I'm trying to put LT headers on my '96 z and am wondering the best way to take out the O2 sensors on the exhaust. I've been trying to get them off with a wrench but they dont budge. I dont know if im just a ***** or what but I cant get them off i can feel the wrench bending a little and have already broken other tools trying to get the stock exhaust off.

Also, on the passenger side there is a smale cylinder on the exhaust probably half the size of a pop can that is by the cat on that side can anyone tell me what that is and if the big cylinder on the driver side that is connected by the exhaust manifold is a cat because it seems to me it shouldnt have been placed there.
Thanks for any help you can give me

 

Well you can take a torch to it and try and get it off. But somtimes they wont come out and need to cut them out. Had to do that with one of mine.

 

the BIG cylinder attached directly to your manifold is a cat. not sure what the smaller cylinder you are talking about is.

as for getting those o2 sensors out. spray some deep creep on them and wait about 20 mins. heating them up works well too to break the rust up. then, if still necessary use a breaker bar of some sort. what tools are you using?

 

the small cylinder is basically like a flex area i think. i know what your talking about tho. and like said earlier that is a cat on the drivers side. each manifold has 3 bolts on the flange going to the y-pipe. those O2 are in there extremely well. what i did after i got my exhaust manifolds out, was continue doing the other things that i needed to do to complete the header install and every so often stop working and shoot the O2s with some liquid wrench or something similar to help a little. then just get a wrench on there best you can. might wanna have someone stand on the manifold to keep it in place.lol. what ever works, you should be able to get it. good luck

 

for the o2 sensor im just using a wrench and some knocker loose otherwise i pretty much have all the standard tools or can borrow any that i may need

 

Before I even started putting a wrench to anything, I soaked every single bolt with PB Blaster for a solid week. After that, every bolt broke free with very little effort.