and removethe CPS bolts/CPS. [/ul]
I use the same method to replace my oil pressure sending unit, and my cap and rotor.

 

turkeyhunter,

So are you laying the plywood on the TB and across to the wheel well? I'm 215 lbs, I don't wanna break my Fastman! Just trying to get an idea of how you've got that in there.I have some 2' X 4' plywood pieces up in the attic I use to walk to the far corners of the house with, but that sounds too big from what you're describing.

Would you mind posting some pics of how you've got that plywood in there?

 

As for the bolts, I just changed one during a motor swap and they werent bolt heads, they were allen key head. Mid size I dont remember exactly what size tho. If you can get 2 swivels and some 1/2 inch ratchet extensions you might be able to reach it by starting by the cat and working your way up the side of the tranny, just under where the tranny dipstick tube bolts to the tranny-engine bolts. Thats how I got to it but Im also a smaller framed individual with long arms. Hope it helps

 

Yeah, I kind of have these Popeye sort of forearms that have gotten in my way more than once working on the truck.