Remove broken cam position sensor from engine block

[@SeanSears1980]

Thank you so much for your video. Just did it on my 2011 GMC Acadia where the sensor was in the worst place possible and had broken off. Worked like a charm. Saved me at least $1000. Thanks again.!!!!

[@geraldstasko6501]

Man, thanks for posting this video. Saved me on my 2008 expedition. I was impatient the first time with the epoxy and the screw came out without the broken section. I redid it and let the steel cure overnight, praying I didn’t get the epoxy somewhere where it would prevent the extraction. It didn’t. Pulled it out and praised God. Thanks again for posting!

[@waynesanchez6504]

GOD BLESS YOU, BLESS YOU, MIGHTILY!!! The VVT (variable valve timing solenoid) snapped off, in the head of my 2008 Kia Sportage. I've managed to get the mother to turn, but that's all. And, of course, it SHOULD NOT BE DOING any of this, except that the damn thing's been in there 150,000 miles. So I'm going to give your simple suggestion a try. Even if it does not work and i do have to have it towed to my mechanic, BLESS YOU, SIR, for being so considerate as to post this very informative, easily understood video. Take Care

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I hope it works for you!

[@ayden_playzroblox1292]

Kevin, THANK YOU for making this video! Your technique worked on my 2010 GMC Acadia. What a lifesaver!!!

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

That's awesome, glad to hear it!

[@ricsmall1899]

Hi William.....Did you put the epoxy around the lag screw and then slide both inside the housing of the cam shaft body or did you put the epoxy inside first let it setup then use lag screw to drill into that ?

[@DustyLouwerens]

This worked great for me, Thanks! Tip for some people: At first I let the steel putty cure for 90 minutes; It did not work this was because it was not cured enough and was still a bit soft. I let it cure overnight and it worked like a charm!

[@dewevemc1]

Thank You Kevin great video saved me a lot of time and money used this to remove abs speed sensor from a 2004 Dodge Dakota same issue sensor broke when removing and it is on top of the pumpkin I used jb weld and waiting 24 hours for it to set was important as well as spinning the bolt to reduce friction GREAT VIDEO AND MANY THANKS TO YOU SIR

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

You're welcome, glad this helped!

[@josephrivera2378]

Thank you very much for this video!! Totally took me 5 minutes once I purchased the bolt and the steel stick!

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I'm glad this was helpful! Good tip on leaving the epoxy to cure overnight.

[@charlieplunkett4812]

Thank you! This happened to me yesterday. I followed your video and it worked perfectly!

[@ricompeddico4574]

Wowwww been looking for every idea possible ! Ur a genius.

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I don't know about that, but thanks! :-)

[@rosew6184]

Great idea! My car has been down a year because nobody has been able to figure how to get this sucker out and I can't afford to put into shop on disability. My bf gonna try this and I so hope it works!

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I hope it works for you!

[@Networkops]

Thank you! Your tip worked on a 2010:Chevy Traverse!

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

Awesome, glad to hear that!

[@andrell1206]

OMG!!!! I will have to try this. Thank you for sharing!!! Same thing happened to me replacing a speed sensor on a 2004 Freighliner.

[@daleafsbaby]

thank you for saving us the time you went through.. and the many swear words you made up along the way. lol

[@TheDanielzuniga]

Hi Kevin, I have a quick question? I did remove almost all of the sensor by drilling it out but a small half moon shape of the front sensor fell inside the engine. my question is will the oil strainer tub stop this piece from entering my engine? and can i run my engine with this small piece inside my engine oil pan? I did remove my oil to see if it would fall out but it may not have dropped down all the way. your help is appreciated.

[@angelmatos7882]

Do you apply the putty directly onto the bolt or into the hole then insert the screw ?

[@stanncat4344]

I'm having a similar issue with a Crankshaft sensor in a 2001 chevy malibu, which is not quiet so accessible. Really it's just stuck, much of the top is broken off now but still enough to grab on to. Main issue is it's underneath the engine under the car and hard to get too. We've been pulling and wiggling and wedging for hours today. I think the material you used might still help us some how but being the crankshaft might not strip a bar out or just the fact we can't do much but tear up the top at the angle in a malibu I wonder how. I need this car for school and to get back 6 hours where school is so any suggestions would be valuable.

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with your situation, but I'm sure someone has. Good luck!

[@stanncat4344]

@@KevinHarperAuthor well thanks for the speedy reply! The main issue is it's hard to fit any tools in and now I a spot where it's hard to get the wheel off, on some ramps. But I've seen several things on google about just driving a screw through without a drill so we may try that in the morning then in conjunction with the stuff you use if we need extra grip. Hopefully this headache get remedied tomorrow, miss the car I totalled 😂

[@vtag194]

Was able to was able to figure out how to remove it from underneath the engine

[@SenselessVybez]

This is my current situation on my vw gti. Got the sensor off only to realize the housing is stuck in the engine, once you use the quick steel are you putting it inside the housing and stuffing in the screw at the same time or are you filling the housing with the epoxy letting it cure and then screwing into it?

[@sylviakendrick7469]

As of right now I have broken mine thanks for your advice

[@alexwarkentin1807]

I’m getting ready to try this on my 2007 F150! I pray it works because cannot find anything else!

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

Good luck!

[@dapadaca1]

Totally works great I tried it and was out in no time flat

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

That's awesome!

[@jodyrose4240]

Great idea my man ... thanks alot.

[@TERRORoftheLORD]

Does your excursion have the 5.4? or the 3 Valve V10? The engine bay looks a bit different than ours.

