The oil light switch on my 1990 CC's 307 is leaking. I tried to get an oil light switch socket over it but it won't fit between the switch and the intake manifold, not to mention the multitude of vacuum lines in the way. Does anyone know a way to get it on or another tool to use? I thought of pliers but I'm afraid to break the old one off or the new one getting it on. Thanks!

 

You're overthinking this.

If your socket doesn'tfit, cChannel locks work fine. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. You'll be fine. It should be metal and once you get it loose, it should spin out by hand as it's pipe thread.

Going in it's the same. Spin it in by hand as far as it will go, then snug it up with the channel locks with a light grip.

The only way you're going to strip something out is if you use star torque (tighten until you see stars).

 

So, channel locks, vice grips, nor an actual oil switch socket have even budged it. My son took it to his shop class and they couldn't get it to move but they were also afraid to snap it. It isn't silver like the Delco replacement I have. It's black, I'm willing to bet it's original. With all the pliers on it, the edges of it are pretty shot. It leaks around the top when running so it needs to go. I tried engine heat, what about a torch? Could that work? How can something with oil pooling around it be so fused in place?!

 

Maybe some cheesehead thought it was leaking at the threads and torqued the pee out of it trying to tighten it up. Pipe threads are slightly tapered, so breaking it loose is the hard part, everything else should be gravy after that. It's not going to move until you put some torque to it. Heating the block up may help, but I can't see any reason it shouldn't come out.

 

Try a 50/50 mix of 100% acetone & ATF. Allow it to sit and work it's way down the threads for several days. It won't hurt to drive the car during this time period. You don't need a lot of this penetrating fluid, but ensure it soaks the thread body.

 

I'll try that but I think I may have rounded the shoulders too much with vise grips but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

You'll most likely not have enough room in there for a real pipe-wrench, but that would work. Ensure you have about a 2' or 3' long hollow pipe (or whatever) extension on whatever you use to ensure you're getting sufficient leverage. Do try the 50:50 acetone:ATF penetrant.

 

When I did the one in my Wife's 84 Riviera I just used a deep thin wall socket. Had to take some brackets off to get to it. Not much room at all. Royal pain Its leaking through the plastic part of the sender, not the threads.

 

I hope all of you realize this is a very old thread. If the OP hasn't repaired the switch by now, he probably has sold the car.

 

Read post #3. He just replied to his own thread as of yesterday. I would think that takes the necromancing right out of the equation and makes the thread current.

 

At this stage of the game a little extra heat shouldn't be a problem , it's a throw a way part by now. You might have to resort to tacking (welding) an extension on it and put some good leverage to it.....Tedd

 

If you do happen to break of the sender unit at its base all is not lost as you will be able to use an easy out to get out the threaded part. Aren't the sender units made of brass? If so it can't be rusted in.

 

We just got the switch out last week after it started leaking too much to ignore anymore. Soaked in acetone and ATF for a week. I had a buddy cut a switch socket basically in half to make a big crow's foot. It couldn't grip the rounded out old one but was great for installing the new one. My son's auto tech class got the old one out with vise grips but I had ordered the wrong replacement from RockAuto and they had to put it back in. They had two sizes for the wagon and 50/50/90 I picked the wrong one. Turns out the same size that fits my 1970 98 was correct and the newer 1/8-27 thread was wrong. We got it out a couple days later with vise grips again and replaced it. Now the front of the engine is dry and the only oil on the ground is from the oil plug that drips every couple days.