I am going to the change the knock sensor on my dad's 95 GXE Auto. It has 160k miles, and was getting pretty bad gas mileage. I checked the ECU, and got a 3-4 code, which means knock sensor. I alredy received the knock sensor, and just have one qeustion: How tight do I tighten the 12mm knock sensor bolt. I read that the torque spec is 15-20 lbs/ft, but I cant really use a torque wrench because I am going to be using an extension, and a U-joint. (i am planning on doing it the motorvate way, http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/507

I dont want to make it too tight, or too loose. At the botoom it says the consequences of over/under-tightening the bolts.

Thanks

 

Even with extension and flex I set my torque wrench to 17lbs and did it. Don't really know how else to explain.

 

I used an extension and a joint, and still set the torque wrench to 18 lbs. Haven't had any issues.

 

If you really want it perfect I think there are calculations needed to dial up the correct torque with extentions and u joints. I think this would be a bit of overkill.

 

i shouldve used a tw, but i dindnt. i just tightened it enough not to overtighten. no problems as of yet, been about 2 months now.

 

took me about an hour to do. I removed the stock airbox, to clean the throttle body too. I used a torque wrench with an extension and u-joint. i finally got it to click, and the bolt seems pretty tight.. the old knock sensor had a crack in it..i hope we get better mileage now, compared to the 20mpg (mixed driving) that we were getting before..and the car is well tuned up..

is there anything that i have to reset after changing the sensor, the battery was out during the entire process?? and does it matter wheter the sensor is pointning in the exact same direction that is was before??

 

Precise orientation doesn't matter. It will take time for the ECU to back away from the retarded timing that it was running

Dave