I recently replaced the O2 sensor, and about a week ago I heard a rattle. The nuts holding the sensor had worked themselves loose. I went to tighten them again and bent one of the studs and broke the other.Soaked them in PB blaster for 2 days, then I tried an EZ out. Now I have an ez out broken off inside one of them and the other is broken off as well.

Think if I just run a sturdy hose clamp on either side of the flange where the studs used to be it would hold it in? Other suggestions?

Once you have broken the easy out in there, drilling it out is just not going to happen. Especially under the truck.

You can try the hose clamp, it just might work. At least long enough to get to an exhaust shop to have them splice in a new section with a fresh bung to mount the O2 sensor.

You could go to a bone yard and hack saw out a section of pipe from a rig with a good O2 bung welded to it. Then, get two adapter pipes at an auto parts store, cut yours out, mount the other one in, you are back in business.

Good luck.

As indicated above, take it to a shop, they'll splice in a new section with a new bung. The bungs are about $10 and the section of pipe isn't much - don't pay a lot on this repair.

On my previous exhaust system I used two pipe strap/clamps to hold on my O2 sensor. It worked fine, held me over till I replaced the exhaust. Probably any junkyard find will be just as rusted up and broken as what you have now.

It's not the original exhaust. I got an LCE header about 5 years ago when thee stock manifold cracked. This is in the tube that connects the header to the cat, it's still in great shape. I've got a friend that does marine exhaust and let him have the pipe, he was going to take it to his shop and see if he could work something out for me getting the old studs out. If not, I'm going to try the hose clamps on Monday. Then maybe later I'll cut the welds and weld on a new bung if I can source one.

On a side note, if you get an LCE header, change out the studs for a higher grade fastener before install! I got 2 grade 10.9 metric bolts and cut the heads off with a dremel. Local hardware store didn't have high grade metric studs, thats why I got the bolts.

My LC Header (late '90s vintage) came with a simple flange with 2 bolt holes to attach the sensor. I just use a pair of 1/4" s/s bolts, nuts, lock washers on mine.

I ended up taking the pipe over to a friends house that had a drill press. I used a masonary bit to get through the easy out and drilled and tapped the new holes a little bigger in size. Had to drill the O2 sensor flange bigger as well. Everything is back in working order with some new stainless bolts holding it in there.