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

V10

[@TERRORoftheLORD]

@@KevinHarperAuthorDid they put the 30 Valve engine in the late excursions? Or is yours a 20 valve?

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

@@TERRORoftheLORD Not sure. It was a 2005 at the time of this video. Now I have a lower mileage 2004 V10

[@sloaneisenbart3081]

Thank you. Seriously, thank you.

[@sybcg]

Kevin, Thanks I am pretty sure my crankshaft position sensor is going to break. It cracked on me right now I have sprayed WD-40 on it to let it soak. It does break tomorrow I had an option. Best

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

It's been awhile, but how did it go?

[@Travos69]

What if i just beat the pos inside the motor and let the motor eat it?

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I wouldn't recommend that! 🤣

[@Msleelee9487]

@@KevinHarperAuthor so if a small piece fall in you have to take the engine apart to get it out cause that's where i'm at mine melted and we pryed it out and just a small piece disappeared not sure what to do

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

@@Msleelee9487 At that point, I don't know what I'd do. That's what you *should* do. I don't know if the debris will make it the oil pan without causing damage. Let me know how it goes.

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

@@Msleelee9487 I think that would be the recommended thing to do from a professional standpoint. I'm not a professional, so my scope of expertise is limited to what I experienced. It could work out just fine if you take the gamble and let the part drop into the engine. Or it could be catastrophic to the engine. I'm not a mechanic, so I can't really give you advice on that. I was extremely worried about the damage to the engine if I pushed my piece into the engine, and that's why I developed this technique. But I'd be happy to have your feedback on how things went for you if you decide to take the gamble. :-)

[@Rob-eg8qc]

My sensor snapped too. I tried getting it out but it must have fallen down into the oil pan. Its only plastic so I think it will be ok... Fingers crossed 10 X

[@Rob-eg8qc]

It was not OK. The snapped off bit must have got caught in the timing chain and caused it to slip. It was the cam sensor not Crank sensor.

[@BrannuStudios]

​@@Rob-eg8qcwhat end up happening? I'm afraid of the same thing will happen to me.... I have the option of doing it myself this way or having a mechanic do it for $80-$350

[@ricsmall1899]

Kevin......Do you put the epoxy around the lag screw and then slide in the housing of the cam shaft body or do you put the epoxy inside first let it setup then use lag screw to drill into that ?

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I put it around the lag screw with some extra toward the tip so it will push some of that in and form it to the inside of the plastic body.

[@djstatyk1540]

@@KevinHarperAuthor Kevin! I need your help. I have a 92' Subaru legacy 2.2. the CPS broke off inside it's little home there. It's practically flush with the hole it was in, so I have nothing to put the putty into. Also, if you search the Sensor on the web, the sensor looks like it has a metal jacket. what I was going to do is drill a small hole in the middle of it and then take a wood screw and screw into that small hole and then grip onto the screw in extract it, do you think that would work? Also, are there any issues I might end up running into?

[@sybcg]

Kevin, Thanks, I am pretty sure my crankshaft position sensor is going to break. It cracked on me right now I have sprayed WD-40 on it to let it soak. It does break tomorrow I had an option. Best

[@BrannuStudios]

Has anybody figure out how to do this when the sensor breaks leaving nothing but fragments (maybe 25%)??

[@Philc231]

I did the same thing yesterday...but I can not get the shaft out and the "guts" stayed in the housing . any advice? That must have been a real victory for you to get that out.

[@alexanderangulo5956]

Hi Kevin, I have the same problem but now the only thing left inside the hole it's the metal body of the sensor, very tough... everything else I scraped it out with a screwdriver..

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

This should still work, I would think.

[@adamadam3718]

2006 Dodge Grand Caravan Crank Shaft Sensor bolt thread messes up on Engine. Now can not tight bolt on Crank Shaft Sensor and even I replace Sensor it will be loose again soon because bolts thread is messed up, any solution.

[@srchapman54]

tap the whole to the next size thread

[@tweek5891]

Kevin, i just had the bottom half of my sensor get stuck inside my engine block, ive tried drilling it it out but it seems like its not letting me drill through the sensor. Which type of drill and size of bit did you use to make the whole for the quick steel and lag screw to go in

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

I did not drill it, and I would avoid that as you could end up pushing shards into your engine block. I simply tried extracting the piece, and it pulled apart, leaving the hollow plastic body still inside the hole. So no need to drill.

[@Msleelee9487]

mine was melted and we only got the big piece out a small piece that we were trying to get out I guess I fell in the engine we stopped until we figure out how to get that small piece out

[@cabilgibbs]

Thanks bruv!

[@devoncalhoun9749]

I can't even get the sensor itself out lol the plastic outside broke a bit but it's still pretty much inside my engine

[@brittneybross8501]

lifesaver!!!!

[@joeldyhouse3337]

this was a nightmare on a 2006 dodge 3.3 caravan after reviewing many methods on youtube for removing it I ended up drilling it out using a "Step bit" to drill out the center and create a hole and then using a "Plumbing tool"( an INTERNAL PIPE WRENCH,) it is serrated and has a serrated cam action to grab the inside of a pipe, in this case, plastic and was able to turn and remove the stuck plastic housing after prying and picking at the metal for hrs and with a lot of penetrating oil

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

Daniel, unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that. :-(

[@dseelman1984]

Make sure when you do this that you don't push the remainder of the sensor into the block like I did.

[@3613jeremy]

I used a bolt that fit in it tight and used super glue waited 30 min and wiggled it out

[@KevinHarperAuthor]

Another good option!

[@callieweese8737]

Same thing I just said the hell with it an started drilling it out

[@Pitchblack7720]

How did that go? I'm at the point I'ma have to do that too