Review on Delphi SS10177 Crankshaft Sensor by Jesus Gallagher

Purchased for my 1996 Ram 1500 3.9L, which was showing the usual symptoms of a crankshaft sensor failure - engine stalling (with possible waiting for a restart) and frequent "hiccups" while driving. It's not that easy to get to as it's behind the engine on the top of the gearbox, slightly to the right. I've read suggestions of lying on top of the motor and reaching for the two mounting bolts on top. I immediately dismissed this idea - you can't see anything from there, and I don't work blindly unless they force me. So I removed the front passenger wheel, jacked the truck up for extra room (of course there's a jack too), put a nice bright work light underneath and I could see the sensor mount clearly. REACH was a different matter. If your mounting screws are factory made, they will have a 1/2 inch hex. Here are the tools I used: 1/2" ratcheting flat end wrench, 3/8" regular and short socket wrench with 1/2" long and short socket (use light gauge if you have them I don't have any, but I could use them in this job as the screws are RIGHT NEXT to the block). I also used a 3" knurled socket extension (sometimes without a wrench to turn the bolts faster with my fingers if the bolts are loose). It was slow work as I was constantly switching from one tool to another as needed. The transmission fill tube could no longer be on its way to the inner mounting bolt if the engineers purposely placed it there (it probably was). Anyway, it was done. This Delphi sensor fitted perfectly and the cable was just the right length for my truck. The truck drives SO well now. BTW, don't use 13mm for those 1/2" screws. Sometimes I use 1/2" and 13mm interchangeably for non-critical, easy-to-access jobs (screw tightening on a grill, etc.). But if the sensor mounting screws are tight, you do NOT risk damaging the sensor. Screw head with the low slip that a 13mm tool would have on a 1/2" port. Round off the head of any of those sensor screws and you're going to have a BIG headache.