Broke an interesting bit off into the engine... what is it and how screwed am i? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Mar 9, 2017
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54
Location
Orlando, FL
Was putting intake manifold back on and was re-connecting this electrical connection which I had broken before. But it had a 12mm fitting so I pulled it out. Was screwing The bold back in and I stripped a thread I guess and it was tough going back in... until I sheared it. A spring popped out of the middle of the bolt thingy. Now Im in real panic (midnight is not my brains friend). How screwed am I?

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I can’t tell what that part is. Why did you remove it again?

You’re most likely going to have to remove the part that has the broken piece in it to extract the piece, or try to extract it while it’s been on the engine. Either way, it’s not going to be fun.
 
It's already got a hole in the middle. This is a perfect time to grab an Easy-Out and remove the damaged threaded part. Then you're going to want to match the threads and run a tap back down there to fix the cross threaded section. Then figure out what that part is and what the torque specs are so you don't do this again.
 
I dont have the greatest explanation for removal. I had broken the connector/clip housings and was trying to figure out if i was on there properly? It sheared off when i was screwing it back in. Im 50% sure its the coolant temp sensor... but not 100% as I remember there is only one female connector bit in there... going out to take more pictures now that its a reasonable hour. :/ why yes I do believe it will be a PITA!
 
We can't tell from your pics (or description) where that is located on the engine? Is is at the front left (facing engine) of the engine just in front of the intake? There are two sending/sensor units in that location.

Need some more info please.
 
This is in the front of the engine, passenger side, in front of the fuel rail, and the harness is part of the loom which holds the fuel injector clips that clip into the fuel injector. In the first picture, that bolt you see is the front of the passenger side fuel rail. According to an ‘04’s wiring diagram in thE FSM, its the engine coolant temp sensor. But in the diagram, there was only one connection labeled in that area, vs The 2 that we see.
 
Yeah I’d get an EZ-out, remove it, then reference the FSM when installing the new one. Hopefully should be an easy removal since I don’t see how the threads could be damaged up to the point it broke.
 
So This is what I broke, a gage assembly, oil temp sensor. Mystery solved. Toyota part #83420-16040 (23$ genuine online, $48 at my dealer who doesnt have it :(.

Aaaaand now to get the damN thing out. Ez out plus helicoil?

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So This is what I broke, a gage assembly, oil temp sensor. Mystery solved. Toyota part #83420-16040 (23$ genuine online, $48 at my dealer who doesnt have it :(.

Aaaaand now to get the damN thing out. Ez out plus helicoil?

View attachment 1611850
No need to helicoil. Idk why there would be any damaged threads. You may have just bottomed out the sensor.

As I said, consult FSM for install of new sensor.
 
The spring must be internal to the sensor?

I agree with what others have said. No need for a helicoil. Just get an E-Z-out and remove that bit that's still in the threaded hole. Clean it up, and install the new sensor.

When you're done, post up how it went and give us the banana rating.

:)
 
I'm not sure if your stressing thinking it's not drivable, but I'd think it is (until you figure out how to pull it).
 
I'm not sure if your stressing thinking it's not drivable, but I'd think it is (until you figure out how to pull it).

That has occurred to my thinking and it prob would be drivable but for the part of this where I don't have the rest of the engine hooked back together (the plastic head had broke on the disassembly of intake plenum to access starter & service). I can't find any literature on that particular bit. Off to the shop for an extractor kit. ;/
 
This is in the front of the engine, passenger side, in front of the fuel rail, and the harness is part of the loom which holds the fuel injector clips that clip into the fuel injector. In the first picture, that bolt you see is the front of the passenger side fuel rail. According to an ‘04’s wiring diagram in thE FSM, its the engine coolant temp sensor. But in the diagram, there was only one connection labeled in that area, vs The 2 that we see.

I was thinking the green one is your coolant temp sensor and the gray one is the sending unit to your dash gauge?
 
It sounds like that's an oil flow path part, post filter. If so, be very, very careful not to get any shavings into the hole. That'd be an easy way to kill a bulletproof engine. :(

Are you saying Main Bearings and Metal Shavings wouldn't 'play nice' together? ;)

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So here's how I dealt with it: watched a youtube about EZ Out bolts. Sat on couch, got distracted... grabbed bicycle and buy individual ez-out bits (for the record, the one that fits is the #4)... return to store after the #3 ezout was a pencil in a canyon. Put the #4 in, aaaand, I'm missing my vise grip pliers. And I can't get any torque on it. Aaaand the metal I'm digging into is terrifyingly soft. (learn it's brass... did I mention I'm not good at this?). Friend who knows about cars comes by and echoes what @camino70 says, and includes an ominous 'don't fight it and then crack that block, cuz you'll be really screwed.' It's just a thermometer, is what I've found out, since I wasn't making progress and have to go to court in the morning. Put remaining bits and whatnot together, and turned the key in the ignition. and she wheezed sadly. And died. So's we try again and boom. Up she fires. Yay. Drive around the city and the temp guage doesn't work. But you know what? I changed a starter. lol and broke that gage assy; (couldn't replace, but I've got one in a box)... missing one nut that went on intake clamshell block. Bought a new PCV valve. Didn't change that either. Yaaaay! Other stuff I broke and fixed or just 'fixed'- fuel injector o-rings and grommets; RTV seal around starter body where brittle O-ring crumbled; RTV in solenoid cap where seal disintegrated. RTV around snorkel that fell off starter. Doesn't sound like much, but sucked up the time. Thanks y'all.
 
lol, Its always good to leave yourself something to do next time. :)

Good going on doing the starter replacement yourself.
What a PITA of a location it is in.
I got a friend of mine who's a mechanic to do it for me, as it would have taken me too long.

"missing one nut that went on intake clamshell block" ???
I think you'll want that one replaced, if its one of the main intake manifold bolts.:)
 
^^^^^ As stated in post #13....I think that is the sending unit to the dash gauge (temp gauge).

Im hoping you’re correct. Do you think the ECU is incorporating that particular sensor to calculate fuel mix? Or is that the sole province of the coolant sensor (directly next to it)? Post 13 snuck right by me but I came to that same hypothesis today based on its only 1 plug and of course the gauge not working.:: but a little extra uneasiness until I can get that fixed.
 
Im hoping you’re correct. Do you think the ECU is incorporating that particular sensor to calculate fuel mix? Or is that the sole province of the coolant sensor (directly next to it)? Post 13 snuck right by me but I came to that same hypothesis today based on its only 1 plug and of course the gauge not working.:: but a little extra uneasiness until I can get that fixed.


It is the sending unit ONLY to your dash gauge, so does not influence fuel/air mix. BOTH of those items (sensor & sending unit) are easy to hit/damage when removing or installing the intake. I broke the connector on mine when replacing my starter....is the reason I know. ;)
 

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