For those who are flying where only 100LL is available
and you have an oxygen sensor, what do you do? Remove
the sensor and install a plug?

Progress report- I have a planned airworthiness inspection on Tuesday.

Brian Trubee

Most people don't bother.
As I understand the O2 sensor will recover after
a couple of tanks of no lead.
Some say it still works but the response time
is slowed.

Paul Lamar


Paul,

Ed Anderson only burns 100LL and I haven't heard him complain about
his O2
sensor.

Since they started putting 10% ethanol in the auto fuel, I've been
running
100LL.  My O2 sensor doesn't seem to care.  I'm not sure about the
wide-band
O2 yet as mine has been acting strange lately.  I need to determine the
cause for that, could be the 100LL, could be something else.

Mark S.


Here are a some sensors life estimates:
http://wbo2.com/lsu/lsu4.htm
http://performancetrends.com/wide_band_uego.htm
Other contaminants such as Silicone (gaskets) and Ethelyne Glycol will
also shorten the sensor life.
I have heard of sensor life as low as a 2-3 hours with AvGas doing dyno
/ tuning with frequent start-stops, running gas and oil rich, where the
sensor does not get a chance to heat up and burn off the deposits.

Cheers
Cary



Cary,

You may be right.  My wide-band sensor seems to have died an early death...
reads "E8".

Mark

Something you might try that I have had success with. Take your oxy/acetylene
torch, turn it way down and adjust so it barely burns with excess O2. Make
it as high an oxidizing flame as possible. The high temp oxygen will
clean the carbon and junk off the surface and allow the sensor to breath
again. Just don't get it too hot.
If your sensor stopped working and is otherwise new, what have you got to loose.
Also works for fouled sparkplugs.

Ed Carver