Weird bung-hole placement on X-pipe!

[Darkwriter77]

(Always wondered if/when the occasion could arise that I could use that word in a title on a Tech thread. )

I'm gearing up to start grinding and wrenching and cussing to get my new exhaust into place today, and I was doing a little bit of test-fitting of the Jeg's off-road X-pipe when I noticed one minor/major detail: the 02 sensor bungs are welded wayyyyyy the heck up by the header flanges instead of way down towards where the cats would be. WTF? It's like they designed this thing with Crown Vic 5.0's in mind, instead of H.O.'s; the O2's are located towards the headers on my '90 Town Car, for example, but they're about a foot or so downstream from where the folks at Jeg's (or whomever makes their house-brand exhaust stuff) decided to locate them.

Thus, two questions: anyone know if my O2 sensor wiring harnesses will reach that far up? And will having the O2's that much closer to the headers throw my sensors' readings off enough to cause problems? (Then again, it has been running lean for a long time now - maybe it's the UPR pipe that has them in the wrong spot and this is where they belong...?)

 

[bullitstang1313]

The wiring should reach it just fine since the O2 sensors will be closer to the engine compartment. The O2 sensors on my h-pipe are probably only a foot away from the headers.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Okay, so my measurements might've been a bit exaggerated - it's actually only a difference of about six inches on each side. Still, they're right up next to the flanges, whereas the UPR X-pipe has 'em down close to the downpipes' rearward bend.

Got all the old stuff off now - well, except for the tailpipes that're just dangling by the rubber hangers, now - and I've got all the new stuff laid out ready to bolt up. Along came the stupid park manager (or at least some "concerned citizen," some biznitchy old lady on a golf cart) about ten minutes ago, squaking, "You're not allowed to do any car work in the park! It's against the rules! blah blah blah" Where were these rules when I moved in here? Why did nobody say anything when I spent two days (on four different occasions, two different cars) repainting my entire car in the driveway? ... or replacing my rear main seal, flywheel, and clutch? ... or my entire exhaust six months ago?

Looks like I'll be moving back to the Midwest sooner than I'd initially figured. This Homeowners' Association crap is for the friggin' birds.

Anyway ... sorry, had to vent there.

Noticed an additional oddity while pulling out the O2 sensors from my UPR X-pipe: the left bank's sensor is covered in white, and the passenger's side sensor is slightly grayed. Apparently, I'm running way lean on one bank of the engine, somehow - bad injector(s), mayhaps? Either that, or the placement of the O2 sensors on that pipe are throwing the air/fuel mix off in some weird way to affect the driver's side cylinder bank more than the other side - the sensors aren't lined up evenly on the Jeg's pipe, but they are on the UPR pipe, if that makes any difference.

 

[Darkwriter77]

So far, so good. Everything bolted up just fine. No hiccups just yet.