I have read all of the DIYs and threads on this topic. I am trying to follow the procedure as closely as possible. I have hit one major setback: I cannot get the old TCT out of the engine block.

It will wiggle with ease. I can look through the maintenance port and see it moving inside. It simply will not pull out. Am I missing something obvious here? Shouldn't it simply pull straight out of the engine block wtih a little rotating?

Any help is appreciated. Parts of my engine bay are strewn about so that I could try to get more room to work.

 

If you have all three bolts out then just wiggle it while pulling. It sits in there with two o-rings so it does take a little pull, wiggle and twist.

 

All of the bolts are out. It will rotate until it hits the housing of the part above it, but it will not make any progress towards coming out. We have been at this for a couple of hours now. The entire engine block and even the entire car are moving with the amount of pull we have tried to put on it.

You can twist it with 2 fingers, but it will not seem to budge towards backing out.

 

If you can (without destroying threads) pry it from the observation hole or get a thin blade screw driver under it on the outside you should be able to get it started. Once it starts it will come out easily. I did one last month. If you still can't get it out PM billman who has changed a whole lot of them.

 

Wrap a screwdreiver with black tape and pry it out through the maint hole. The o-rings are the only thing holding it in there.

 

And, make sure the three bolts are the correct ones. There are two more that you don't remove.

 

We just completed the task. My father decided to stick a screwdriver wrapped in a rubber sleeve in the maintenance hole. It popped right out.

As we were on the way back in I told him that someone would probably have suggested that technique while we were outside.

Seriously, I owe a very sincere thanks to Sideways, Billman and everyone else who contributed to all of these TCT threads. I am a total mechanical noob. I have an aerospace degree, but it is not in engineering.

This is the first mechanical project that I have ever undertaken aside from changing fluids and filters. If I can do this, anyone can.

Anyone with this problem should search the threads, look at the pics, and give this a go.

Many many thanks to you guys.

 

YW....

It becomes second nature after a while

 

I see mine in there...

... 3 years old on 4/7/07 ... on my second looking at a third TCT.

 

I am currently on my 4th

Next time it acts up, I'm going to try dino oil.